Customer Reviews

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5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I picked up this book I was hooked from the first page. Ms. Lustbader's style of writing transported me onto the page and into the heart and soul of every character. I was enthralled, in love and enticed by certain characters, and loathed others - which of course, for me, allows me to travel into another world. The author also very coyly and inteligently inserts strategically placed "life lessons" which serve to kindle enlightening and entertainingly inspirational motivation. Mysterious, inspiring, flowing, entertaining and definitely a page turner.

A terrific read - especially for readers who love dramatic family sagas and the bygone days of both the grand and the gritty New York. This book is right up there with the best of them! It was to be my book of the week, but I devoured it in one weekend.

The author does a beautiful job of bringing us back to old New York and the lives of two families who hail from opposite ends of society. The first, a powerful WASP dynasty, the second family, Jewish immigrants barely scraping by on New York's lower east side. Ms. Lustbader brings them together in a rich, descriptive tale of unrequited love, passion, betrayal, treachery, redemption, etc. - all the good stuff that makes the pages fly! One of her villans is deliciously bad, and the other characters are equally compelling.

Not only has Victoria Lustbader written an excellent first novel, she also has demonstrated a literary flair for Erotica. Her "steamy" passages are steamy! I won't give anything away, but suffice it to say, I thoughouly enjoyed this book and its many facets, and I'm keeping my eyes open for her next novel.

I could not put this book down. Literally. I became so immersed in the lives of all of the characters and plot lines, that I found myself walking down the street feeling that I might run into some of them! Ms. Lustbader creates such rich characters and unpredictable story lines...I only would allow myself to read ten or so pages toward the end of the book...because I was so upset that it would be finished. A MUST READ!!!

While I applaud Ms. Lustbader's attempts on her first novel, I have to admit that the story was completely flat. Although filled with several well-thought-out characters, not one of them was lovable in any way, leaving the reader with no one to sympathise with. An arrogant social climber, an overbearing mother, a wimpy son with no mind of his own, a broken woman, a cold father, a guilt-tripping abandoned sister... I would think that at least one of them would have had some soul. And while the story was very detail oriented, it just seemed a little too contrived and cliche.

This is a wonderful family saga spanning a time period rich in drama and change, with characters that come alive off the page. I was sorry to get to the end, and hope there will be a sequel!!

Great story about family dynamics, the war and business. I liked the two tales and the intertwining of the families but I found it hard to keep all the characters names straight...glad there was a family tree in the beginning.

5 stars? Really? I thought this book was merely okay. The story was cliched, and the writing wasn't anything spectacular. Frankly, I had a hard time getting into it. A couple of chapters in, I was wondering whether to continue reading or not. I did finish it. What kept me reading was my desire to find out what happens to all of the characters.

I agree with another reader in that most of the characters aren't sympathetic, which does make it hard to care. (For me this is especially true for Evelyn, who was a coward concerning her own daughter, Joseph, Sally, and especially David, though he does redeem himself in the end.)

This book is a pleasant enough read, but not 5 stars!

Victoria Lustbader has created a rich tale of two families set in New York City during the post WWI and pre- depression years.
I am a lover of historical fiction and this novel does not disappoint. It is beautifully written with great character development and vivid descriptions of life in New York during a very interesting time. It takes a few pages for the characters to grab you- but once they do, you cannot put this book down.

If you have been looking for the type of family saga that used to be published, look no further. I have been a fan of this type of book since Susan Howatch and Belva Plain (Evergreen and Random Winds)and have long lamented the death of family saga. Until now, multiple generations, scandals, love, hate, romantic entanglements and family secrets, it is all here in spades.

Lustbader keeps the reader guessing while at the same time entertaining the reader with smart dialogue and wonderful action. She has also chosen one of the best time periods to evoke and does it marvelously.

David, Jed, Lucy, Brook, Abby and Sally are all characters you will root for until the final pages, and of course the dastardly villian of the piece gets whats right in the end.

Thank you, Victoria, for a truly great family saga.

Jed Gates, his wealthy family owns Gates Department store among other holdings. His mother and grandfather have always groomed him to one day take over the family business. Jed wants to make his own decision and signs up to fight in World War I. David Warshinsky enlists to leave his struggling family and neighborhood behind. David and Jed become fast friends. Once the war is over, David is taken in by the Gates family. He shows great potential and acumen for the business. Jed diligently works at learning the business. He pushes his art talent aside at his mother's urging. The years pass by, and the joyful and heartbreaking events of these two families are ably intertwined. Jed struggles with his true identity. David discovers the love of his life. A grand-scale mesmerizing and captivating saga!