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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
In 1922, as the borders of Russia and Poland continued to shift and deadly pogroms were on the rise, life in the Jewish shtetls grew harder and harder. Sisters Pearl and Frieda's father scrimped and saved so that his daughters could find a better life in America, where their eldest sister was already living. But they were unaware that the U.S. had closed its door to Jews hoping to emigrate. The sisters were told that Cuba was more welcoming and that within a year, they'd have no trouble being admitted to America. Or, for the right amount of money, they could be smuggled into the country.
The character of Pearl is based on the true story of author Aaron Hamburger's grandmother. Hotel Cuba is a fictionalized version which details the journey of Pearl and Freida, who first live in Cuba and ultimately find their way to America. Frieda is the most anxious to leave Cuba and be reunited with her fiancé, who is living in Detroit. Pearl, who is a talented dressmaker, has the skills to work and save money for her passage. As poor immigrants, life is not easy no matter where they are. Pearl's strength and growth provides an engaging and interesting read. A well-researched book and an impactful labor of love.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
The character of Pearl is based on the true story of author Aaron Hamburger's grandmother. Hotel Cuba is a fictionalized version which details the journey of Pearl and Freida, who first live in Cuba and ultimately find their way to America. Frieda is the most anxious to leave Cuba and be reunited with her fiancé, who is living in Detroit. Pearl, who is a talented dressmaker, has the skills to work and save money for her passage. As poor immigrants, life is not easy no matter where they are. Pearl's strength and growth provides an engaging and interesting read. A well-researched book and an impactful labor of love.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
What a delightful surprise this book is! It is not surprising that this author might write a truly masterful novel, but considering the subject matter and the fact that the main character is not only a woman, but a woman emigrating from Eastern Europe to the United States via Cuba in the time between the World Wars, one might expect that Hamburger might have struggled to convey the emotions and travails of Pearl, his primary character.
But, as the acknowledgements make clear, this is a labor of love, as Pearl is modeled after his grandmother. And he has obviously done his homework, discovering what life in the Old Country would have been like, including the brutal pogroms against Jews. He has imagined with great care her journey from there to the United States via Cuba, which he has lovingly portrayed in all its beauty and brutality.
Pearl and her sister Frieda set sail on the S.S. Hudson in search of a new life. They are leaving behind the poverty and violence of a region that is being contested between Russians and Poles. Stuck in the middle between them are the Jews, reviled and brutalized by whomever is in power. Their older sister is already established in New York, but immigration laws being what they are, the girls must first land in Cuba, where they hope to find a way to join her.
Though this is a master work all the way through, Hamburger's greatest accomplishment is Pearl herself. Though there are several expertly drawn characters here, Pearl is by far the most fascinating. Yes, she is a simple village girl from a tiny, poor shtetl, neither well-educated nor sophisticated, but she is intelligent, capable and not easily intimidated as she makes her way in these new worlds.
One minor criticism: considering the loving care he lavished on the development of Pearl's character throughout the early chapters, when she reaches New York it seems to me that she changes with an unseemly rapidity from a confused peasant woman in an enormous city to a skilled sophisticate. Not that I think the Pearl who left Cuba could not have become the Pearl he portrays, but it feels forced for that transition to have happened so quickly.
But this last is simply a minor criticism of a work that is such a work of art and clearly a work of great love. This is why we read, to find ourselves in the company of such characters and the skilled prose that brings them so vividly to life.
But, as the acknowledgements make clear, this is a labor of love, as Pearl is modeled after his grandmother. And he has obviously done his homework, discovering what life in the Old Country would have been like, including the brutal pogroms against Jews. He has imagined with great care her journey from there to the United States via Cuba, which he has lovingly portrayed in all its beauty and brutality.
Pearl and her sister Frieda set sail on the S.S. Hudson in search of a new life. They are leaving behind the poverty and violence of a region that is being contested between Russians and Poles. Stuck in the middle between them are the Jews, reviled and brutalized by whomever is in power. Their older sister is already established in New York, but immigration laws being what they are, the girls must first land in Cuba, where they hope to find a way to join her.
Though this is a master work all the way through, Hamburger's greatest accomplishment is Pearl herself. Though there are several expertly drawn characters here, Pearl is by far the most fascinating. Yes, she is a simple village girl from a tiny, poor shtetl, neither well-educated nor sophisticated, but she is intelligent, capable and not easily intimidated as she makes her way in these new worlds.
One minor criticism: considering the loving care he lavished on the development of Pearl's character throughout the early chapters, when she reaches New York it seems to me that she changes with an unseemly rapidity from a confused peasant woman in an enormous city to a skilled sophisticate. Not that I think the Pearl who left Cuba could not have become the Pearl he portrays, but it feels forced for that transition to have happened so quickly.
But this last is simply a minor criticism of a work that is such a work of art and clearly a work of great love. This is why we read, to find ourselves in the company of such characters and the skilled prose that brings them so vividly to life.
so very little happens excruciatingly slowly. and, of course, i stayed the course to the bitter end. :( anyhow, midway through this i thought to myself, this would make a marvelous short story considering the interesting secondary characters. by the end though, i decided even that wouldn't be the case. this is sucha throwback to an earlier era my mother would have like this.
adventurous
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An excellent story and a unique immigrant tale about the role Cuba played as a holding area and pass through for Europeans coming to the U.S. - something I had never heard about before. I love books that entertain and also teach you something. Also, this is my favorite cover of the year. Get this book!
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Fascinating concept with,overall, well fleshed out characters and well laid foreshadowing. I was particularly impressed with how Alexander and that plotline was written.
That said, I do feel as if thelast quarter or so of the novel felt a bit rushed. I wish there had been a more thoughtful examination of Pearl's thoughts on her own sexuality where it relates to women, though I loved that the author included the queer community of the 1920s in this work.
That said, I do feel as if thelast quarter or so of the novel felt a bit rushed. I wish there had been a more thoughtful examination of Pearl's thoughts on her own sexuality where it relates to women, though I loved that the author included the queer community of the 1920s in this work.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The book gives a? View of an immigrant life and the challenges faced when you arrive in a different world. A harsh reality of people finding a new path and leaving an old life behind
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No