This little novel is a walk down memory lane for those of a certain age. Coming from Brooklyn myself, I loved reading about familiar places and streets, familiar family customs and behavior. My dad had his special chair, my mom had a mah jongg group on the night of my dad’s pinochle group. My mom and her friends played in the living room and my dad in the kitchen. We only had four rooms for the five of us so I heard all the conversations.
I loved that night because my mom bought special chocolates, by the piece, from a special store on Church Avenue and I was allowed to pick them out. I also helped her order the food that she served including the wonderful bakery selections.
Mothers, in the time of Audrey, indeed believed the teacher was always right and that school was sacrosanct. They also believed that a doctor’s note was akin to G-d’s creation. My own mom got me excused from swimming because of a chlorine allergy which was really her allergic reaction to the swimsuits provided by the school. They were not in great condition, and my shy mom did not want any males to see my newly blossomed figure.
The humorous touch of the author brings experiences of those days to life. The author is older than I am, but Brooklyn was the world then. Audrey’s was the last family on the block to get a TV, mine was the first. It was a big box with a tiny screen which had a plastic over it. One had to sit many feet away from a TV to prevent being harmed by its emissions. Chairs were lined up and friends came to watch Uncle Miltie. Some time later, it actually caught fire. It was nothing serious, but the TV was dead.
I did not know about McCarthy until I was older but I knew my dad was deathly afraid of being called a communist. Contact lenses were hard and uncomfortable. Girls did not have their own apartment until the married. The rules were different then.
I could not entertain thoughts of any advanced education but at a city school. So Brooklyn College was my choice. I hated sororities. I disliked anyone sitting in judgment over anyone else. There were House Plans which were more accepting. There were Fraternity Parties. Life seemed simpler. Social media had not yet developed, computers were non existent. Life was slower. Maybe it was better to come of age then with trolley cars and neighborhood cops! Who knows for sure…the shadow?