I appreciated learning about the hardships faced by Doctorow and the Altschulers in the 1930's. Their many hardships were real, and hope was necessary to survive. I was bored by the repetition and poor communication between characters. A concise book would have had a greater effect. Unfortunately, this book is also very relevant today. ( )

This book takes the reader back in time to 1939 New York City, where protagonist and primary narrator Edgar, a ten-year-old boy, is growing up in the Bronx. It is the story of his Jewish family, and their many challenges. It is occasionally narrated by another family member (to provide an adult perspective). The writing is top rate and the period is beautifully depicted by an author who lived through it. This book represents historical fiction at its finest. ( )

Read like a book required for high school. It was interesting but excessive. If it was edited down to a short story, it would have been just as interesting. I felt it ended with a lot of loose ends. Subplots were brought up and never resolved. For example, the parents comment on knowing something about Meg’s father but the reader never finds out what it is. In general, it is an ok book but not a great one. ( )

fascinating historical snapshot of NYC

This is a coming of age story for a boy in NYC amidst the Great Depression. Supposedly this is autobiographical in many ways, which you can see in the very authentic feel that the author provides of that time in NYC. You do wonder, given our understanding of the Great Depression, why the experience of Edgar and his parents is not worse than presented. But it is a life as experienced by Edgar, and many children do not fully comprehend the challenges their parents and families face when they are growing up. Parents hide the real difficulties from their children, if they can. So in this regard, perhaps Doctorow's story may be even more authentic than we initially assume. Ultimately, though, despite the quality and detail of the writing, I found the story a bit tedious and not terribly enlightening.

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