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laura_e_freeman's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
rpultorak's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sjgrodsky's review against another edition
4.0
Read for my book group. I think this will engender a wonderful discussion, with some of the New Yorkers offering an informed perspective on the setting.
I agree with many of the other reviewers: lovely writing, the time switching makes the whole arc a bit difficult to follow.
One new thought: because the author is writing as an adult, but remembering her 12 year old viewpoint, we get both perspectives. That is, the 12 year old narrator tells us what she sees. And she sees, without irony or nostalgia, the evocative details a child sees -- the foot pedaled sewing machine named Eleanor Roosevelt, her mother's boxy patent leather purse, Davy's sandy feet on the cottage floor. But the adult narrator intervenes at times, giving context. It's a very crafty trick to give us both points of view. And I mean that in a good way.
You will come to care about the characters. Some are more admirable than others, but most resemble the all too human people we live with every day. I can see different members of the book group having different favorites and fear that Ada is in for some harsh criticism.
I find the last scene of "Annie Hall", with its golden tones and bittersweet acceptance, utterly sad and utterly touching. If you feel the same way you will probably like this story of disappointments and recoveries, tragedy and atonement.
I agree with many of the other reviewers: lovely writing, the time switching makes the whole arc a bit difficult to follow.
One new thought: because the author is writing as an adult, but remembering her 12 year old viewpoint, we get both perspectives. That is, the 12 year old narrator tells us what she sees. And she sees, without irony or nostalgia, the evocative details a child sees -- the foot pedaled sewing machine named Eleanor Roosevelt, her mother's boxy patent leather purse, Davy's sandy feet on the cottage floor. But the adult narrator intervenes at times, giving context. It's a very crafty trick to give us both points of view. And I mean that in a good way.
You will come to care about the characters. Some are more admirable than others, but most resemble the all too human people we live with every day. I can see different members of the book group having different favorites and fear that Ada is in for some harsh criticism.
I find the last scene of "Annie Hall", with its golden tones and bittersweet acceptance, utterly sad and utterly touching. If you feel the same way you will probably like this story of disappointments and recoveries, tragedy and atonement.
rockhoppingpenguin's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
susangiardina's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book. It is a beautifully written family saga, but if you’re looking for more such as twists and turns or anything exciting, it isn’t there. Just lovely writing and many characters that become familiar throughout the story that goes from the late 1920’s into the 90’s. The author kept my attention because of the quality of her writing in describing life in a family that progresses over time, and the fractures that sometimes occur within them. However, she used an annoying technique of jumping around, back and forth from decade to decade, year to year, without announcing it, so you just had to figure out what year it was. Often confusing to the storyline and frustrating. Not sure why she did this, but if she writes another book I hope she doesn’t do that again. Overall, it is a nice read that takes you away to another time and place that was more gentle than today, and somewhat nostalgic.
emily_bovan's review
3.0
While this book’s main theme is about a family dealing with grief, I really enjoyed the undertones about what it means to be a family and what lengths people will go to for their family. It was a bit slower then I expected, but overall I enjoyed the story.
orygunn's review
3.0
The book was well written, and when I read it, it went quickly, but it wasn't one of those I just *had* to pick up or couldn't put down. A journey through the impact grief has on life.
hannahfeathers's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
findyourgoldenhour's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I enjoyed this book overall, even though it felt overly melancholic at times. I felt immersed in the time and place, the culture of American Jews in pre- and post-WWII, and I cared about the characters. The writing itself, while beautiful, sometimes felt clunky. The best books are the ones where you don't notice that you are reading; you brain takes in the words and you're immersed in a story. This one had some clunky sentence structures and run-on sentences; I'd have to re-read them to figure out to whom the pronoun was referring, for example, or if the verb tense made sense. I'm glad I read it; a few of the characters will stay with me.
lvw22's review against another edition
4.0
I've had this book on my shelf for awhile; I'm not really sure why I never started it. After reading the opening line, however, I was hooked: "The summer of 1948 my brother Davy was killed in an accident with a man who would have given his own life rather than have it happen."
The novel gradually unravels the events leading to this catastrophic accident, and reveals how it altered the lives of every member of 8-year-old Davy's tightly knit extended Jewish family. Davy's sister Molly, who was 12 when he died, narrates the novel, and Poliner does a great job creating her voice. I loved Molly's observations of the contentious, but loving, relationship between her mother and her two aunts as they gather each summer at a run down family home at the beach in a Jewish enclave in Woodmont, CT. known as Bagel Beach.
If you like multi-generational family dramas, you will definitely enjoy this book.
The novel gradually unravels the events leading to this catastrophic accident, and reveals how it altered the lives of every member of 8-year-old Davy's tightly knit extended Jewish family. Davy's sister Molly, who was 12 when he died, narrates the novel, and Poliner does a great job creating her voice. I loved Molly's observations of the contentious, but loving, relationship between her mother and her two aunts as they gather each summer at a run down family home at the beach in a Jewish enclave in Woodmont, CT. known as Bagel Beach.
If you like multi-generational family dramas, you will definitely enjoy this book.