From Bondage, Volume III: Mercy of a Rude Stream

Henry Roth went to sleep for the last time on the evening of October 13, 1995, but not before completing this transcendent novel, which continues "one of the most poignant projects in American literature." As Tolstoy presaged his own passing in The Death of Ivan Ilyich, Roth examines his own imminent death in the most lyrical of ways, telling the story of the elderly writer, Ira Stigman, who in spite of his physical frailties, finds solace and redemption through the re-creation of the fascinating love triangle of his youth. Capturing the dizzying vitality of the 1920s and the literary world of Manhattan, Roth has set the stage for one of the most memorable literary romances of this century.

Henry Roth died on October 13, 1995. His extraordinary literary legacy includes the classic Call It Sleep and six volumes of Mercy of a Rude Stream, all completed before his death. From Bondage is the third volume in this series, and follows A Diving Rock on the Hudson and A Star Shines over Mr. Morris Park, also published by Picador.

While still alive, Roth recieved two honorary doctorates, one from the University of New Mexico and one from the Hebrew Theological Institute in Cincinnati. Posthumously, he was honored by Hadassah Magazine with a special Harold U. Ribalow Prize for Distinguished Literary Achievement. He was also given a special honor by the Museum of the City of New York.