"We are prompted to ask ourselves why are some of us born unlucky in love, health, and relationships?"

A mother recounts to her daughter her bad luck or lack of "mazel," a poor old woman is committed to a mental institution, a cleaning lady is the subject of wife beating. These tales make up part of the thirteen essays contained in a softbound book entitled Take Me to Coney Island published by Guernica Editions Inc. and authored by Miriam Packer.

From the opening essay, twenty-year old Hanna, the author's principal narrator, exposes the reader to a touching conversation between a mother and daughter. We are informed that the mother had to leave New York in a hurry, where she had resided for some time, as she had been an illegal immigrant. As a result of this misfortune, the mother was forced to leave behind her boyfriend, who may have eventually married her and offered her a better life than the one she had endured with her husband. However, the mother advises her daughter that in spite of what marriage had done to her dreams, it is still better to be married. Why the reader may ask? "You know how it is in "shul" (synagogue), darling. An unmarried woman is not permitted to cover her head. She sits with a bare head and everyone sees that she is alone, poor thing."

Another essay compares the committing of a mentally ill elderly woman to a mental institution as if it were the capture of some wild animal.

The story of the cleaning lady who is the object of wife battering and dreams of leaving her husband one day is quite disturbing, yet realistic.

Throughout the essays we are reminded of many of life's tragedies that some of our fellow human beings have to endure. We are prompted to ask ourselves why are some of us born unlucky in love, health, and relationships?

Packer exhibits a profound sensitivity as well as an attentive eye in depicting some of these tragedies. Her characters are well developed and realistic. In other words, the reader can easily relate to each of her characters. Perhaps it had been someone we had once met?

One criticism I have is that throughout many of the essays there is a sprinkling of Yiddish expressions. The author should have indicated their meanings in a glossary placed at the end of the book. For readers who are not familiar with these terms, there definitely is a loss of flavour and understanding of what the author wishes to convey.

"Copyright 2002, Bookideas.com. Orginally published at Bookideas.com"

Reviewed by Norman Goldman
Courtesy Bookideas
Posted May 27, 2002