How Sweet It Is!
3 journalers for this copy...
The novel is a tale set in Miami Beach in the summer of 1972, telling the story of the Posner family, survivors of the Holocaust. Reading the book reminds me of Forrest Gump, in which the characters are weaved into historic events in a slightly comical setting. There are the Democrat and Republican conventions, the desegregation of schools, the Olympics. The characters cross path with Mohammad Ali, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, Fidel Castro and more. At times funny, at times stirring, mostly brilliant and witty.
This book will be included in the Sunshine Florida raffle prize. I hope the winner enjoys it!
Released 6 yrs ago (4/20/2018 UTC) at Bookcrossing Convention Bordeaux 2018 in Bordeaux, Aquitaine France
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Hi! How wonderful you've found one of my books! Thank you so much for checking out the journal. I would really appreciate if you can take a moment to let me know you have it now. Trust me, it'll totally make my day to hear from one of my "wild" books.
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I didn't know that there was a jew community in Florida and it was interesting to learn how this dreamed place made itself during the last decades.
Thanks a lot for this discovery Azuki. :-)
Released 5 yrs ago (3/9/2019 UTC) at Tea-room Le Délice - rue de Bourg in Lausanne, Vaud Switzerland
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You have just found a travel book.
Here you can indicate:
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Have a good reading!
Wilena
Merci wilena!
At first I stepped warily into the unfamiliar streets of the island-city and felt a little out of my depth, until I (soon) made the acquaintance of fearless Sophie Posner who immediately became one of my favourite literary heroines. My only reservation is that I didn't see enough of her - though of course space had to be left for her husband Jacob, their 12-year-old son Adam, and the larger than life cast of supporting characters, some I knew (Isaac Bashevis Singer, Muhammad Ali, Frank Sinatra) and others I'd never heard of and didn't even realise they were real people till I started looking them up when they all congregated on the bleachers in the apotheosis of the baseball game in the last chapter (Jackie Gleason, Meyer Lansky [photo], Rocky Pomerance...) and it's amazing umpire (I will not say who to keep a bit of suspense).
The writing style is very vivid and witty, and I paid careful attention so as not to miss the savour (despite the sweetness of the title which I presume is a quote from a Gleason show?). I shall copy out some parts of the text that made me look twice, below. The action all takes place in the 7 miles of Miami Beach, in 1972, with its political wranglings, free love, integration, or rather, desegregation (the ludicrous school bus business...), the music, the food, even the sport (which normally I would gloss over), a fabulous tapestry of emotions and colour (a lot of ice cream pastels).
I also kept looking at the photo of the author who looks so bouncy and crinkly - he made me smile.* Thank you for the laughs. Closing the last page, I feel I have come home to an empty house after a very eventful holiday.
*And now I have looked him up, I see that his parents could be the models for Sophie and Jacob, as both were holocaust survivors.
Afterthought: a map would be a useful addition for those unfamiliar with Miami's geography.
Some quotes (I stopped noting them down after a while as there were too many).
p. 22 Jacob's manhood was manifested solely in cashing his Social Security checks.
p. 23 When in their presence one had the sick sense that they could not be restrained, that ignitable rage was always simmering in their veins like embers inching toward lighter fluid.
Something that reminded me of Primo Levi's If this is a Man, surviving the death camps:
p. 24 Sophie says: "The lazy die, even if lucky. From when you wake up in the morning, all through the night, every day you have to look for the edge, find the angle, make the right moves - even in your sleep."
p. 25 She put the hammerhead into the old loan shark model
p. 28 Knowing the look of disapproval he was about to receive from his wife, Jacob popped yet another nitroglycerin tablet into his mouth, keeping a cyanide tablet tucked inside his trousers for a more special occasion
p. 33 Vito Perpignano, who was betting heavily and downing screwdrives as if he owned a hardware store.
p. 86 The Super Bowl was only in its fifth year, and Super Bowl V was being played in Miami. Today one can't tell what number the Super Bowl is without having taken Latin in college.
Released 5 yrs ago (4/2/2019 UTC) at Restaurant VaSano (ex-Vapiano) in Lausanne, Vaud Switzerland
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Taking to the meeting tonight; if no one wants it, I'll take it to Mainz.
Well, it did come home with me, so will rerelease it in three weeks' time (starting to count the days!)
Released 5 yrs ago (4/26/2019 UTC) at Haus der Jugend - BC Convention 2019 in Mainz, Rheinland-Pfalz Germany
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
And now she's returned it so I'm going to release it in our very popular book box.
Released 4 yrs ago (7/13/2019 UTC) at Boîte à livres - Église du Valentin in Lausanne, Vaud Switzerland
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
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