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A review by dennisfischman
Out of This Furnace by Thomas Bell
4.0
A multi-generational saga about the Slovak immigrant community in Pittsburgh and one family’s struggles to make it in America, and to make themselves American.
I enjoyed this old-fashioned historical novel that spans a half a century, but I have to say, part of my enjoyment came from picturing the towns along both sides of the Monongahela River that I once knew. I could also say that that the people at the end of this novel could have been the grandparents of the “Hunkies” I went to high school with in the 1970’s. They were not necessarily fond of bookish Jewish kids like me, but this book helps me understand where their culture came from.
You don’t have to have a Pittsburgh connection to appreciate the author’s sharp eye for character and for social history, though. Recommended.
I enjoyed this old-fashioned historical novel that spans a half a century, but I have to say, part of my enjoyment came from picturing the towns along both sides of the Monongahela River that I once knew. I could also say that that the people at the end of this novel could have been the grandparents of the “Hunkies” I went to high school with in the 1970’s. They were not necessarily fond of bookish Jewish kids like me, but this book helps me understand where their culture came from.
You don’t have to have a Pittsburgh connection to appreciate the author’s sharp eye for character and for social history, though. Recommended.