almost before he knows it herman broder refugee and survivor of world war ii has three wives yadwiga the polish peasant who hid him from the nazis masha his beautiful and neurotic true love and tamara his first wife miraculously returned from the dead astonished by each new complication and yet resigned to a life of evasion herman navigates a crowded yiddish new york with a sense of perpetually impending doom comedy characters 17 males 5 females set requirements interioran irresistible comedy with thrills and derring do set in the news room hildy wants to break away from journalism and go on a belated honeymoon there is a jailbreak and into hildys hands falls the escapee as hostage he conceals his prize in a rolltop desk and phones his scoop to his managing editor their job is to prevent other reporters and the sheriff from opening the desk and finding their story some hoods are enli