In this fourth book of the All of a Kind Family series, Mama, Papa, the five sisters and brother Charlie move away from New York's Lower East Side to the leafier, less-crowded Bronx, where the housing is newer and people of different backgrounds mix together a little more freely. Our observant Jewish family now lives in the second floor of a two-family house owned by the Irish Catholic Healys and there is an exchange of customs (the girls and Charlie see their first Christmas tree). Everyone is thrilled when Uncle Hyman and Lena have a baby.
World War I is imminent, Ella is in her final year of high school, and Sarah will be graduating from eighth grade. Ella becomes close friends with Grace Healy and the two families grow closer.
There are mishaps and challenges to be overcome: Mama becomes ill and must be hospitalized for an operation, Charlie has a dangerous episode while playing with matches, Sarah has a disappointment, and Jules, Ella's boyfriend, enlists in the Army. Jules befriends Bill, a fellow soldier, and just before the two ship out, he introduces Bill to Grace. They quickly fall for one another. The war news of Jules and Bill brings tears but in the end, of course, all is resolved.
As usual, author Sydney Taylor includes Jewish religious celebrations, such as preparation for the Sabbath, which the girls undertake while Mama is in the hospital, and the blessing for Hyman and Lena's son, but this time there is a little bit of Christmas included, when the family visits the Healys for the festivities. It's good to see these interactions with the wider world as the family's life moves forward.
No comments:
Post a Comment