Book Club

The Last Dekrepitizer by Howard Langer

Reviewer: Chloe Evans, English Studies Major & English Department Office Manager, Loyola University.

The Last Dekrepitzer follows the journey of Shmuel Meir Lichtbencher, the sole survivor of a Hasidic sect known for its fiddling tradition. After losing his family in the Holocaust, Shmuel Meir, now known as Sam Lightup, is smuggled into the United States by Black American soldiers. He settles in rural Mississippi, where he lives among the Black community, speaks Black English, preaches, and plays the blues with the Brown Sugar Ramblers trio. His marriage to a Black woman, Lula Curtin, leads to a cross-burning incident, prompting their move to New York City. In Manhattan, he collaborates with the Reverend Gary Davis, a renowned blind guitarist. Throughout his journey, Shmuel Meir grapples with his faith, expressing his prayers through his music, seeking solace and meaning in a world marked by loss and displacement