Passing in Review

Hal Sacks, 30-year Book Review Editor for the biweekly Jewish News of Southeastern Virginia, has penned reviews on books with themes of politics, history, Israel and the Holocaust that are enlightening, comprehensive and, best of all, understandable. His reviews of memoirs and biographies manage to vividly portray the subjects' lives. And Hal knows his way around the kitchen, so his takes on cookbooks are written from a cook's perspective! When it comes to his fiction reviews, he deftly offers just enough details to entice readers, and yet not enough to spoil the fun of the read. Not one to shy away from opinion, Hal has also written essays and articles on topics dear to his heart, several of which we have also included. Because these reviews were initially written for a Jewish audience, most have some sort of a Jewish connection, i.e., the author or topic, but not all. This really is a book for everyone.