Sholom’s Treasure: How Sholom Aleichem Became a Writer

The boy whose stories became Fiddler on the RoofSholom Aleichem’s favorite childhood memory may have been listening as his father read stories aloud on Saturday nights and a roomful of adults burst out laughing. Sholom wanted to make people laugh, too. At school he became the class clown. At home he imitated even his pious grandmother. But Sholom was also thoughtful. In Russia in the 1800s, life was especially difficult for Jews, and Sholom longed to help his father by finding a legendary hidden treasure. It turned out that Sholom Aleichem’s destiny was to give his father a different kind of treasure – one of words and tales that to this day bring laughter to readers around the world.This taut, focused biography of the young Sholom Aleichem is animated with the artist’s quick, brilliant line and richly toned watercolors.