Daniel Mendelsohn receives the 2007 Sophie Brody Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Jewish Literature

Contact: Eileen Hardy

RUSA Marketing Specialist

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For Immediate Release

February 6, 2007

Daniel Mendelsohn receives the 2007 Sophie Brody Medal

for Outstanding Achievement in Jewish Literature

SEATTLE—Daniel Mendelsohn is the recipient of this year’s Sophie Brody Medal. The award, which consists of a medal for the winner and citations for honor books, is funded by Arthur Brody and the Brodart Foundation, and is given to encourage, recognize and commend outstanding achievement in Jewish literature. The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), administers the Brody Medal.

Mendelsohn is receiving the award for his book, “The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million,” published by HarperCollins. “The riveting search for six lost family members leads readers to greater understanding of the fate of six million,” said Barbara Bibel and Danise Hoover, co-chairs of the award committee. “Mendelsohn’s extraordinary efforts to discover the truth offer closure to the relatives of those who cannot undertake this extensive research.”

The committee is also awarding three honorable mentions to authors Dara Horn, Sandy Tolan and Markus Zusak. Zusak is receiving an honorable mention for the book, “The Book Thief,” published by Knopf. “Death narrates this tale of a young girl in Germany during World War II. Books, stolen, borrowed, and homemade sustain her through the overwhelming tragedies. It is a testament to the power of words.”

Tolan is receiving an honorable mention for the book, “The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew and the Heart of the Middle East,” published by Bloomsbury. “A piece of property connects two families, one Palestinian, one Jewish. Their interactions amid the violence and destruction in the region give reason for hope.”

Horn is receiving an honorable mention for the book, “The World to Come,” published by Norton. “In this remarkable kaleidoscopic novel, a painting by Marc Chagall becomes the lens through which the author explores the history of a Jewish family as well as Jewish art and literature.”