I
didn’t like this audiobook very much. For three-quarters
of the story I wasn’t sure if this was a work of fiction
or if it was a true account of the author’s life. I
loved the parts of the story where the author used a lot of
description about the certain times (1920s, 1930s, etc.) and
places that the main character and her family had lived and
gone through, but I found a lot of problems with the story
as well.
One of
the things I didn’t like was how Ms. Gilman used a lot
of Jewish or Russian words, but didn’t explain what
they meant. While I was listening to the story I was getting
into the life and times of “Malka,” but then there
would be a few Russian or Jewish words thrown in, and I would
lose concentration because I couldn’t figure out what
the word meant. I feel it would have been better had another
CD been included that gave the English word or definition
for the word that was said. Or there should have been an extra
part on the CD to put into the computer to look at the words
and different definitions.
I also
didn’t like how the author used quite a bit of cussing
in the story and I didn’t like how Ms. Gilman used God***n
as much. I think she didn’t have to use so much cursing
in the story to get her point across. I found it hard to keep
listening to the story when there were so many curse words
being used.
I loved
how much personality Malka had, but I didn’t like the
way her mother treated her, especially before they went to
America and after her leg was broken. I thought the mom should
have been more sympathetic and loving. I hope the book version
of this novel is better than the audiobook, and hopefully
Ms. Gilman provided different versions or definitions for
the Russian or Jewish words used. I think if she had included
that then the book would have been better. Out of a score
of 10 I give The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street
a “4” and Ms. Gilman a “6.”
The
Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street [review 1]
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