From KIRKUS
Chuck Shelton
Editor, KIRKUS REVIEWS

A young Jewish man comes of age, searches for his identity and crosses the Atlantic at the turn of the last century.Avrum Vishinsky was a child when his village was burned and all its inhabitants killed during a pogrom in 1898. Only he and his little brother, Hershel, survived. Within a day of this first tragedy, however, they suffer a second, as they are separated, each fearing the other dead. The story follows Avrum as he falls in with a group of rough lumbermen, one of whom takes the young boy under his wing. Avrum grows up and eventually leaves the forests to search for his brother in the Ukrainian city of Lvov. It is here that he has his first encounter since the pogrom with his Jewish heritage, and also learns that Hershel is alive and in America. After more time spent growing up, working hard and traveling with seedy characters, Avrum himself sets sail for America. Almost by chance, he takes a ship for Canada and ends up in Montreal, where he finds work and housing with fellow Jews, though he remains only ambiguously Jewish. Avrum becomes a professional wrestler, but he is also a spiritual and emotional wrestler throughout the book. He suffers deeply from having no sense of belonging or identity. His nightmares and loneliness haunt him, even as he attempts to live morally in the midst of immorality. Holtzman creates a believably troubled protagonist, caught in the web of his own destiny, as defined by a kabbalist seer. Avrum represents the goodness in humanity, struggling with tragedy, evil and temptation. Yet in the end, subtly, justice has its day.

An engaging read that vividly, and often painfully, portrays humanity's struggle with inhumanity.

from Prof. Stanley Nemiroff
Professor of Philosophy (retired),
McGill University

Arnold Holtzman's novel The Wrestler From Montreal is an intricately woven tapestry of engaging stories set within the prophecy delivered by a mother to her young sons. The events occurring in Montreal are related with humour and insight, skillfully evoking the joys and torments of the Jews who fled Eastern Europe to make a new life in that vibrant city. The ever- hovering prophetic and allegorical dimensions of the novel evoke reflections on fate and destiny. The Wrestler succeeds as both an enjoyable and a thought-provoking work.

A very good read!

Pros:
A saga that riveted my attention from the first line to the last. Surprises come with every new page.
The characters are straight out of Damon Runyan and Bashevis Singer. It is described as a book of secrets
and evidently these secrets are revealed in the allegories which give the story its richness. It is a book
one can read for its sheer entertainment value. But when the events and characters get to touch the chemistries
of the reader's inner world its value carries well beyond simple entertainment.

Cons:
The fact that there is a glossary at the end of the book should be noted at the start.

Comments:
The Wrestler from Montreal was made for the screen.

The Wrestler from Montreal opens with such dramatic action that it will remain with the reader for a long time. I knew that after reading the first few pages of this book that this was going to be an engrossing read. Arnold Holtzman is very passionate about the subject of this book (and) does an excellent job of character portrayal... On a personal note, I think this book would make an excellent movie. The Wrestler from Montreal has action, history, well-defined characters and a good story... a moving story about the power of a mother’s heritage left to her young children, the bond of two brothers and the struggle to survive.

It ranks way up there with the best I have read so far this year.