My Name is Asher Lev

A key theme running through most of Chaim Potok’s books is the conflict between individualism and traditional religious values. In My Name is Asher Lev, Potok's third novel, the protagonist is a Hasidic Jew raised in a religious culture, who finds himself drawn to a master artist and a set of values incongruous with those of his faith. What I especially like about the narrative is its even-handed treatment of both Lev and his family, as the Hasidic defenders of tradition are respected and not blindly ridiculed. The plot and characters are also quite good — it is clear Potok is writing with real people in mind — and as a result this stands out as Chaim Potok's best novel.