In this searing novel of family, grief, and memory, a Canadian Jewish family is flung back together by the loss of one of its members at the hands of a drunken driver. The bereaved must now strive to keep alive the memory of Esther Persky--sister, wife and mother. Short-listed for the City of Toronto Book Award "The author brings us so completely into her characters' lives that we cannot help but care about every occurrence. Zeitlin is a fluid writer, moving from past to present with seamless ease." --Publishers Weekly "Highly recommended for fiction collections." --Library Journal "Through detailed description, the author has drawn a convincing portrait of a family shaken by tragedy." --Quill & Quire (Canada) "Next of Kin grapples with important moral issues, and its arguments, counterbalanced and genuinely probing, are those best made in fiction." --The Forward "Wrenching in its sorrow." --Los Angeles Times