April 2, 2012
Treacly depictions of 1890s life on the Lower East Side are shattered in this reality tale of juvenile delinquents, ethnic rivalries and Jewish gangsters. Viewed through the eyes of 13-year old Sam Glodsky, half-Irish and half-Jewish, readers are immersed into the gritty and sometimes violent world of immigrants trying to find their way in America. The depicted violence and sometimes-rough dialogue are not gratuitous. They only enhance the harshness of the time. Sam’s own mother is inadvertently killed during a gang battle. Young Sam and his nemesis, Izzy Fink, are thrown together in a plot to retrieve a carrier pigeon from a cholera-infested ship in New York harbor. A gaggle of real and invented characters enrich the story line. Interwoven into the story are Monk Eastman, an authentic Jewish gangster and Jacob Riis, the reformer whose famous photographs today provide us with visual evidence of that long disappeared time. The book pulls no punches in describing life on the street where Sam sells newspapers and in the home, where Sam’s father works on piecework to survive. The story is captivating and informative and should have particular appeal to reluctant young readers (e.g. boys) looking for action and excitement. For ages 9 – 12.
