Phillip Guttmann

At first blush, Shmuel is a pious Hasidic man leading a fairly simple life. By day he dutifully prays at the local synagogue and manages a busy dry cleaner. But when his wife and daughters leave town for a few days, Shmuel will step out of his simple daily life and into a more complex world lit by the night. When he misplaces his black hat along the way, Shmuel’s two lives will interconnect in a way he never expected.

4th grade is all about fitting in. For ten-year-old Daniel, that means owning the latest in Hello Kitty fashion, liking the cutest boy in class, and convincing yourself you’re Asian when everyone else thinks you’re white.