The narrow street on which harry bernstein grew up was seemingly unremarkable. In unsparing detail, the book recounted his childhood in the jewish. A love story that broke barriers, his first published book, dealt with a number of topics, including with his longsuffering mother. He has written all his life but started writing the invisible wall. A love story that broke barriers by harry bernstein 20080212 bernstein, harry on. The geographical distance may have been a couple of yards, but socially, it was miles. The author is the 4 year old narrator of the story as he grows on this street. It was inevitable that i should write about it and the people who lived on both sides of its invisible wall. The one for the invisible wall shorn of any outline, summary or synopsis. Jun 04, 2011 harry bernstein, who caused a literary sensation when he emerged from anonymity in his 90s to write two devastating memoirs that explored his childhood of squalor, abuse and antisemitism, died.
Free shipping and pickup in store on eligible orders. In his first book, the invisible wall, he told a haunting story of forbidden love in world war iera england. A love story that broke barriers by harry bernstein. Harry bernstein, who caused a literary sensation when he emerged from anonymity in his. A love story that broke barriers by harry bernstein at indigo. Harry wrote 3 books, the invisible wall, the dream and the golden willow, all outstanding.
Bernstein lives in brick, new jersey, where he is working on another book. The invisible wall by harry bernstein reading guidebook club. He began writing his acclaimed first book, the invisible wall, after the death of his wife, ruby. And many thanks to anna simpson for her patience and wisdom in editing the book.
Harry bernstein, memoirist who wrote of life of deprivation. Set in northern england just after the turn of the 20th century, harry bernstein recounts his childhood with amazing clarity. The invisible wall ebook written by harry bernstein. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the invisible wall. A wonderfully charming memoir written when the authorwas ninetythree, the invisible wall vibrantly brings to life an allbutforgotten time and place. Then bernstein wrote the dream, the touching tale of his familys immigrant experience in depressionera chicago and new york. Harry bernstein was born in 1910 and this book tells his story of growing up in an industrial town in the north of england. A love story that broke barriers, dealt with his abusive, alcoholic father, the antisemitism he encountered growing up in a lancashire mill town stockport now part of greater manchester in northwest england, and the romeo and juliet. Jun 07, 2011 his death was confirmed by bruce frankel, an author and family friend. What was at stake for harry in maintaining his silence. It is a world of pain and prejudice, evoked in spare, restrained prose that brilliantly illuminates a time, a place and a family struggling valiantly to beat impossible odds. Ninetysixyearold harry bernstein emigrated to the united states with his family after world war i.
A little cobbled street in a smoky mill town in the north of england has haunted me for the greater part of my life. Harry bernstein books list of books by harry bernstein. I am also deeply grateful to allison dickens for introducing my book to the american audience, and to robin rolewicz for taking up where. Harry bernstein started chronicling his life at the age of ninetyfour, after the death of his beloved wife, ruby. Readers circle the invisible wall by harry bernstein. A little cobbled street in a smoky mill town in the north of england has haunted me for the greater part of my lif. A love story that broke barriers by harry bernstein 20080212. Jun 07, 2011 the invisible wall of the title was the psychological barrier that divided the two sides of east street in the daw bank area of stockport, long since demolished but, in harry bernstein s young. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. What initially made publication of the invisible wall the object of international awe was the advanced age of its author, ninetysix, and the claim that this was his first book. A love story that broke barriers, dealt with his abusive, alcoholic father, the antisemitism he encountered growing up in a lancashire mill town stockport now part of greater manchester in northwest england, and the romeo and julietlike. The geographical distance may have been yards, but socially, it was miles. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. This is a brilliant book written when the author was in his nineties and written.
It was identical to countless other streets in countless other workingclass neighborhoods of the early 1900s, except for the invisible wall that ran down its center, dividing jewish families on one side from christian families on. The narrow street where harry bernstein grew up, in a small english mill town, was seemingly unremarkable. About harry bernstein ninetynineyearold harry bernstein immigrated to the united states with his family after world war i. In the lancashire mill town of his childhood, during the teens and twenties of the last century, the poor jews clustered along a single deadend street. The youngest child, harry has two sisters, academic lily and waspish rose, two brothers, saul and harry as well as a loving mother and a sullen drunk for a father. A love story that broke barriers harry bernstein, harry bernstein on. Harry bernsteins heartwrenching memoir describes a jewish childhood. The invisible wall by harry bernstein 9780786148684.
This wonderfully charming memoir, written when the author was 93, vibrantly brings to life an allbutforgotten time and place. The authors family lived on the jewish side of a narrow street while christians lived on the other side, separated by an invisible wall. He is the author of the invisible wall and the dream and has been published in my turn in newsweek. The invisible wall, harrybernstein shop online for books in. Harry bernstein books list of books by author harry bernstein. Last year, my lawyerbrother encouraged me to read his the invisible wall 2007 and i gave it a five star rating. Although it is not a difficult read, the vividly drawn characters and themes of cultural divides and religious prejudices give plenty of meat for discussion. Harry bernstein audio books, best sellers, author bio. A love story that broke barriers harry bernstein, 2007 random house 352 pp. Ninetyeightyearold harry bernstein emigrated to the united states with his family after world war i. He has written all his life but started writing the invisible wall only after the death of his wife, ruby. I am not sure if that fact is what had me riveted or the way the story of his upbringing in northern england unfolds. The invisible wall relates to a religious divide running right down the street of his childhood.
