Yiddish for Pirates

"Set in the years around 1492, 'Yiddish for Pirates' tells the story of Moishe, a young man who, enchanted by maps and seeking adventure, leaves the shtetl to join a ship's crews. There he meets Aaron, our ribald yet philosophical parrot narrator who becomes his near-constant companion. With a beakful of Yiddish jokes, this wisecracking bird guides us through a swashbuckling world of exploits on the high seas, from exploration and daring escapes to piracy, revenge and the ultimate search for the Fountain of Youth. A post-colonial satire filled with Kabbalistic hijinks, this is also a tender love story between Moishe and his true love, Sarah, and between Arron and his 'shoulder, ' Moishe."--Page 4 of cover.

Prize history

• Scotiabank Giller Prize

  2016

  Shortlist