A naïve Ukrainian interpreter with poor English, his almost-blind grandfather and a reserved young American boy entirely immersed in a new culture, intertwined with Jewish folklore, lie at the heart of Jonathan Safran Foer's novel, Everything Is Illuminated.

The trio sets the scene for refreshing comic relief despite the weighty issues of the story.

Foer, a graduate of Princeton University still in his 20s, has written a fictional tale based upon his attempt to retrace his grandfather's footsteps as Jonathan, a young Jewish man in Ukraine during the Holocaust.

Foer is the main character of his own work along with a young Ukrainian interpreter, Alex, who is consumed with a fascination for American culture.

The havoc the young interpreter wreaks on the English language and the American's ungraceful assimilation into Ukrainian culture is priceless.

Do not however, be discouraged by the humor.

It serves not to make light of a devastating historical event, but rather to pull at the heartstrings of the reader and reveal the intricacies involved in the clash of three cultures: Jewish, American and Ukrainian.

The relationship that grows between the two characters creates an interesting dynamic to the story, in which both Jonathan and Alex learn a great deal about themselves through each other.

Alex's character is the perfect contrast to Jonathan.

Alex is extroverted, masking his insecurities through his boasts of sex, money and desirability.

Jonathan's insecurities however, are more readily available and his reserved demeanor masks his confidence.

Together with the Alex's grandfather they go on a journey to find the one woman who saved his grandfather's life.

The imaginative and mythical Jewish folklore incorporated into the story gives a deeper look into Jewish culture that is inextricably intertwined with Jewish history, but which also predates the Holocaust.

It is a story not only of the atrocities and consequences of the Holocaust, but also of Foer's search to discover himself by looking at his own history.

There have been several films and books written on the Holocaust, yet none so artistic as and easy to read as Foer's imaginative masterpiece.

Filled with multiple themes, motifs, elaborate character development and complex story lines, this novel is intellectual, yet accessible.

Brilliant, though provoking and entertaining, Everything Is Illuminated will do no less than leave a lasting and powerful impression upon the reader. It is a book that should not be passed up.