Legendary writer Trevanian brings readers his most personal novel yet: a funny, deeply felt, often touching coming-of-age novel set in 1930s America. Six-year-old Jean-Luc LaPointe, his little sister, and his spirited but vulnerable young mother have been abandoned—again—by his father, a charming con artist. With no money and nowhere else to go, the LaPointes create a fragile nest in a … fragile nest in a tenement building at 238 North Pearl Street in Albany, New York.
For the next eight years, through the Great Depression and Second World War, they live in the heart of the Irish slum, surrounded by ward heelers, unemployment, and grinding poverty. Pearl Street is also home to a variety of “crazyladies”: Miss Cox, the feared and ridiculed teacher who ignites Jean-Luc’s imagination; Mrs. Kane, who runs a beauty parlor/fortune-telling salon in the back of her husband’s grocery store; Mrs. Meehan, the desperate, harried matriarch of a thuggish family across the street; lonely Mrs. McGivney, who spends every day tending to her catatonic husband, a veteran of the Great War; and Jean-Luc’s own unconventional, vivacious mother. Colorful though it is, Jean-Luc never stops dreaming of a way out of the slum, and his mother’s impossible expectations are both his driving force and his burden.
As legendary writer Trevanian lovingly re-creates the neighborhood of his youth in this funny, deeply moving coming-of-age novel, he also paints a vivid portrait of a neighborhood, a city, a nation in turmoil, and the people waiting for a better life to begin. It’s a heartfelt and unforgettable look back at one child’s life in the 1930s and ’40s, a story that will be remembered long after the last page is turned.
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Good read, however language was inappropriate. Would have enjoyed more if the language was a little cleaner. Lots of uses of the Lord’s name in vain.
I loved loved loved this one
Not what I expected from the title but I enjoyed reading it.
It has happened to millions, I’m sure. Growing up trying to make the best in an awful situation. So many emotions. What a good read.
This wasn’t at all what I expected. There were times when the story had potential but then it got lost in the narrative. It is more of one boy’s memories of life in Albany and wasn’t really well organized; it seemed to not follow through on an idea but rather jumped around from one time to another just when I was getting interested in the event.
I liked the book. It was authentic about the times.
It ended on a very low point for all involved but the majority of the book was good.
Trevanian is one of my favorites. The Crazy Ladies of Pearl Street evoked childhood memories, even though the book’s setting was before my time. It is a slice of life story that seems very real. Trevanian has a delightful way with words. Shibumi fans may be disappointed, because this book is a story about a boy and his “crazy” mother.
I enjoyed both books.
Interesting storyline
So realistic I had a hard time remembering it was fiction. Having visited the tenement buildings museums in NY, It just seemed so real and Pearl ST, in Albany does exist.
A good read. Great descriptions of life at that time.
Loved this book. The characters are richly developed and great description of the time and place.
Very boring.
Absolutely loved this book, such a unique story line, very interesting and easy to follow.
It was so boring, I gave up midway through.
I seem to levitate to historical novels that take place in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s
This provided a span of about 70 years revolving primarily around a disfunctional family and their struggle to survive poverty in the slums.
I must be just the right age, because all the songs and radio programs mentioned were ones I’d sung and listened to, myself, when I was young. Nostalgic .
I enjoyed this book no end. It is a very different ‘take’ on WWII than one usually gets. This is the story of ‘the women who were left behind’. They were needed by Britain to support each other as days grew very dark. Their interconnectedness was crucial to the health and stamina of the country at large. The characters were easy to visualize and almost stereotypes. Many common themes in “The Summer Before the War”.
Wandered around with little point