Customer Reviews

Shutting Out the Sky: Life in the Tenements of New York, 1880-1924

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I hope by the time you read this review that you will be able to "take a look inside" this book on this website. Then you could really appreciate how beautifully illustrated and crafted this outstanding book is. For the time being, you'll have to take my (and other reviewers') word for it.

There are many books geared toward young readers on the subject of the immigrant/tenement experience in New York City at the turn of the last century, and many of them are quite good. But Deborah Hopkinson's "Shutting Out the Sky: Life in the Tenements of New York, 1880-1924" is far and above the best in recent times. The photographs are exquisite and exquisitely moving. The text is engaging, and, unlike other books aimed for this age group, Ms. Hopkinson's book doesn't dumb things down toward her audience. This is an admirable book that I would recommend to parents and teachers!

Rocco Dormarunno, author of "The Five Points"

If you've ever heard family stories about grandparents or greatparents who came through Ellis Island, this book is a must. Hopkinson follows the true stories of five young immigrants. She tells the story of life on the Lower East Side at the turn of the 20th century using excerpts from oral histories and memoirs. Somehow the stories of the young Russian Jewish and Italian immigrants tie in seamlessly with information on coming to America, what it was like to live in a tenement, work (including conditions in the sweatshops and the Triangle factory fire), going to school, and what the future held for these young men and women. The historic photos are so evocative and powerful. Highly recommended.

My son loves history and when he brought home this book I immediately got hooked on the photos. Then I began reading the stories of the immigrants and I couldn't put it down -- I couldn't wait to find out what happened to the five young people whose stories are recounted here. Somehow the combination of the photos, the quotes and the personal stories all works together to let us into a world gone by. A wonderful book!

I finished this book in a spell. Hopkinson weaves the stories of young immigrants and the story of the growing city into a rich experience for the reader. Her choice of detail, her gift for story telling, and the wonderful and often poignant photographs make this (beautifully designed book) irresistible. In the end you believe-as Hopkinson clearly does-that the past has meaning because of the individuals that lived it, and that their stories must continue to reverberate. It isn't "just" the past; it's what we're made of.

This is a real page-turner, and absolutely fascinating. The author tells the stories of five immigrants to the U.S. and New York City around 1900, but what's amazing is the power of the voices here, plus the photos. The focus is on young people, but my adult book group read this and loved it. Everyone has seen photos of the crowded Lower East Side, but this book makes you think of the individuals and their families who lived there.