Review of The Story Of...
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Kendall Corder
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- Latest Review: The Story Of... by Shirley B Novack
Review of The Story Of...
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Story Of..." by Shirley B Novack.]
The Story Of… by author Shirley B. Novack is about Jacob Kalinsky, the eldest son of a poor chicken farmer in Poland in 1904. Jacob’s father Max is a mean, bitter man who never shows his children love. His mother Sarah is warm and kind but tragically dies when Jacob is young. All semblance of a loving family dies with her. When Max decides to start a new life in America he leaves his two sons behind at a brothel in the care of its kind owner, Johanna. Late one night, a Polish soldier viciously assaults Jacob, forever changing him. Jacob blames Max for abandoning him at the brothel and decides to never forgive him. After three years, Jacob and his brother Heschel journey to America and begin a new life. Jacob never confides what happened to him at the brothel to anyone. Years later Jacob crosses paths with the predator who attacked him. He must confront his nemesis to fully be at peace.
This is the best book I have read in a while. It deserves recognition and praise. The writing is in simple language that is straightforward and easy to follow. My emotions bounced all over the place while reading it. I really felt the anguish or the glee that the characters were experiencing. The main character Jacob is loosely based on the author’s own father and is very likable. He is intelligent, humble, and kind to everyone. I was anxious to continue reading about how his life was building in America after such a tough childhood.
I really appreciated that the storyline was impacted by the historical events of the time such as the Great Depression and WWII. The book romantically paints a story about a young immigrant arriving in America with nothing, yet he makes a home in the New World with kindness, smarts, and hard work.
I rate this book five out of five stars. I really loved it. There wasn’t anything to dislike other than it was a little bit predictable and hurried. The climax of the events felt a little rushed and the ending was abrupt. These points do not take away from the satisfaction of the book at all though. I truly loved it and feel it deserves a great review. The events of the story felt very real and tugged at my heartstrings a lot. At times I laughed out loud or felt like crying while reading.
The Story Of… can be enjoyed by many readers who like historical fiction, family dramas, or romance. The book contains a scene of sexual assault but many details are thankfully left out. It is mostly for adults but it is also appropriate for a young adult audience. This is because it is very easy to read and does not contain much strong language or sexual content. The Story Of… is a fast and heartwarming book and is a great choice for the next time you want to pick up a historical fiction work.
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The Story Of...
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Story Of… by author Shirley B. Novack is about Jacob Kalinsky, the eldest son of a poor chicken farmer in Poland in 1904. Jacob’s father Max is a mean, bitter man who never shows his children love. His mother Sarah is warm and kind but tragically dies when Jacob is young. All semblance of a loving family dies with her. When Max decides to start a new life in America he leaves his two sons behind at a brothel in the care of its kind owner, Johanna. Late one night, a Polish soldier viciously assaults Jacob, forever changing him. Jacob blames Max for abandoning him at the brothel and decides to never forgive him. After three years, Jacob and his brother Heschel journey to America and begin a new life. Jacob never confides what happened to him at the brothel to anyone. Years later Jacob crosses paths with the predator who attacked him. He must confront his nemesis to fully be at peace.
This is the best book I have read in a while. It deserves recognition and praise. The writing is in simple language that is straightforward and easy to follow. My emotions bounced all over the place while reading it. I really felt the anguish or the glee that the characters were experiencing. The main character Jacob is loosely based on the author’s own father and is very likable. He is intelligent, humble, and kind to everyone. I was anxious to continue reading about how his life was building in America after such a tough childhood.
I really appreciated that the storyline was impacted by the historical events of the time such as the Great Depression and WWII. The book romantically paints a story about a young immigrant arriving in America with nothing, yet he makes a home in the New World with kindness, smarts, and hard work.
I rate this book five out of five stars. I really loved it. There wasn’t anything to dislike other than it was a little bit predictable and hurried. The climax of the events felt a little rushed and the ending was abrupt. These points do not take away from the satisfaction of the book at all though. I truly loved it and feel it deserves a great review. The events of the story felt very real and tugged at my heartstrings a lot. At times I laughed out loud or felt like crying while reading.
The Story Of… can be enjoyed by many readers who like historical fiction, family dramas, or romance. The book contains a scene of sexual assault but many details are thankfully left out. It is mostly for adults but it is also appropriate for a young adult audience. This is because it is very easy to read and does not contain much strong language or sexual content. The Story Of… is a fast and heartwarming book and is a great choice for the next time you want to pick up a historical fiction work.
******
The Story Of...
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Story Of... by Shirley B Novack
