This is the third novel published by
Chaim Potok. It tells the story of
Asher Lev, a young boy with a
genius for art. His talent is so powerful that he creates images almost against his will. His upbringing in the
Hasidic tradition, however, creates a schism between himself, his Hasidic
family, and the
Jewish community around him because of the tradition's extreme
anti-iconographic nature.