Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite

Paradise Cove: They Escaped the Cuckoo’s Nest by George T. Nagel and Pini Dunner is the rediscovered memoir of George T. Nagel, a man whose life was as extraordinary as the stories he captured. But Nagel wasn’t who he seemed to be. His real name was Yechezkel Taub, and he was born the heir to a great Hasidic dynasty in Poland. In the 1920s, as the celebrated "Yabloner Rebbe," he led hundreds of his followers to pre-state Israel to establish a Hasidic agricultural village. Decades later, after abandoning his religious role and reinventing himself as George Nagel, he found himself in Los Angeles, where he became a psychology student in his seventies and volunteered at a halfway house for recovering psychiatric patients. The memoir is written as a series of letters to his academic advisor, Dr. Helen Giedt, and offers a deeply personal and compassionate account of the residents at Paradise Cove. Nagel’s observations are filled with empathy and insight, capturing the struggles, quirks, and humanity of individuals often overlooked by society.

What makes this book even more remarkable is the context of Nagel’s life. Rabbi Pini Dunner’s editorial contributions offer a fascinating backdrop, tracing George T. Nagel’s journey from a revered Hasidic leader to an anonymous immigrant in America, and finally, his quiet return to Israel as the Yabloner Rebbe. Paradise Cove is a window into the transformative power of compassion and the enduring strength of the human spirit. Nagel’s unique perspective, shaped by his dual identities as a spiritual leader and a psychology student, offers a rare blend of wisdom and humility. This rediscovered work is a moving tribute to the lives he touched and a reminder of the quiet, profound ways in which one person can make a difference. Though Nagel is no longer alive, his words continue to inspire, offering timeless lessons on empathy, dignity, and the beauty of human connection. This is a memoir that will touch your heart and soul.