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The dream a memoir

During the hard and bitter years of his youth in England, Harry Bernstein's selfless mother never stops dreaming of a better life in America. Then, one miraculous day when Harry is twelve, steamship tickets arrive anonymously in the mail. Suddenly, a new life full of the promise of prosperity s...

Full description

Main Author: Bernstein, Harry, 1910-
Format: Books Print Book
Language: English
Published: New York : Ballantine Books, 2009.
Edition: Ballantine Books trade pbk. ed.
Subjects:
Bernstein, Harry, > 1910- > Childhood and youth.
Bernstein, Harry, > 1910- > Family.
Bernstein, Harry, > 1910- > Homes and haunts > Illinois > Chicago.
Bernstein, Harry, > 1910- > Homes and haunts > New York (State) > New York.
Authors, American > 20th century > Biography.
Jews > United States > Biography.
Immigrants > United States > Biography.
Depressions > 1929 > United States.
Memoirs.
Summary: During the hard and bitter years of his youth in England, Harry Bernstein's selfless mother never stops dreaming of a better life in America. Then, one miraculous day when Harry is twelve, steamship tickets arrive anonymously in the mail. Suddenly, a new life full of the promise of prosperity seems possible--and the family sets sail for America, meeting relatives in Chicago. For a time, they get a taste of the good life, but soon the harsh realities of the Great Depression envelop them. Skeletons in the family closet come to light, mafiosi darken their doorstep, family members are lost, and dreams are shattered. Harry and his mother must make a fateful decision--one that will change their lives forever. And there is an incredible bounty waiting for Harry in New York: his future wife, Ruby. Their romance finally brings the peace and happiness that Harry's mother always dreamed was possible.--From publisher description.
Physical Description: 279 p., [8] p. of plates : ill. ; 21 cm.
ISBN: 9780345503893 (pbk.)
0345503899 (pbk.)
Author Notes: Harry Bernstein was born in Stockport, England on May 30, 1910. His family moved to Chicago in 1922 and he attended Lane Technical Preparatory School. After his dream of becoming an architect was dashed by an instructor, he began writing. After he graduated, he moved to New York City and published short stories in several magazines including Story and Literary America. He eventually found work as a script reader for Columbia Pictures.

In the 1950s, he tried to earn a living as a freelance writer, selling work to The Daily News, Popular Mechanics and Family Circle, but he ended up editing Home of Tomorrow, a construction trade magazine. His novel, The Smile, was published in 1981 but sold poorly. He is best known for his three memoirs: The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers (2007), The Dream (2008), and The Golden Willow: The Story of a Lifetime of Love (2009). He died on June 3, 2011 at the age of 101.

(Bowker Author Biography)

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