I'll be honest, I've never beena huge fan of biographies. I always figured that most of the longer ones are just things you can find on Wikipedia stretched into over 20k long words written for a big payday.
Not since I first picked up Frank McCourt's first memoir, Angela's Ashes, have I enjoyed a bio.
That finally changed.
Pubshelf writer Ronald Probstein wrote a bio about his father and how his father's lifestyle impacted his young life, titled Honest Sid.
In this book we learn about how it was in New York during the Depression when you had a parent who couldn't (or wouldn't) hold down whatever 9 to 5 he could; but instead worked in illegal horse betting, an occupation that, if you weren't arrested, you were always losing business.
He describes Sid's time playing second-string for the New York Giants, his time serving in WWI and, most touchingly of all, his devotion to his son, Ronald.
A lot of people can relate to a story like this, especially todaywhen the economy is down the toilet and making ends meet seems like an impossibility. Living in a small, one room hotel or motel is still a very harsh reality for families.
This is a well-written memoir by a thoughtful and loving son. Mr. Probstein's intellect is apparent in every well-thought-out sentence. It's obvious how much he loved his father and his mother.
Rarely are you able to havea built-in novel and Mr. Probstein's young life was a story in itself. It's stories like his and the late Mr. McCourt's that make bios a truly wonderful genre to read.
We need more stories like these!
5/5--wonderful!
Purchase Honest Sid via:
Amazon (US)
Amazon (UK)
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