Brooklyn Bridge

Good book

Very good book

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

An Extraordinary Novel for Everyone

Reading Hesse's latest book is a breath of fresh air that inspired me to look at the world in a new way. The main character, Joseph Michtom, though a simple character, creates an interesting relationship with readers with his tale. The part I loved about the book was the connection it made to me. This enchanting story really grabbed my attention with its deep story, and the life lessons he learned made me think more about my own life experiences. The writing could be a bit clearer in some areas, such as the transitions between different settings, but by no means did it take away from the book. The goal overall of the story was to portray lives we never experienced, and I think it delivered on that goal, making it feel like I was actually there, experiencing Brooklyn, the streets, and his hard life.
Though I am in the 9th grade, I found that this story was easily understandable and open to all ages- the morals and theme are adult-like, yet an elementary student could easily read the story. The vocabulary and writing quality was noticeably simple in many areas, but since I think this was necessary to bring the same ideas down to a younger audience, I am more forgiving.
Overall, the main question is "Would I recommend this book to friends or family?" With Brooklyn Bridge, by Karen Hesse, my answer would be an absolute "yes". This almost flawless novel epitomizes on the oppression of Russian immigrants and the hard life in New York, but doesn't fail to deliver on its deep morals and amazing story. It's deep, it's inspiring, it's even funny at times, but definitely open to people of all ages.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club.com

Fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom knows he's one of the lucky ones in New York during the early 1900s. He's the son of a successful Russian immigrant He's got a warm place to live, enough food so he doesn't go hungry, and family to love him. Although sometimes he doesn't feel so lucky, because his parents no longer spend much time with him now that they are consumed with their new venture-sewing and selling as many of the new "Teddy bears" as they can. Joseph's parents came up with the idea for creating the cuddly animals after President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a cornered bear while on a bear hunt.

Joseph's family has found new wealth and prestige from their invention, but the boys in the neighborhood treat Joseph differently, as though he's changed from the same old Joe who has always been a friend. Joe spends a lot of time with his sister Emily and their baby brother Benjamin. Joe and Emily dream of going to Coney Island one day, but it doesn't seem as though there parents will ever take enough time off to take them there.

Interspersed with Joe's story are vignettes of homeless children living under the Brooklyn Bridge. They leave home for many reasons, either they are abused or orphaned or crippled in some way, but they find shelter and solace with each other.

Karen Hesse's novel Brooklyn Bridge is a wonderful portrait of family in it's many facets as well as the story of the struggle of immigrants to leave their old lives behind and fit into their new country. It paints a rich picture of Brooklyn in the early 1900s, We get a picture of life in Russia that many of Joseph's friends and family left, and of his aunt who worked tirelessly so that many could leave their homeland and find opportunity in the U.S. There's a strong sense of family obligations, helping out your fellow man, and showing respect to adults. Issues to discuss with mother-daughter book clubs include homelessness, historical events in Russia and the U.S., immigration, sibling relationships and family dynamics. Highly recommended for clubs with girls aged 9 to 12.

An Imaginative Immigrant's Tale by Karen Hesse

My Review of BROOKLYN BRIDGE by Karen Hesse: Well worth the five year wait, award winning author Karen Hesse¿s new book, Brooklyn Bridge, is a memorable mix of historical fiction with a trace of enchanting fantasy. Hesse introduces this immigrant tale with a quote by Isaac Newton:¿ We build too many walls and not enough bridges¿. This quote could be considered ¿a spoiler¿ if one could interpret its relevance prior to reading the story. However, readers must finish the book in order to see what Ms. Hesse means by using this quotation symbolically in relation to the actual Brooklyn Bridge and humanity, especially in the special era she wrote about. In the early 1900s, the family of fourteen-year-old Joseph Michtom has come from Russia to settle in America where the streets are made of gold. His is the typical lively and colorful family who has come to live the immigrant life of 1903 Brooklyn. Joseph who has a pretty good life for a kid in those days, filled with stick ball, a good home, family and lots of friends, is blessed but his dream centers on going to the new and thrilling amusement park known as Coney Island. However, Coney Island must wait. The Michtom family, in Joseph¿s mind, is doing fine with their candy store when suddenly his Dad gets an idea that instead of making toy bears out of metal or wood, they should be made of cloth. Before you can say `teddy bear¿, the idea takes off and the family is swamped with the demand for these bears. Joseph¿s family time is now devoted to this new ¿invention¿ and there is no time for Coney Island much less his ¿regular¿ boyhood life of friends and frivolity. Interspersed between the chapters that tell of Joseph and his family and friends comes the haunting story of the kids who live under the bridge. Karen Hesse writes of these somewhat mystical children in a different, almost poetic way. Theirs is a life of suffering and misery which includes their individual stories of horror, starvation, pain, and even death. The central character under the bridge is one known as the Radiant Boy who glides in like a phantom spirit and frightens the children as they know that when he comes and takes someone with him, the child never comes back. How these children relate to Joseph¿s story is almost like a parallel universe in that Joseph doesn¿t seem to even meet any of these kids or acknowledge their existence for the most part. Their connection to Joseph, however, is one that is subtly alluded to throughout the story but it isn¿t until the end that the reader will see the significance of this story within the main story. What is the connection between the kids under the bridge and Joseph? As for Coney Island, does Joseph ever get there? As you read this remarkable work by Karen Hesse, the answers to these and many more questions just may satisfyingly and incredibly be revealed. I recommend this as a perfect book for children 11 and older, as well as for adults who want to learn more about a time when our ancestors migrated to this country and settled in that magical place in New York known as Brooklyn. For those of us who know the area, the allure and magnificence of Coney Island and the wonderful Brooklyn Bridge will never cease to exist but rather be enhanced and remembered by reading Karen Hesse¿s novel, Brooklyn Bridge. Chris Sheban did the wonderful cover art and adds to this amazing book with his interior illustrations as well. Submitted by Karen Haney, August, 2008

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