STREET CORNER DREAMS
Florence Reiss Kraut
She Writes Press
November 14, 2023
309 pages
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As shallow as I sometimes may be, I was drawn to this book by its cover. The title has the word Dreams, and to me, the woman on the cover seems to be lost in her dreams. As we all know, dreams do not always come true.
The setting is Brooklyn, at the beginning of the 20th century. This is the time when many Jews and Italians are coming to America as immigrants, looking for a better life. This is a historical novel, a generational family saga. But, the story it tells, could be the story of many families who arrived in the US during this time.
Brooklyn is full of loan sharks, feuding gangs, the underworld and thugs. It is very hard for poor and desperate newcomers to stay clear. To read about it is hard but also very interesting.
There is a good variety of characters. Some strong, some weak. I especially like Morty. He has a good heart but gets caught up in difficult circumstances and makes life-changing decisions.
The writing style is narrative, there’s not a lot of dialogue. But, it works. The story is well told. The ending leaves this reader to believe that there is the possibility of a sequel.
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