Barnes & Noble "Discover Great New Writers" selection

Borders "Original Voices" selections

BookSense pick

Beautifully written and expertly researched by an art and antiquities expert, this novel captivates 'til its final page.
-Jame Ramos Trimble, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

They [readers] will be swept away by Hantover's lavish descriptions of an exotic, lost Asian kingdom; the gentle love story; and the tale of one man's thoughtful journey to his heart's home. -Sarah Johnson, Booklist

A book that doesn’t just pull the reader into the story, it puts them there. The lush descriptions of people, places, events, and customs, of both Pegu and Venice, come through beautifully and sometimes, shockingly ...Quite simply, the book is brilliantly written. Its lovely language is a sumptuous feast for the mind and its story moves the heart. Rich in detail, characters and emotion, Abraham’s journey of self discovery stays with the reader well after the final page has been read. Shannon Frost, TCM Reviews

Making his fiction debut, Hantover intercuts Abraham’s letters with short chapters from Mya’s point of view with delicacy and grace. He evokes the lush setting and gives clear voice to Abraham’s doubts, fears and passions.
–Publisher’s Weekly

Forget the mysterious and exotic location -- this is a book universal in its substance. When 16th-century Jewish trader Abraham goes to Asia he encounters an alien culture but also discovers a world of love and beauty previously unknown. You can call it exquisite, incisive and provocative, but there are really not enough adjectives for this brilliant gem of a novel. Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI, Book Sense Pick

Readers are treated to a long look at the interior landscape of a man of faith whose world is shaken by the power of unexpected love. Sarah White, BookPage

Part travelogue, part love story, part philosophical discourse on humanity and the nature of faith, all told in a series of letters to a faraway cousin from whom there is never a reply. You'll need patience for this tale. Jeffrey Hantover doesn't open his debut novel with stunning that literary acrobatics. There's no great hook to suck you in. No slick plot to entertain. Which isn't to say it isn't a lovely piece of work, only that it's quiet. It's shy. You'll have to spend some time getting to know each other before the book begins to give up its secrets, its treasures. And treasures there are...Abraham grows to see past the physical differences of dress, tatoos and piercings, and the cultural differences of faith and marriage, to the common humanity that lies in everyone. His realization unfolds profoundly and beautifully, as important a discovery today as it was 400 years ago in Pegu. Tammar Stein, St. Petersburg Times.

If it is an accomplishment for any novelist to write believable historical fiction, it is quite an achievement for a first-time author to induct us in two such different worlds as that of sixteenth-century Venice and Burma. But that Jeffrey Hantover does, and we are much the richer for it.
Barbara Lingens, BookLoons.com

This quiet, meditative novel brings to life the sights, sounds and smells of the lush and vibrant city of Pegu...Steeping his novel in both Jewish and Buddhist philosophy and spiritualism, author Jeffrey Hantover brings to life the trials, tribulations and battles of Peguan society and culture in the sixteenth century, also deeply embedding his story within the context of Abraham's journey as he writes his poetic, intensely heartfelt letters...Michael Leonard, Curled Up With A Good Book (www.curledup.com)

The Jewel Trader of Pegu is a little gem (pun intended), with adventure, suspense, and romance. The writing is lush and lyrical, yet clear, descriptive, and a pleasure to read. Jeffrey Hantover has given us a very different sort
of historical romance. Jewish Book World

This is a first novel of merit, a quiet and thoughtful read
about different kinds of freedoms, about prejudice and about finding oneself, about culture shock and cultural differences.  Watching Abraham open out like a flower in the society of Pegu, we too gain insights into what people can become. A book to reread and cherish. Historical Novels Review