Vanished - A Historical Novel about Jewish Life in 1850 in Europe by Rochel Gurkow

Where is Dovber?

It’s only three words, yet the question has haunted Shmuel for years.

Nineteen-year-old Dovber Altman loves a good challenge. But when he joins a doomed competition and mysteriously vanishes from his hometown in Vienna, his younger brother, Shmuel, is terrified. Was Dovber kidnapped? His cryptic codes and mysterious messages indicate there’s something sinister behind his disappearance.

Crimes against Jews are rampant in 1850s Europe. Join Shmuel and his sister Sarah on their harrowing search for their missing brother.

In this suspenseful historical novel, debut author Rochel Gurkow dynamically recreates life during the Haskalah. As the entire Jewish community grapples with maintaining its connection to Yiddishkeit, Shmuel is determined to confront the dangers and find his lost brother.