The Jew Store

Rating:
Summary: Steven Spielberg, this one's for you!
Review: I don't usually take book recommendations, even from friends, so I want to thank Phil for "foisting" this book on me -- I am very glad I took his word for it this time. This book really took me by surprise; as both history and memoir, this is definitely NOT my usual "type."

Reading almost like a novel for all its southern warmth and charm, this memoir evokes a vivid time and place that will never exist again. Through her delightful and unforgettable characters, Suberman tells the story of a family who never quite finds a home -- until, too late, they realize Concordia -- the pseudonymous town in which her family lived -- had perhaps been home all along.

This is a book about Jews in small towns, but it is also a book about strangers of all kinds, and towns of all kinds. Its lessons are never trite or cheap; in fact, the lessons here, if there are any, are bittersweet with right and wrong choices of all kinds.

This is the story of a family that could be any family, and about the kind of success that goes beyond the material -- that forges a lasting legacy for generations to come. Worthwhile reading for anyone who's ever wondered about the other side of history; the stories that don't always get told...

Rating:
Summary: A memoir that reads like a novel...!
Review: I don't usually take book recommendations, even from friends, so I want to thank Phil for "foisting" this book on me -- I am very glad I took his word for it this time. This book really took me by surprise; as both history and memoir, this is definitely NOT my usual "type."

Reading almost like a novel for all its southern warmth and charm, this memoir evokes a vivid time and place that will never exist again. Through her delightful and unforgettable characters, Suberman tells the story of a family who never quite finds a home -- until, too late, they realize Concordia -- the pseudonymous town in which her family lived -- had perhaps been home all along.

This is a book about Jews in small towns, but it is also a book about strangers of all kinds, and towns of all kinds. Its lessons are never trite or cheap; in fact, the lessons here, if there are any, are bittersweet with right and wrong choices of all kinds.

This is the story of a family that could be any family, and about the kind of success that goes beyond the material -- that forges a lasting legacy for generations to come. Worthwhile reading for anyone who's ever wondered about the other side of history; the stories that don't always get told...

Rating:
Summary: an unusual childhood
Review: I read "The Jew Store" after seeing author Stella Suberman on Booktv. I was impressed with her, as she is young looking and quick thinking into her ninth decade.

  Her story relates an unusual childhood, growing up in a small Tennessee town in the 20s and 30s where her immigrant parents ran a dry-goods business that catered to the lower income residents. They were the only Jewish residents, occupying a unique niche in the life of the area. Her sunny-natured, optimistic father flourished there, becoming southern in speech and outlook. The adjustment was harder for her sensitive, traditional mother. For Stella and her older sister and brother, there was no question of adjustment, as life in Tennessee was the only life they knew, and they were generally accepted and able to take root.

Suberman is a wonderful writer, as one might expect for a "retired editor" of many years experience. Her style is vividly descriptive, with a perfect balance of the characters' inward and outward lives. "The Jew Store" is a joy to read. Suberman's book deserves the highest recommendation and will appeal to readers of all ages.

Rating:
Summary: an unusual childhood
Review: I read "The Jew Store" after seeing author Stella Suberman on Booktv. I was impressed with her, as she is young looking and quick thinking into her ninth decade.

  Her story relates an unusual childhood, growing up in a small Tennessee town in the 20s and 30s where her immigrant parents ran a dry-goods business that catered to the lower income residents. They were the only Jewish residents, occupying a unique niche in the life of the area. Her sunny-natured, optimistic father flourished there, becoming southern in speech and outlook. The adjustment was harder for her sensitive, traditional mother. For Stella and her older sister and brother, there was no question of adjustment, as life in Tennessee was the only life they knew, and they were generally accepted and able to take root.

Suberman is a wonderful writer, as one might expect for a "retired editor" of many years experience. Her style is vividly descriptive, with a perfect balance of the characters' inward and outward lives. "The Jew Store" is a joy to read. Suberman's book deserves the highest recommendation and will appeal to readers of all ages.

Rating:
Summary: an unusual childhood
Review: I read "The Jew Store" after seeing author Stella Suberman on Booktv. I was impressed with her, as she is young looking and quick thinking into her ninth decade.

  Her story relates an unusual childhood, growing up in a small Tennessee town in the 20s and 30s where her immigrant parents ran a dry-goods business that catered to the lower income residents. They were the only Jewish residents, occupying a unique niche in the life of the area. Her sunny-natured, optimistic father flourished there, becoming southern in speech and outlook. The adjustment was harder for her sensitive, traditional mother. For Stella and her older sister and brother, there was no question of adjustment, as life in Tennessee was the only life they knew, and they were generally accepted and able to take root.

Suberman is a wonderful writer, as one might expect for a "retired editor" of many years experience. Her style is vividly descriptive, with a perfect balance of the characters' inward and outward lives. "The Jew Store" is a joy to read. Suberman's book deserves the highest recommendation and will appeal to readers of all ages.

Rating:
Summary: artful, subtle writing
Review: I read this book awhile back, but after seeing "warmed over memoir," I was moved to write. I loved this book, and it has stayed with me. I accepted that it is, as the full title states, a "family memoir," and so I understood that much of the narrative comes from family lore. This book is artfully and subtly written, resulting in a fascinating story and an intriguing, honest picture of that time and that place. It is the kind of book once lets go of reluctantly. It certainly gets five stars from me.

Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming book.
Review: I saw Mrs. Suberman on C-Span and decided to buy the book and I absolutely loved it. I am not Jewish but have Jewish friends and have never been able to understand the prejudice some people have. It was so heartwarming to see how the people in Concordia eventually embraced the Bronson's. I sympathized with Mrs. Bronson because I was "exiled" in Mississippi for seven years.

Rating:
Summary: Women's National Book Association pick
Review: I was delighted to see that the Women's National Book Association has picked this book as one of the relatively few number of books it selected for summer reading. It's a book for all seasons, but a natural for summer reading - positive, refreshing, and wonderfully readable.

Rating:
Summary: What a great book
Review: I was drawn to this book because of the title. My grandfather was also a Russian Jew who left New York in the 1920's. He moved the family down to LaFeria, Texas (near the Mexican border) to pursue his dream of being a citrus farmer. Later he opened a small grocery store/gas station. I always thought it was strange that he would leave New York and a Jewish lifestyle. Yet, after reading this book I realized that some people have dreams to step out of the comforts of what is familiar to them. I now think of Mr. Bronson and my grandfather as pioneers of their time.

Rating:
Summary: For young adults, wannabe adults, and real adults
Review: Imagine being raised in rural Tennessee in the 1920s, the child of a Jewish storekeeper. Imagine this child, quiet and observant, watching, always watching and listening. She listens to family stories well enough to begin her tale prior to her own birth. It's a different tale of anti-Semitism, one that only someone who lived it on intimate terms would be in a position to tell.
Engaging writing and a believable narrator contribute to the book's value.