FINALIST, BEST ADULT FICTION AWARD by COLORADO AUTHORS' LEAGUE (Colorado's oldest organization for professional, published writers).
The story of Ursula Frank, an 87-year-old woman, who has lived and seen it all from Nazi-scorched Europe to pre-Castro Cuba, was looking for a clever exit from her mortal coil by going into East L.A. at night looking for trouble. Unintentionally she interrupts the gang initiation of Reuben Montanez, a 17-year-old good guy who was simply hoping for a better life than his honest hard-working (deceased) brother. Little does Reuben know that Ursula just might have the answer to his hopes of a better life, if only she can share it with him before it is too late--for either of them.
This short novella is engrossing beause of the cultural pieces, the religious, social, and urban parts of all our lives whether we're old or young, Jewish or not. I was touched by the layering of the parallel stories, learned a lot about a religious tradition that is so very special, and was touched by the humanity of the work--and all in about 100 pages. The story is SO visual it would make a great movie because the characters are real and the details are precise. A real gem.--S. Kurtzman Steven Berger artfully combines his family's experience as Jewish refugees who escaped Germany and Hungary with a modern day teenager trying to come of age among poverty and gangs. The characters are compelling and the story heartwarming. I so enjoyed reading this book! --M.J. Evans, Author: Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness, The Rising Mist and North Mystic Gripping, germane, and if anything, too short. The coming together and communication/understanding between two disparate cultures is excitingly presented. --Richard L. Hart A story that brings individuals from two disparate cultures together respectfully and believably. In addition, and more uniquely Berger has brought individuals together who are also of vastly different ages, in a way in which their interaction has a kind of logical kindhearted naturalness to it. And in creating this structure he has allowed an old woman to tell the story of her very early life, and to do so in a way that meets her needs, and those of the young people which she shares some of the richest and most meaningful days of the last stage of her life. i found the story believable and touching, and strongly suggest that the time spent reading this novella is well worth it. I applaud the author for creating this simple tale of humans connecting with each other in a warm-hearted way and highly unusual way. --David W. Sugarman, PhD
