ESCAPE ROUTE is set in New York City during the tumultuous late 1960s. Told by teenager Zach, a first-generation son of Holocaust survivors and NY Mets fan, who becomes obsessed with the Vietnam War and with finding an escape route for his family for when he believes, the US will round up and incarcerate its Jews. Zach meets Samm, a seventh-generation Manhattanite whose brother has returned from Vietnam with PTSD. Together they explore protest, friendship, music, faith, and love during a time littered with hope and upheaval around the globe?
"Elan Barnehama has given us a powerful coming of age story set against the tumult of the 1960s, the War in Vietnam, and the power of memory and Jewish identity in a family of Holocaust survivors. This is a beautifully rendered novel, populated by unforgettable characters in an unforgettable time. Barnehama is a literary craftsman at the top of his game. Superb."
Frye Gaillard, author of A Hard Rain: America in the 1960s, an NPR Great Read 2018
"The novel is totally charming, completely engrossing, moving, real. I love those characters- Zach, because of his way of throwing out those witty remarks and he has so much heart and courage. And Samm, because she is so cool and holy smokes, if I could only have been anything like her at that age. And the grandfather, of course."
Kiki Smith, Professor of Theatre, Smith College, Obie Award winner for Costume Design
