Pearl Abraham

Pearl Abraham
Born	1960 Jerusalem, Israel
Occupation(s)	Author, academic
Known for	Novels, essays, short stories

Pearl Abraham (born 1960 in Jerusalem, Israel) is an American author known for her novels, essays, and short stories. Growing up in a Hasidic household, she experienced life both in New York City and Israel. Her education encompassed studies in Yiddish as well as English.

Education and teaching career

Abraham completed her undergraduate degree at Hunter College and obtained a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from New York University. Currently, she holds the position of Assistant Professor within the English Department at Western New England University, where she instructs courses in creative writing and fiction. Her academic background also includes teaching appointments at New York University, Sarah Lawrence College, and the University of Houston.

Authorship

She has written four novels: The Romance Reader, Giving Up America, The Seventh Beggar, and American Taliban.

Her literary work frequently delves into themes of emotional growth and personal awakening. Through her writing, Abraham seeks to explore "the mystery of creation."

The Seventh Beggar weaves together characters involved with Kabbalah and artificial intelligence, set against the influence of the 18th-century Hasidic mystic Nachman of Breslov. Esteemed literary critic Harold Bloom lauded the novel as a moving reimagining of a spiritually intricate narrative.

Giving Up America portrays the intricacies of marital life through the journey of a couple from New York, acclaimed for its perceptive insights into relationships. The Romance Reader centers on a young Hasidic woman challenging orthodox traditions and was described by The New York Times as "an assured, smoothly written book."

Her most recent novel, American Taliban, tells the story of an American youth’s spiritual transformation from Transcendentalism to Islam.

In addition to her novels, Abraham’s essays have been published in outlets such as Moment Magazine and The New York Times.

Awards and honors

Abraham edited the Dutch collection Een Sterke Vrouw: Jewish Heroines in Literature. Her fiction and essays have appeared in various literary journals and anthologies including Who We Are (Schocken Books), The Michigan Quarterly, The Forward, Epoch (Cornell), and Brooklyn Noir (Akashic Press).

The Seventh Beggar was shortlisted for the 2006 Koret Jewish Book Award in Fiction. The Romance Reader reached semifinalist status for The Discover New Writer's Award, was named "Best Book of 1995" by Library Journal, and was chosen as the inaugural title by San Francisco’s East Bay Times. It also appeared on bestseller lists in Germany and the Netherlands. Her short story "Hasidic Noir" received the 2006 Shamus Award for Best Short Story featuring a Private Investigator.