Big City Gems

ISBN: 1475288107

Author: goldman, marvin

Condition: New

Product Description USE BACK COVER Review KIRKUS REVIEW   "Quirky characters and their antics enliven Goldman's collection of short stories...   In the mid-1900's, a time when luxuries included a refrigerator and a telephone,  memorable characters filled New York City Streets as they fled World Wars and  its aftermath in Europe.  Goldman presents slices of life via men and women who cautiously navigate this foreign city with trepidation and ultimately success.   Emotions run high in 'The Way it Was' as Leona Grant fights for the chance to  attend college, insisting she wants to be more than just a wife and mother,  shocking her traditional parents.   In 'When Comic Books Were Legal Tender,' a friendly bet results in a young boy wagering all of the furniture in his apartment...until his mother comes home.   Writing in a straightforward, easy-to-read manner, Goldman delivers charming tales of confusion and dawning realizations.  Each story captures a moment of humor or reflection as the characters stumble their way through misunderstandings and weaknesses.  Funny, poignant and thoughtful, this collection captures New York and its denizens at their best." CLARION REVIEW  "The elegant cover of BIG CITY GEMS beguiles with a vintage of fashionable women  strolling in a metropolis - an image perfectly suited to Marvin Goldman's second  book, a short story collection of mid-century, and a two act play, set in 1990,  on siblings concerned over the challenges of elder care.  Whether surveying  patrons and staff at a Borscht Belt hotel in the Catskills or locals in the  Bronx, the author reveals lives tinged with longing, disappointment, and  memories of hardship in Warsaw during the Second World War, but does so with a  lighthearted tone.  Selections include two stories about unmatched expectations: 'Errol Flynn at  Hotel Schneiderman,' an account of a waiter who misinterprets a guest's kind but  self-centered gesture, and 'Could She Be the One?' a casual encounter between  Manhattanites. The collection's standouts include 'When Comic Books were Legal Tender,' which  details an afternoon of freedom in the absence of adult supervision.  In 'My  Haunted Heart," a ten year old, enthralled by his first trip alone, fails to  realize that the same day bore sorrow for his mother. The concluding play, 'The Apron String Quartet,' also deserves mention for  infusing appropriate humor into a potentially heartbreaking change. BIG CITY GEMS contains pleasing diversions and promising scenarios...those  delighted by New York will appreciate the opportunity to experience Goldman's  interpretation of its historic neighborhoods."