The Days of Awe — Hugh Nissenson

Washington Post Best Books of 2005.

Philadelphia Inquirer Top 10 Fiction Pick, Fall 2005

At age 67, Artie Rubin finds his world shaken to its foundation by events he cannot control. His tale his both universal and unique; it is the story of the end of things and their beginnings, of friends and family, of connections lost and of the endurance of love. The Days of Awe is a breathtaking call to living.

“[Nissenson] more than holds his own in the arena of gritty, all-too-present-day realism, brilliantly conveying his characters' anxiety and suffering, their conflicting ideas,emotions and beliefs, and the love for one another that makes them so vulnerable but also lends enduring value to their menaced lives.” -- Wall Street Journal

“Solid character writing and attention to the details of daily life make the September 11 material well motivated; as characters continue to worry, kibitz, philosophize and complain, one feels that they have a real sense of the stakes.” -- Publishers Weekly

“A moving, thought-provoking exploration of coming to grips with mortality.” -- Booklist

“I just finished The Days of Awe. I am too moved to move. (Even this pen.) An amazing novel. It is as if we are eavesdropping on life.” -- Cynthia Ozick