As I have been posting reviews of my own memoir, When All Balls Drop, from both book critics and readers like you, I wanted to share what I have been reading.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday week, I thoroughly enjoyed and finished The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by a female author I admire, Susan J. Gilman.
I was thrilled to see she was releasing this book as I have been a fan of her whit with Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven and the OMG pee your pants funny Kiss My Tiara for years. Below see my Just Read Review or on Goodreads.
5 Stars - Bravo Susan!
Although The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street was my first book of Gilman's that wasn't a memoir, I still loved her humor. There is always some truth behind fiction.
As far as moments that stood out, I felt for Malka (protagonist) and her sisters. The transition from Russia to America and then from Orchard Strett to the Dinellos home/Bronx/other were powerful. What a journey for such young girls! And, I so loved the details of meeting and tutoring Bert, her Hollywood actor look-a-like husband. This was told at a point in the book where both Bert and Malka are broken down on the side of the road with their first ice cream truck, ice cream melting on the Fourth of July.
Lastly, I nearly fell out of my hammock when I read that she didn't call an ice cream competitor by its real name because it didn't deserve that type of respect. She and her family called the company umlaut (instead of its real hyphenated, Danish name). I almost rolled out of the hammock in ironic shock because I did the same with my ex. He is now forever called RB. And, it is documented in When All Balls Drop in a vignette entitled, "New Name: RB for Rat Bastard."
5 Stars - Bravo Susan! I loved the book.
Thank you for also accepting my ALS Ice Bucket Challenge earlier this year. Here's a replay of yours on Facebook. Well done again with the wine bucket!
Here's to looking up!
