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popthebutterfly 's review for:
How to Make a Life
by Florence Reiss Kraut
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author for Indie Blog Hop Tours. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Book: How To Make A Life
Author: Florence Reiss Kraut
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Diversity: Ukrainian characters
Recommended For...: historical fiction lovers
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 18+ (violence, gore, romance, sexual content, death)
Publisher: She Writes Press
Pages: 320
Synopsis: When Ida and her daughter Bessie flee a catastrophic pogrom in Ukraine for America in 1905, they believe their emigration will ensure that their children and grandchildren will be safe from harm. But choices and decisions made by one generation have ripple effects on those who come later—and in the decades that follow, family secrets, betrayals, and mistakes made in the name of love threaten the survival of the family: Bessie and Abe Weissman’s children struggle with the shattering effects of daughter Ruby’s mental illness, of Jenny’s love affair with her brother-in-law, of the disappearance of Ruby’s daughter as she flees her mother’s legacy, and of the accidental deaths of Irene’s husband and granddaughter.
A sweeping saga that follows three generations from the tenements of Brooklyn through WWII, from Woodstock to India, and from Spain to Israel, How to Make a Life is the story of a family who must learn to accept each other’s differences—or risk cutting ties with the very people who anchor their place in the world.
Review: For the most part, after chapter 1, the book is fairly good. The book does well to convey the plight of immigrants and their resiliency. I think a lot of people forget that their roots in this country only go back a few generations and that their family was doing the same as today’s immigrants are trying to do. The book did well to keep to historical facts and to blend them into the story as well. The characters were well developed and the world building was well done as well.
However, I do think that the opening chapter can dissuade people from reading the book. The book opens up and it’s a really violent scene. While this conveys the hopelessness and terror the characters feel, it can sometimes be a bit too much for some readers.
Verdict: It was good, just a bit gorey.
Book: How To Make A Life
Author: Florence Reiss Kraut
Book Series: Standalone
Rating: 3.5/5
Diversity: Ukrainian characters
Recommended For...: historical fiction lovers
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 18+ (violence, gore, romance, sexual content, death)
Publisher: She Writes Press
Pages: 320
Synopsis: When Ida and her daughter Bessie flee a catastrophic pogrom in Ukraine for America in 1905, they believe their emigration will ensure that their children and grandchildren will be safe from harm. But choices and decisions made by one generation have ripple effects on those who come later—and in the decades that follow, family secrets, betrayals, and mistakes made in the name of love threaten the survival of the family: Bessie and Abe Weissman’s children struggle with the shattering effects of daughter Ruby’s mental illness, of Jenny’s love affair with her brother-in-law, of the disappearance of Ruby’s daughter as she flees her mother’s legacy, and of the accidental deaths of Irene’s husband and granddaughter.
A sweeping saga that follows three generations from the tenements of Brooklyn through WWII, from Woodstock to India, and from Spain to Israel, How to Make a Life is the story of a family who must learn to accept each other’s differences—or risk cutting ties with the very people who anchor their place in the world.
Review: For the most part, after chapter 1, the book is fairly good. The book does well to convey the plight of immigrants and their resiliency. I think a lot of people forget that their roots in this country only go back a few generations and that their family was doing the same as today’s immigrants are trying to do. The book did well to keep to historical facts and to blend them into the story as well. The characters were well developed and the world building was well done as well.
However, I do think that the opening chapter can dissuade people from reading the book. The book opens up and it’s a really violent scene. While this conveys the hopelessness and terror the characters feel, it can sometimes be a bit too much for some readers.
Verdict: It was good, just a bit gorey.