A love story that broke barriers, dealt with his abusive, alcoholic father, the antisemitism he encountered growing up in a lancashire mill town stockport now part of greater manchester in northwest england, and the romeo and julietlike romance experienced by his sister and her. Some day it will grow big enough so that everybody will see and understand the truth, and then we wont act like a bunch of sheep, and then that wall separates the two sides of us will crumble, just like the wall of jericho. Review harry bernstein returns home and, magically, takes us with him. Harry bernstein is the author of the invisible wall, which deals with his abusive, alcoholic father, the antisemitism he encountered growing up in a lancashire mill town stockport now part of greater manchester in north west england, and the romeo and juliet romance experienced by his sister and her christian lover. Bernstein described a childhood defined by grinding. Now, how could i not like the invisible wall by harry bernstein. Harry bernstein waited to tell the story of his childhood until he was 96 years old. It is a moving tale of workingclass life, and of the boundaries that can be overcome by love. Born in 1910, harry bernstein is now 100 years old. Apr 04, 2007 harry bernstein grew up in a small world. In an evocative memoir of forbidden love and social divide set on the eve of world war i, the author describes growing up in a mill town in northern england, in a. Bernstein s books also have been translated and published in england, sweden, germany, finland, norway, denmark and brazil. From humble beginnings, harry s life was one of hard toil and hardship. A love story that broke barriers the merrick library.
See all books authored by harry bernstein, including the invisible wall. Mar 20, 2007 harry bernstein started chronicling his life at the age of ninetyfour, after the death of his beloved wife, ruby. A love story that broke barriers, his firstpublished book, dealt with a number of topics, including with his longsuffering mother. The invisible wall by janiceb see profile 1005story of the ghetto in england that is jewish on one side and christian on the other. Despite all that divides them, there is a level of everyday mutual dependence linking the jews and christians of bernsteins street gaps in the invisible wall, so to speak. The dream by harry bernstein is an extremely engaging book that grabs the readers interest right from the beginning. Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our pro connect email alert. In the invisible wall, bernstein wrote about his bleak.
Bernstein writes, there are few rules or unwritten laws that are not \t\t broken when circumstances demand, and few distances that are too great to be \t\t traveled, about the figurative divide. A love story that broke barriers, his firstpublished book, dealt with a number of topics, including with his longsuffering mother adas struggle to feed her 6 children, an abusive, alcoholic father, the antisemitism bernstein and his jewish neighbors encountered growing up in a cheshire mill town stockport, now part of. The narrow street on which harry grew up appeared identical to countless other workingclass english neighborhoods, except for the invisible wall that ran down the center of the street, dividing the jewish families on one side from the christians on the other. Bernstein s heartwrenching memoir, describes two cultures cohabiting uneasily, prey to misunderstandings that distort lives on both sides.
Harry louis bernstein may 30, 1910 june 3, 2011 was a britishborn american writer. Im not sure exactly what i mean by that but i think its right. A delightful, fascinating read which held me spellbound throughout billy hopkins, author of our kid. I was touched by the invisible wall in a profound way. The invisible wall kindle edition by bernstein, harry. Harry louis bernstein was a britishborn american writer whose first published book, the invisible wall.
Harry bernstein quotes author of the invisible wall. Harry bernsteins memoir, the invisible wall is a great choice for book discussion groups. I first became interested in harry bernstein after reading his obituary in a national paper and realised what an interesting person he was. A wonderfully charming memoir written when the author was ninetythree, the invisible wall vibrantly brings to life an allbutforgotten time and place. Bernstein s book is a compelling narrative of childhood survival in a small, urban ghetto, and much of the virulent antisemitism endured by those on his. Winner 2008 new york public library books for the teen age ninetysixyearold harry bernstein emigrated to the united states with his family after world war i. As a purely documentary record, the invisible wall strains credulity, but as an. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. If you were in young harrys position, would you have kept lilys love affair a secret. The invisible wall by harry bernstein daily mail online. A love story that broke barriers is a wonderful memoir written about growing up in the mill town of manchester, england, in the early 20th century.
Bernsteins heartwrenching memoir, describes two cultures cohabiting uneasily, prey to misunderstandings that distort lives on both sides. Author of critically acclaimed memoirs published in his 90s. Ninetynineyearold harry bernstein immigrated to the united states with his family after world war i. Mar 20, 2007 ninetysixyearold harry bernstein emigrated to the united states with his family after world war i. A love story that broke barriers by harry bernstein and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Bernstein lives in brick, new jersey, where he is working on. Bernstein had written 40 other books, but destroyed most of the manuscripts after they were rejected by publishers. To be published at 96 is an accomplishment not to be trifled with. New york ap harry bernstein, whose acclaimed memoir of an english childhood haunted by antisemitism the invisible wall was published when he was 96, has died at 101. Wall is like having a grandfather spend several relaxed evenings entrancing you with the story of his childhood.
Harry bernstein books list of books by author harry. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the invisible wall. Despite all that divides them, there is a level of everyday mutual dependence linking the jews and christians of bernstein s street gaps in the invisible wall, so to speak. His death was confirmed by bruce frankel, an author and family friend. Harry bernstein has lead a very interesting and relevant life. Someday it will grow big enough so that everybody will see and understand the truth, and then we wont act like a bunch of sheep, and then that wall that separates the two sides of our street will crumble.