The Cobbler’s Tale begins in a small Jewish community in Galacia, in 1910 it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. (Today it is in Poland.) Pincus Potasznik, is a second generation cobbler (cobblers repaired, cleaned and made shoes and boots) with a shop inherited from his father, his wife Clara, pregnant, and three children. He is Jewish in a time and place where life is hard and sometimes dangerous for Jews. 1910 is a time of massive emigration from Eastern Europe to America. The first point of settlement was often the Lower East Side area of New York City.
Everyone said things were going to get worse for Jews. His neighbors said Pincus, “go to America, the streets are paved with gold, no body starves, their are no pograms”. After getting up the courage to talk to his Rabbi who encourages him to go he gets up the nerve to tell his wife he is moving to America. The plan is he will, as many men have done, set up housekeeping and start a shop and then after a year come back for her and the children. They will be supported by income from the cobbler shop and he will send money back.
After following his trip to the port, he will meet a man who will be his “partner” in settling in NYC. His friend, with a shady past going to America under a false name, makes a very important connection to what turns out to be a powerful Jewish gangster.
Gordon does a great job taking us along on steerage to America. Everyone is worried about the Ellis Island interview. The friend of Pincus was given the card of a man that helps new arrivals. Every chapter has an exciting turn. We meet crooked Irish cops, gangsters and a beautiful Irish singer who will play a big part in the story.
Four years go by, the NYC cobbler shop is doing well and Pincus sends home money. There is a lot of drama back in Poland and in NYC. Then war breaks out and Pincus knows he must go get his family. So he and his friend head back. After a very emotional reunion and a turmoil filled prelude they are in the way to NYC. But this time they are traveling first class. It was interesting to learn immigrants in first class did not have to go through the interview process on Ellis Island. An official would come on board the ship and do all the paperwork there.
There is just a lot of great detail, cliffhanger turns, fascinating characters in The Cobbler’s Tale.
An immigrant Jew needed help getting a job, a place to live and much more. A very big aid in this were landsmanshaftn organizations whose members all came originally from one particular area. Pincus, with the help of another man from his village, sets up an organization designed for new arrivals from his area. Eventually it has over 300 members. Founding this society gave him a high standing back in his village and in NYC. Any kind of a problem you went to the head of your landsmanshaftn for help.
Gordon does a great job bringing to reality life in the Lower East Side of New York City.
I really enjoyed this book a lot. For those considering this book for young adults there is an R rated near rape seen. Aside from this, this would be very readable by young adults.
For a historical treatment of the NYC Jewish immigrant experience I highly recommend World of Our Fathers The Journey of the East European Jews to America and the Life they Found and Made by Irving Howe.
My bottom line. The Cobbler’s Tale is a first rate historical novel about the Jewish immigrant experience in New York City. The characters are very well developed, you can easily transport your self to the Lower East Side in 1914 through the very elegant prose of Gordon.
Neil Perry Gordon grew up in the village of Monsey, a suburb of New York City, and still lives today not far from his childhood home. His joy of art and fiction writing was kindled during his education at the Green Meadow Waldorf School. He has written two trade books, The Designer’s Coach and An Architect’s Guide to Engineered Shading Solutions. Both books, as well as many trade articles, have been well received and have affirmed Neil’s expertise in the window covering industry. A Cobbler’s Tale is Neil’s first novel and is based loosely on the story of his great-grandparents’ immigration to the Lower East Side...
Mel u
2 comments:
Thank you Mel for your thoughtful review.
Neil Gordon- it was my pleasure. I wish this book much success
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