Helene, a student of archaeology, gradually uncovers the story of her Uncle Daniel, whose history Helene knows only sketchily. He has always been a favorite of the family, a writer of adventure tales about a hero who travels the world. This sad but sweet story unfolds slowly, as Helene discovers a family secret. Stylistically, there are long phrases strung together by commas, where I would prefer separate sentences. Nevertheless, a tale to be savored. ( )

Ugh, that was not the way to wind down the year. The novel appeared interesting as I scanned the cover at the library. I brought it home and was soon disappointed, though I thought I'd push through. Well, it is apparent that YA has infiltrated the New Fiction section at the public library. Do we really need another murky whodunit concerning the Holocaust? Such subject matter should be exempt from the dime store tropes, but alas the expiation continues.

Avoid this one. ( )

I kept waiting for something to happen. It didn't. ( )

A recent translation from the French, The Travels of Daniel Ascher reminds me a bit of I Called Him Necktie, one of my favorite books of 2014. The similarity isn’t one of theme. Rather, each of these books seems deceptively simple at the beginning, a pleasant enough read, but perhaps not much more. Then comes the moment of sudden revelation about two thirds of the way through: this isn’t just a good read; it’s a remarkable read. And from that moment on the book becomes un-put-downable. One simultaneously feels compelled to race through it and mourns the fact that its end is approaching page by page.

The Travels of Daniel Ascher focuses on Hélèn, an archaeology student, and her uncle Daniel, a writer of a well-known children’s adventure series. When Hélèn begins her studies, she moves into a small room at the top of the building in which Daniel has his apartment. She’s glad for the room, but uneasy about living this close to her uncle, who she’s always found a bit off-putting: larger than life in a rather childish way, describing his adventures in dramatic fashion as though he were the hero of his own series.

Over time Hélèn begins to realize how little of her uncle’s story she knows, and she begins to question him and other family members. The first revelation is that Daniel was a Jewish boy adopted by a French gentile family during World War II. As Hélèn continues her research, she becomes less and less certain of who her uncle is, as he seems to have two very different life stories.

This is the sort of book one can give one’s self as a gift when a day or a weekend opens up and the lure of “a book and a quiet nook” is irresistible. It can easily be read in a day—or in two evenings—but it will stick with the reader much longer. The Travels of Daniel Ascher balances its mix of family secrets, 20th Century European history, and bibliophilia nicely. The reader wonders; the reader mourns; the reader also enjoys. Keep your eye out for this title and don’t hesitate to pick it up when you cross its path. You’ll be surprised by the richness packed into its 160 pages. ( )