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A review by suvata
Saint Mazie by Jami Attenberg
4.0
Author Interview:
http://pictorial.jezebel.com/an-interview-with-jami-attenberg-author-of-saint-mazie-1706959879
Saint Mazie is a fictionalized memoir of a real-life woman named Mazie Phillips, the Queen of the Bowery. She ran the ticket booth of New York’s famous Venice movie theater in Manhattan for 30 years. Her story starts during Prohibition and continues through the end of the Great Depression. Mazie had great compassion for the people who resided in the Bowery. She walked through the neighborhood handing out money and bars of soap to the homeless who resided there. In the winter, it was not unusual for her to spring for a hotel room so that the "bums" could get warm, even if for just one night.
Mazie was quite a character and truly deserves to have her name memorialized. Jami Attenberg does a marvelous job bringing Mazie back to life for all of us. The story of Mazie's life is inspirational. It's also a little shocking, a little humorous, a little heartbreaking, and a lot of fun.
I grew up in Detroit. This book made me wonder if there were comparable characters in Detroit's history. If I had to guess, I would guess that most major cities had their "Mazies" at least I hope so. I want to thank Jami Attenberg for bringing this story to life. Having read Mazie's story makes me want to be a better, more giving person. And really what more could you ask for from a book?
http://pictorial.jezebel.com/an-interview-with-jami-attenberg-author-of-saint-mazie-1706959879
Saint Mazie is a fictionalized memoir of a real-life woman named Mazie Phillips, the Queen of the Bowery. She ran the ticket booth of New York’s famous Venice movie theater in Manhattan for 30 years. Her story starts during Prohibition and continues through the end of the Great Depression. Mazie had great compassion for the people who resided in the Bowery. She walked through the neighborhood handing out money and bars of soap to the homeless who resided there. In the winter, it was not unusual for her to spring for a hotel room so that the "bums" could get warm, even if for just one night.
Mazie was quite a character and truly deserves to have her name memorialized. Jami Attenberg does a marvelous job bringing Mazie back to life for all of us. The story of Mazie's life is inspirational. It's also a little shocking, a little humorous, a little heartbreaking, and a lot of fun.
I grew up in Detroit. This book made me wonder if there were comparable characters in Detroit's history. If I had to guess, I would guess that most major cities had their "Mazies" at least I hope so. I want to thank Jami Attenberg for bringing this story to life. Having read Mazie's story makes me want to be a better, more giving person. And really what more could you ask for from a book?