Allegra Goodman

Having grown up on the edge of the Catskills, having had some experience in my home town with "summer people from the city", and being an avid reader of Chaim Potok, Faye Kellerman and Harry Kemelman, I felt this book about a small Orthodox Jewish community that moves upstate together from NYC every summer was "chosen" for me. I loved it absolutely. Rich story, full of complicated characters, details of life in a traditional society, and insight into the human spirit. Reminds me of the best of my summer reading when I was a kid--getting utterly lost in the lives of the fictional characters, and never wanting the story to end. A reviewer from Newsday called Allegra Goodman a "young Mozart of Jewish fiction". How apt.
Review written in 2007… (mais)

Thank you Goodreads’ FirstReads for my print ARC.

Sam, 7 years old, lives with her mom, Courtney, and toddler half-brother, Noah. She’s a natural at climbing. She loves spending time with her dad. But, because he’s a traveling artist, she doesn’t get to see him as often as she would like. Jack, Noah’s dad, doesn’t like her. And the feeling is mutual.

It was an ok book for me. I guess, until I read the author’s note, I expected more to happen. This was about a young girl coming of age. Her happiness and heartache. Her hopes, dreams, and ambitions. Her relationships. Like most of us, her life is ordinary and fell into a routine. That was comforting in a way. From the plot to the characters, it was a relatable read.… (mais)