There was always the incantation: “Whoever wishes you harm; may harm come to them!†And just in case that didn’t work; there were garlic and cloves to repel the Evil Eye—or; better yet; the dried foreskin from a baby boy’s circumcision; ground to a fine powder. But whatever precautions Brenda Serotte was subjected to; they were not enough. Shortly before her eighth birthday; in the fall of 1954; she came down with polio—painfully singled out in a world already marked by differences. Her bout with the dreaded disease is at the heart of this poignant and heartbreakingly hilarious memoir of growing up a Sephardic Jew among Ashkenazi neighbors in the Bronx. This was a world of belly dancers and fortune tellers; shelter drills and vast quantities of Mediterranean food; a world of staunchly joined and endlessly contrary aunts and uncles; all drawn here in loving; merciless detail. The Fortune Teller’s Kiss is a heartfelt tribute to a disappearing culture and a paean to the author’s truly quirky clan; especially her beloved champion; her father. It is also a deft and intimate cultural history of the Bronx fifty years ago and of its middle-class inhabitants; their attitudes toward contagious illness; womanly beauty; poverty; and belonging.
#752016 in Books Bison Books 2008-07-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.45 x .81 x 5.61l; 1.00 #File Name: 0803216092384 pages
Review
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. More than militaryBy J. S. HarrisMosby's Memoirs was the first book I read on John S Mosby; at least in my adult life. I grew up in northern Virginia at a place where his exploits took place and he was a legend and my idol as we played boys games of war. I was always Mosby. About that time there was a black and white TV show called the "Gray Ghost." This fueled my fire for Mosby. But boys become men and I forgot about my hero till many years later; now in my 60s.Only now as a veteran Army Infantry Captain and Vietnam war helicopter pilot do I realize what a great impact the life of this man has had on me and so much I have done.Siepel's book gives us a look at much more than just the exploits; if you can say the words; "just the exploits" about Mosby. For as a student of history and military history it is hard to find a comparison to what this man did. I carefully studied to try to find the key. How do you routinely route and defeat 200 of the best equipped and trained cavalry the Union army has to offer with 30 men? And this is not just a single incident; this was routine! What was the key? In Siebel's book I thought I could find it in Mosby's later life. As he bloomed in years perhaps the flowers essence would at last reveal itself. And; subtly it does. I don't want to spoil the book for you; but in it you will find the story of a man who shoots a bully in college and goes to jail; starts Confederate army life as a private and ends it as a Lt. Colonel; and is commended by none other than Robert E. Lee more than any other officer. (For those who do not know; generals do not often take notice of Lt. Colonels; must less commend them).After the war this "god" of war has a checkered and interesting career. Just as in army life; he never puts himself or his gain first. Just as in the Army when he allowed his me to pillage captured military stock and equipment for themselves but scrupulously avoids doing so himself; the same mannerism occur; much to his fiscal harm; in his many government jobs where he has opportunity to reap the illegal profits all around him seem to enjoy.Simple; black and white; right and wrong; the best friend you could ever have and the most skilled advisary; as Union General Stoughton finds out when Mosby kidnaps him from his bed in the middle of his sleeping army. The equal of Alexander the Great on miniature or the young biblical David fighting the Philistines; such are the verified exploits of this one in a thousand years warrior.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. MOSBYBy BILLGREAT LIFE; GREAT LEADER GREAT MAN IN GREY1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Mosby - contrarian man of honorBy Generic PersonageThough this book's prose may not sing; the thorough research and serviceable writing have produced an account of Mosby's life; especially his post 1865 life; that conveys a strong sense of what made Mosby unique -- the combination of ferocity; honor; intelligence; integrity; and realism. Recommended.
