Review of I Have Calluses on My Hands
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Review of I Have Calluses on My Hands
A recollection of memories, a long family lineage, and a partnership between father and son. Neil Henry has an interest in the preservation of history, whether it’s through collecting memorabilia or writings. Being able to look back on memories inspired this interest of his. This passion led to him collaborating with his father for the sake of commemorating his life and family history from a few generations back. I Have Calluses on My Hands, written and edited by Neil Henry, is an autobiography that recounts the life of Harold Henry, from his forefathers to his descendants. One thing that is highlighted in the beginning of the book is growing up as a Jewish family in a society that heavily pushed anti-Semitism. We see Harold’s life from his early to his latter days. We witness his family dynamics, his upbringing, his parents’ workmanship that he inherited, his endeavours, his experiences as a lawyer, his marriage and life as a father, and much more significant memories, big and small.
I loved so many aspects of this book. I firstly found it interesting how, even though Neil is the author of the book, it was narrated in first person by Harold, Neil’s father. I thought that this was a very unique aspect of the book. I loved the photographs. Apart from the narrative itself, the photographs brought the memories to life, and they served as a timeline as well. I also loved how time was taken to find similar items and pictures of the things that were not photographed, for example, their former dog, Penny. I loved how Harold reminisced and included things that other people would’ve found too minuscule to include. This shows that he never overlooked even the small things. I loved the transparency and genuineness of Harold. He shared his life as it was, sharing the highs and the lows.
I was expecting there to be a takeover halfway through the book, where Neil narrates his personal life from his perspective. Even though it states that this book entails the life of Harold Henry, I think it would’ve been a nice transition.
This book was easy to comprehend. It is rich in family history and can be passed down to future generations. It was well edited, with only a few errors. The structure of the book was organised. I enjoyed reading it; therefore, I give it a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
I recommend this book to anyone who takes an interest in non-fiction books, specifically biographies and autobiographies, as well as history.
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I Have Calluses on My Hands
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