I love memoirs. I love them so much, I usually don't care what they are about. I'll read them anyway. I have recently finished The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein. Harry, or 'arry, writes about his childhood in Lancashire, England before and shortly after WWI. There is an "invisible wall" that exists on his street, separating him and the other Jewish families from the Christians. It's a bit of a slow read at first, but as his character grows and his relationship to his surroundings grow, it quickly becomes one of the most interesting memoirs I have read in a long time. (We all know how much I LOVED Petal Pusher though. Read it!)
Some fun facts that make this book even more interesting:
1) Bernstein wrote this novel when he was about 93 years old to help him get over the death of his wife.
2) Even at his ripe old age, he published a sequel to this book (The Dream) and even published a third book! Man, he's old!
3) He is one of the few people to live through two world wars, other smaller wars and a great depression and not focus his books around these events. For that, I respect you 'arry.
USA Today said it "invites comparison to Angela's Ashes." This is not true. NOTHING is comparable to Angela's Ashes. But it is a great story about the bond of a poverty stricken family, and I recommend it to you all.
On that note, I am looking to read a memoir even better than this. (Actually, preferably five memoirs) Any suggestions are welcome!
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