A WORLD FULL OF STRANGERS CYNTHIA FREEMAN
Posted: Nov. 14, 2013
Bestselling author Cynthia Freeman’s blockbuster first novel: The tempestuous story of a family whose destiny is shaped by a man who turns his back on his Jewish heritage in order to build a prosperous life in post–World War II America
Katie Kovitz is seventeen when she arrives in New York harbor in the bleak winter of 1932. On the city’s Lower East Side, she meets David Rezinetsky. Cursed with the stigma of poverty, David is on a quest to find love and acceptance.
From the ghettos of New York to the golden hills of San Francisco, Cynthia Freeman tells the story of a family: Katie, who must rely on the kindness of strangers in a strange land, yet never forgets her roots; David, who turns his back on his heritage to find his way in a world that treats him like a pariah; Mark, who embraces everything his father has rejected; and Maggie Kent, who completes David’s transformation, setting in motion a series of events that will affect the lives of this American family for years to come.
HUBBY'S REVIEW:
This
story was about a woman who leaves Poland with her mother and moves to England
to live with her uncle. After 12 yrs. Her mother passes away and she knows she
needs to move to the U.S. with a family friend. The uncles’ wife does not like
her or the uncle.
Once she moves to America, everything is
different for her. She has gone from being highly educated, living in a mansion
or bigger than one. Going to concerts, balls and many other things. To now
living in a Jewish ghetto in New York. She finds it hard to make friends so she
stops. Until one day the daughter of the family she is living with has her
boyfriend introduce her to a boy in the neighborhood who does not have to many
friends but likes the same type of classical music and other things like she
does. He is just trying to find a way out of the neighborhood.
After a short time they decide to marry,
and though it is a struggle she is happy. He is happy as well, but this was
during the 1930’s and the war in Europe was beginning and there was a
prejudiced against Jews in this country at that time as well. Her husband was
feeling this more and more each day until one day. After waiting to see a man
for 5 hours and told to come another day. He heard what they said about Jews
after he closed the door, he went back inside and punched the man and then
left. He decided on his way home he would tell his wife that his new plan was
to move to a new city and to change their last name. Not to be Jewish any more.
This did not go well for her by this time
they had a little boy and for her being Jewish was all she knew. She finally
gave in and that night went to a family dinner, he made the announcement at
this time and it shocked the entire family and his father told him he was dead
to him. They moved to Chicago, but it did not go well for them there. They
argued a lot and he still could not find consistent work. She left with the baby
back to New York, once there she found out about the family through a sister in
law. Knowing this was all gone for her she was alone on the streets with her
baby.
Then a man, a street peddler remembers her
from when she lived there and took them in. She was in shock at all of the
books, records and many other things he had. She and her son lived there for
two years until the man and the boy got sick one night. After having to put
them in the hospital the man died after a couple of days. She found a way to
get word to her husband in Chicago that there boy was sick. He showed up and
after a few days the boy got better and then she told him about everything with
his family. She goes back to the place where the man lived and she found a box
with a letter to her and some money. He thought of her as his granddaughter.
They took the money and moved to San
Francisco. There they start over again this time he gets into real estate still
not using his real name and with the help of some people after 5 years is starting
to make a lot of money. But he’s also showing a real mean angry side of himself
and takes it out on his wife. After a few more years they move to a higher-class
place one outside of the city. He still has a meanness towards his wife and
anyone who finds out that he is Jewish.
When their son is in high school he tells
him not to be friends with his best friend anymore. The son is confused, talks
to the other boy and they work it out. Now
the husband starts an affair that goes on for almost three years. When at a
party one night the wife figures it out. He asks for a divorce and she says no.
This is now the early fifties he moves back home to try to finally have a
relationship with the son, but then the son goes to U.C.L.A. for college.
After a few months needing help in math he
goes over to an others students home for dinner and is full of questions
because of the food, the way they talk to each other. But something about the mother reminds him of
his mother. He starts dating his
friends’ sister who goes to U.C.L.A. also. After Christmas they are living
together part time but are wanting to get married. She wants him to talk to his
parents because she does not want to be the reason they don’t speak again and
not to be able to be in their home. When he gets home he has it out with his
farther. Later that night his mother comes in and tells him don’t leave in the
morning before I talk to you. She is finally going to tell him.
The next morning he goes up stairs to the
attic and a box falls down that his mother has been carrying around since
Poland. He goes into his mother’s room and she tells him everything. He says he
sorry she stayed because of him. He leaves calls his girlfriend to say we can
get married in the Temple. And then puts an ad in the paper changing his name
back to his Jewish name. A fantastic story with a lot of drama. I really
enjoyed it! Provided by Netgalley.com
Here’s to finding love in any place, at any time!
Bandit Creek (Montana), has a new magical dimension, The Otherland. When murder strikes in Bandit Creek, and the victims aren’t who they seemed, powerful guardian warlock, Marcus Egan, is sent from The Otherland to investigate. What he doesn’t expect to find is Avalon Gwynn, the grieving daughter of the victims, who has no idea she’s an extraordinary, hereditary witch. And Avy’s pent up magical abilities have just been set free in the mortal world. Can Marcus catch a killer while making sure Avy doesn’t bring Crow Mountain crashing down on the town—destroying Bandit Creek for the second time?
