Sony Luvs Books

The story begins at Rabbi David Kahn funeral. His long lost brother shows up and announces to the congregation that their beloved rabbi was a con artist. And so begins the intimate portrait of the Kahn family spiral through grief and crisis of faith. Roy Dobbs his character was a catalyst that pulls the curtains apart to reveal a family that was splintering. The wayward daughter that has sex at her father funeral service. The rebellious younger son that gambles in school and gets into fights. And Avi the older son the confused, lost rabbi whose congregation abandons him. All the drama is interesting mix as we each how character handles the news in their own way.The characters are complex each grappling with their own crisis that Roy’s revelation brings into their world. Losing someone you love and coping with loss is hard enough to endure but when you add betrayal of that magnitude on top of that, its unbearable. The one good thing that came from the Kahn’s crisis was strengthening of the family bond and Lea’s reawakening of her faith.The artwork is all drawn in black and white. I think to symbolize right and wrong, truth and lie in a idealistic black and white world. To represent some high ideal that doesn’t truly exist. Avi confronts this issue when an lapse in judgement leads him to a crisis of faith. He questions his worth, if he’s good enough to be a man of god and so forth. It’s interesting to see how the community turns their back on the Kahns the whispers the looks–when the congregation held him in such high esteem before his death. Just goes to show human nature people can be so hypercritical. I loved that all the emotions were from a real place and the characters were believable. No sugar coating –the end isn’t wrapped up in a bow… just like life it gives way for more story to be told and the readers are left wondering did things work out for Avi in the end?One thing that annoyed me though was Roy. He shows up unannounced at the funeral of all places and throws this bomb at Avi and his family in public no less. Never apologizes for the destruction it caused. I think he could have handled that better. And did he really have do it in public the family could have self destructed in private. I guess the story would be different then but I think it would have given it some contrast. I gave The Big Kahn 4 out 5. I recommend the Big Kahn for the 18 and older crowd there are a few f-bombs, some alcohol abuse, and sex not graphic but there are some compromising scenes. 4/5