Book Review: A Life Less Lived
A Life Less Lived. Eileen Ladin-Panzer. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Trade Paperback, May 1, 2013, 354 pages.
Reviewed by Gail Galvan.
In this evocative and often disturbing novel, the author tells a story about a family of Jewish emigrants escaping to the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, leaving the “ghettos of Europe” behind. The author sets the opening scene referring to the year 1945, on a hot summer day in Chicago. “Outside, on the steep porches of weathered buildings, women fanned their bodies with casual hand movements, hoping that their simple cotton housedresses would not get too sweaty, and watched neighborhood children at play.”
Like the relentless Midwestern summer humidity that must be endured, the characters in the book often fail to escape the “stuffiness that lived within the walls” of their homes and lives.
Initially believing in the hope for a better life, the Borsky family soon discovers that Chicago is not “the land of milk and honey” they had dreamed about. On the contrary, life in the United States during a turbulent postwar era is fraught with unfulfillment, thus the title: A Life Less Lived.
“Eager anticipation” and sincere efforts to adjust quickly transform into daily problems and routines. Passages related to ancestors arriving in New York and Chicago, historical events, and the Jewish culture are interesting and intertwined within the story throughout the book, such as: the end of World War II, the death of President F. D. Roosevelt, kosher foods, specialty dishes, holiday celebrations, and customary rituals. Even the tradition of taking the first letter of a Jewish person’s name and changing it to a more “American” one. Although the displaced immigrants are initially hopeful, a fiery, deep sense of unrest and joylessness begins to burn on—page after page.
Mortie Borsky, the eight-year-old boy, is shot in the arm by an adult neighbor with a BB gun and a court case ensues. Attempting to find accountability and resolution, all the Borskys run into is partiality to their influential neighbor, the shooter. Rebecca, Mortie’s mother, is plagued by mental illness. Abe, the “man” of the house is haunted by a brutal, unhappy past and is simply a wounded, pitifully mean alcoholic and gambler. He makes life hell for his family.
Then, there is Evelyn, Evie, a young girl we follow from childhood, to her romance with Sean, into her years of adulthood. Life is again “less lived” in unhappiness rather than ultimately enjoying life or fulfilling any true dreams of her own. Yet, this is the character who captures our heart, the one the reader begins to cheer for.
The author explores strengths in characters, occasionally, but does not hold back with regard to portraying humans with all of their ugliness, prejudices, flaws, and weaknesses. Like another Chicago writer, Sarajevo-born, Aleksandar Hemon, Ladin-Panzar delves right into unfortunate realities and the dark side of humanity with a stark frankness. Prejudices, I might add, sometimes by Jewish people, too, which I found ironic and yet another sad, disturbing fact within the story, since they came to America to escape such horrific injustices due to their own ethnicity. Yet, it’s obvious; this fact was simply another harsh reality and sign of the times.
With all of the tough times and disturbing sad events, it’s a wonder if Evie can eventually symbolize a sign of hope for immigrants who left their devastated homeland, transported to Chicago, and tried to capture the American dream. Many immigrants do succeed. But does Evie? You’d have to read the book to find out.
On another note, I could truly picture the Chicago neighborhoods, downtown stores, and markets, as well as other places and people in the book, because many descriptions were very detailed. The beautiful cover helped, too. However, occasionally, long drawn out sentences, paragraphs, and one lengthy, philosophical discussion, I felt, affected the flow of the story. Also, dialogue, and as thoughts were conveyed, sometimes, did not read or sound as natural as possible. Yet, the interesting storyline kept me reading. And the author noted that this is her first book.
So there is nothing in the writing style that can’t be improved since storytellers, writers who create books, only get better with time. Therefore, the author’s “lifelong ambition to be a writer,” should not be discouraged. Like Evie, the main character in her story, I hope the author keeps aspiring to a more, not less, fulfilling ambition. After all, she’s on her way with her first book.
Finally, I’ll close with one of the revealing passages by Mr. Borsky (Abe) from the book:
“Christmas music! He flicked the dial off in disgust.
All they play from Thanksgiving until January is
Christmas music. Who needs it? As if God, or
anybody, is going to help. What a man needs is luck,
plenty of luck. Christmas music. A joke. A lousy joke,
played on fools.”