The Tribe by Bari Wood. Signet . 1981.
A group of Jewish men save themselves inside a Nazi concentration camp by bringing to life a golem, a legendary monster made of clay and brought to life through magic. Nearly forty years later in Brooklyn, then on Long Island, death comes to members of their families and once again they create a golem to act as a tool of vengeance, but that vengeance takes a wrong turn.
The Tribe is truly a great read. Full of mystery, dread and horror, it's also an immersive experience into parts of a culture that, even in 1981, was mostly alien to most of America. The characters are richly conveyed and sympathetic, even when at odds with each other, and even when things start to go bad. This book was completely engrossing and there was a tremendous build-up to the reveal of the golem. For much of the book we only knew its strength and terror through the aftermath of its actions, and the dread fear that the protagonists felt as they approached their inevitable confrontation with the monster was real, and tremendous.
I highly recommend this book, which is now again available through Valancourt's Paperbacks From Hell collection.
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