Customer Reviews

Solomon the Accountant

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Reviewed by STEPHANIE GARBER Contributing Writer
Cleveland Jewish News
December, 2007


Solomon the Accountant is a tender love story set in Toledo, Ohio, in the 1950s. Solomon is a rather nebbishy fellow who falls in love with the beautiful, newly widowed Molly. He is painfully aware of her recent loss, yet she becomes the focal point of his life. He hopes that someday - regardless of how long he has to wait - the broken wings of her spirit will mend and she will soar toward a new future with him.

While Solomon wrestles with his feelings for Molly, she is dealing with her own emotional issues. Facing life after the death of her beloved husband less than a year after they stood under the chupah (wedding canopy) seems almost incomprehensible to the young widow.

In addition to portraying a touching love story, the author beautifully recreates a bygone era - a time when a silk tie cost $1.60, a "comfortable house in a good neighborhood" could be purchased for $12,000, and nice Jewish boys still nervously asked the father for his daughter's hand in marriage.

Krauss, a writer and professional mediator, probes gently into the emotional psyche, exploring with clarity the crushing loss of death, the tenuous struggles to begin anew, the joys and complications of relationships, and the wonder of newfound love.

A surprisingly poignant book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book both for its desciption of mid-century Jewish life in a midwestern town and for its sweet story of friendship, love, loss, and renewal. It is a "quick read" made even quicker by the reader's desire to know what happens next. The characters are likeable and endearing and surprisingly familiar. Perhaps this is the result of the added bonus for those of us in the 40 and under crowd - it is a glimpse into the lives of our parents and grandparents.

This book is a great reminder to all of us what a good time that was between WW2 and the Korean War- a kinder, gentler time. The salary,postage,prices and cars mentioned made it all the more authentic. There have been many plays, books, etc about Jewish culture in New York and Europe but this is the only one I recall based in a medium-sized midwest city.(Toledo, Ohio) The great reenforcing religious,cultural and family ties are woven together into a delightful fabric. Also laced with Yiddish words and phrases, most of them familiar.Nice twenty-yr-old somethings as main characters. I felt I really knew them. It was definitely a time when manners mattered and people dressed for the occasion. Lovely. A treat to read.