Asher Lev books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Asher Lev series?"

"There are three books in the Asher Lev series, published between 1972 and 1990."

Q: "What is the first book in the Asher Lev series?"

"The first book in the Asher Lev series is My Name Is Asher Lev, published in 1972."

Q: "Do you need to read My Name Is Asher Lev before The Gift of Asher Lev?"

"Yes. The Gift of Asher Lev picks up Asher's story years later and builds directly on the events and emotional weight of the first book. Reading them in order gives the full impact of how Asher's relationship with his family and community has changed over time."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	My Name Is Asher Lev	1972	Chaim Potok	Buy
2	Il dono di Asher Lev	1990	Chaim Potok	N/A
3	The Gift of Asher Lev	1990	Chaim Potok	Buy

Asher Lev is a young Hasidic Jewish man with an extraordinary gift for painting and a community that doesn’t know what to make of him. Chaim Potok introduced the character in My Name Is Asher Lev (1972), a novel about the cost of pursuing art when it puts you at odds with everything your family believes. The book became one of Potok’s most celebrated works and a staple of American literary fiction.

Potok returned to Asher’s story in The Gift of Asher Lev (1990), picking up years later as an older Asher faces new tensions between his life as a successful artist in France and the pull of his Hasidic roots in Brooklyn. The sequel deepens the questions raised in the first book without offering easy answers. Together, the two novels form one of the most honest fictional treatments of the conflict between creative ambition and religious obligation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Asher Lev series?

There are three books in the Asher Lev series, published between 1972 and 1990.

What is the first book in the Asher Lev series?

The first book in the Asher Lev series is My Name Is Asher Lev, published in 1972.

Do you need to read My Name Is Asher Lev before The Gift of Asher Lev?

Yes. The Gift of Asher Lev picks up Asher’s story years later and builds directly on the events and emotional weight of the first book. Reading them in order gives the full impact of how Asher’s relationship with his family and community has changed over time.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order