Same as it never was

Simone Zelitch’s new book, Judenstaat: A Novel (Tor Books, $25.99), takes the Philip K. Dick route: She imagines that, to punish the Nazis, a Jewish nation was created—but in Saxony instead of the Middle East. Like The Man in the High Castle, there’s a search for the truth; young librarian Judit Klemmer, who is in charge of making a documentary for the country’s 40th anniversary. But her research leads her into a morass of conflict, as anti-Semites in neighboring Germany, Czechoslovakia and Poland vie with native Saxons who want their land back and radical “black-hat” fundamentalist Jews to see who can tear the country apart the fastest. That’s not to mention the suspicious death of Judit’s husband, adding a mystery on top of mysteries. A fascinating look at what never was, Judenstaat tells us a great deal about human nature and the persistence of bigotry.