Tree of Souls is a long-awaited and much-needed tome on the mythology of Judaism. The 670 stories present everything anyone would want to know about Jewish stories; they run the gamut from myths of God to myths of the Messiah to myths of the Holy Land to myths of exile. The copious introduction and notes about each story testify to the scholarship of the author, Schwartz, an acclaimed folklorist and author. Tree of Souls should be on the shelf of every home and library, both as a reference work for scholars and as informative and pleasant reading for the layman.

"The Tree of Souls" is a rare book one wants to treasure in one's library, yet it will not suffice just to have it sitting on a shelf. It should be placed on a desk close by, in order to be able to reach out and read once, twice, indeed many times the fascinating stories that engulf us as soon as we open the gates to the contents of the book. Once the reader finds himself inside this wondrous world, it becomes wide open, yet it is not difficult to decide which path to choose since the author has designed ten stepping stones, each of which will lead to a particular destination. In reality though, it does not matter which of the ten books Howard Schwartz has created within "The Tree of Souls" - each an impressive book in its own right - we choose to start with. We may read for sheer enjoyment, yet Howard Schwartz, the scholar, has made it easy also for those searching for a particular theme or topic within this vast domain to find what they are looking for and are interested in.

Initially, when I saw the title of the book, a number of images flashed in front of my eyes since many civilizations in antiquity, and even into the present, treat trees with great reverence with the belief that some are associated with supernatural powers. In the Caribbean basin island of Curacao, a giant tree spreads its immense canopy over a large area, just as its enormous roots extend from the trunk, far and wide in all directions. This particular tree serves as a symbol of homeland and a quest for peace to local Indian tribes who transplanted it from a rain forest into the arid soil of this island hundreds of years ago. It thrives there miraculously despite the harsh conditions it is subjected to. This could be the tree that many in that area of the world believe enables the souls of the righteous departed to ascend to heaven. This marvelous tree could serve as a companion to other mythical trees, such as those found in ancient Greek tales, where they aided certain divine entities that restrained, punished or rewarded human beings, depending on the situation.

The "Tree of Souls" is most marvelous since it facilitates repaired souls to descend, and thus they are not only a source of renewed life and knowledge but also the symbol of the never-ending cycle of re-creation. Whether it is the mysterious tree of Abraham described in this book, or maybe the sacred glistening tree under which the Buddha sat and meditated, or a different mythical tree of perfection from another tradition, suffice it to say that these trees, in different ways, are subject to many interpretations and explanations. It is hard not to succumb to the magic of storytelling, particularly of this storyteller who retells these magnificent tales in his own incomparable way. Thus this tree of narratives will always flourish and remain a source of enjoyment and knowledge to those sitting under its branches ...