City of Laughter

- Temim Fruchter

Women’s Literary Fiction/LGBTQ+

The story opens in Ropshitz, Poland which was once known as the City of Laughter. In the 18th century, a holy jester receives a visitation from a mysterious stranger, who will trigger a series of events that will reverberate through the next century. In modern day times, we met Shiva, a young queer woman who is recovering from the loss of her first love and her beloved father. A study of Jewish Folklore, Shiva takes the opportunity to visit Poland and untangle some of her family’s mysteries.

Author: Temim Richter- A queer, non-binary writer living in Brooklyn, who received the 2020 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award. City of Laughs is their debut novel.