This book was recommended on a genealogy forum. Written in "blog" style, it is no literary masterpiece but it brought a smile to my face more than once with its reminicing about " the old days". If you grew up in one of the five boroughs of NY, you simply must read this book. Chock full of detailed memories about everything from saurbraten recipes to the music and the street games played during those days, this book is one mans effort to remember and to capture forever the essence of that time. If you want your kids to really know what it was like to grow up near Astoria, this is a book you need to stash in your family history chest. enjoy! I sure did!
I love this book! I give lots of credit to anyone who has the time, energy and discipline to write a book. But be forewarned - the author tells us from the very beginning that if you're expecting a polished, edited, perfectly written account of his childhood, you'll be disappointed. Yes, there are typographical and grammatical errors, but if you can get past that, this is an enjoyable account of life in Astoria, NY in the mid 20th Century. Coming from a similar neighborhood in Brooklyn - Greenpoint -- I can relate to so much of the author's memories. I'd like to especially thank him for reminding me of "devil dogs" (p. 122) which I hadn't realized are still available online, sawdust on the floor of the local butcher shop (p.142), the Silvercup sign which, when we drove by it, meant we'd be home soon (p. 151), egg creams (my favorite) (p. 157), Charlotte Rousses (p. 159), wearing carnations on Mother's Day (pink on girls; red on boys; or white, as I wore, because my mother was deceased) (p.207); Mello Rolls (p. 261), all the candies mentioned (p. 263), Good Humor trucks (p. 266) - did you have Bungalow Bar trucks in Astoria?, and Johnny Ride a Pony (p. 356). I explained this street game to my husband and he was horrified that none of us suffered broken necks or backs! I loved the author's confession ritual (p. 409) and wondered if he ever "angered others to curse," one of my weekly offenses. And, finally, thanks for mentioning a really long-lost memory - Ally Pond Park (p. 460). Anyone who yearns for a world without cellphones, texting, computers, the internet, Facebook, or Twitter, even for just a few minutes but also wonders how we got along without our modern conveniences, I urge you to make the time, relax, and travel back with the author to a simpler time and find out how we survived with very little.