Overview

"""Hirshberg's debut novel packs both emotional punch and a vivid portrait of Jewish American life in post-WWII Boston. . . . Readers will find connections here to Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and to Saul Bellow's classic The Adventures of Augie March."" --Booklist (ALA), starred review ""This amazing mosaic of fact and fiction will hold readers in its grip from the first to last page."" --Library Journal, starred review Winner, Independent Press Award 2019 Literary Fiction Gold Medal Winner, Best Regional Fiction, 2018 Independent Press Awards Winner, Best Regional Fiction, 2018 National Indie Excellence Awards Winner, NYC Big Book Award in two categories: 2018 Historical Fiction and Debut Fiction Winner, Three CIPA EVVY Awards: 2019 Literary Fiction First Place; 2019 Historical Fiction Second Place; 2019 Debut Fiction Second place My Mother's Son, the meticulously-crafted debut novel from David Hirshberg, is a story told by a radio raconteur revisiting his past in post-World War II Boston, the playground and battleground for two brothers whose lives are transformed by discoveries they never could have imagined. From the opening line of the book, ""When you're a kid, they don't always tell you the truth,"" the stage is set for this riveting coming-of-age story that plays out against the backdrop of the Korean War, the aftermath of the Holocaust, the polio epidemic, the relocation of a baseball team, and the shenanigans of politicians and businessmen. Hirshberg deftly weaves together events, characters, and clues and creates a rich tapestry of betrayal, persecution, death, loyalty, and unconditional love that resonates with today's America."

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9781941493229

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Reviews

Hirshberg's debut novel packs both emotional punch and a vivid portrait of Jewish American life in post-WWII Boston. . . . Readers will find connections here to Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (2000) and to Saul Bellow's classic The Adventures of Augie March (1953). --Jen Baker, Booklist - Starred review Everyone lies when they're telling family stories, particularly when they're speaking to children. This is what Joel, the narrator of this fascinating debut by a pseudonymous author discovers as he matures. In the memories of his childhood in post-World War II Boston, Joel recalls friends and relatives who are not quite what they appeared to be. His Jewish, Italian, and Irish neighbors are all interested in making a living, much of it illegally by cooking the books, betting on sure winners at the track, or fixing elections. They use Joel and his brother to deliver messages to the appropriate individuals. Later, as Joel grows up and becomes a popular radio storyteller, he learns the truth about his family and friends, who they really were, and what they actually did to survive. -VERDICT In recalling the polio epidemic of the 1950s, the Korean War, Holocaust memories, the relocation of the Boston Braves to Milwaukee, and the election of John F. Kennedy, Hirshberg offers us a glimpse of the past through the eyes of a young boy moving into his teens. This amazing mosaic of fact and fiction will hold readers in its grip from the first to last page. --Andrea Kempf, Library Journal - Starred review This colorful and complex portrait of a 1950s Jewish family is warm and nostalgic, yet grounded by deep history. David Hirshberg's My Mother's Son centers on a vibrant postwar Boston neighborhood that is a veritable melting pot. Its residents are primarily Jewish, Italian, and Irish. Though the novel's focal year is 1952, the narrative shifts from the past to the present, creating a colorful and complex portrait of a family from their immigration to their assimilation and eventual successes. The main voice belongs to Joel, who grows up on that diverse block. As an adult, Joel becomes a radio raconteur, hosting a program that he uses as a forum for many of his childhood stories. Joel's memories are filled with larger- than-life personalities and recollections of an era when childhood seemed less complicated and more enjoyably collective. Beyond the novel's nostalgic humor, however, are deep reflections. The story captures the psychological aftereffects of the Holocaust, the polio epidemic, and the Korean War. The sometimes crafty politics of Boston's wards are detailed, particularly the exuberant victory parties. As Joel's grandfather notes, those elections brought about true change in America, shifting the balance of power from the elite to individuals, with immigrants who were once barely tolerated coming to form major voting blocs. Of the novel's various characters, Joel's Aunt Rose and Uncle Jake are especially memorable. Having survived the brutalities of Nazi Germany, Jake is haunted by his harrowing experiences. He is sustained greatly by his love for Rose, a beautiful and caring woman, who deals with her own issues of melancholy and depression. The details of their marriage are intimate and bittersweet, with a warmth like the cinnamon, raisins and chocolate of Rose's homemade pastries and Jake's fragrant pipe smoke, but also informed by dark secrets to be discovered with time. --Meg Nola, Foreword Reviews Only occasionally does a novel like this come along--one that sculpts a vivid, irresistible portrait of a life and times. Evocative of the 1950's, with cinematic flashbacks and flash-forwards, it is clever, poignant and funny. Hirshberg allows the reader to eavesdrop on complicated 1950s family intimacies that had been clouded by years of denial, secrecy and self-preservation. What he exposes are the riches left behind, those that reveal the truth of the human condition. This is a book worth reading, probably more than once. --Mitch Markowitz, screenwriter of Good Morning, Vietnam David Hirshberg has written an engrossing novel that belongs in the canon of great American Jewish literature. Filled with stories of concealed truths, shattering discoveries, and unconditional love, My Mother's Son is a twenty-first century exploration of the formative American Jewish experiences of the twentieth century. It transports the reader to that other time even as it speaks to the urgent concerns of today. --Dan Libenson, founder and president of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future and co-creator of the Judaism Unbound podcast Sometimes it's the lies we grow up with -- more than the truths -- that define who we are and where we come from. That's the message of David Hirshberg's coming-of-age novel, My Mother's Son. Through the eyes of young Joel, we witness essential elements of the mid-twentieth century: the scourge of polio, the magic of baseball, the repercussions of war, and the development of modern Jewish-American culture. But above all, we come to understand why Joel is his mother's son -- and how that phrase resonates for us all. A deceptively simple, profoundly memorable novel. --Barbara Solomon Josselsohn, author of The Last Dreamer My Mother's Son starts out as a story of a family's life in Jewish Boston and grows as big as a century. Fascism lurks. Polio carries off its prey. Only-in-Boston characters pop up. To wit: Murph Feldman, the Jew of Southie. Time rushes in only to roll back as the stories within stories reveal truths not only about one family and one city, but about America in the 1950s and, by extension, today. Hirshberg is a raconteur who feels no need to stop to get a sip of water. --Paul Goldberg, author of The Yid and 2017 Finalist -- Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and 2016 Finalist - National Jewish Book Award Goldberg Prize for Debut Fiction Reading My Mother's Son is like opening up a time capsule and sifting among the treasures. 1952 Boston comes alive as David Hirshberg weaves the artifacts of that year into the fabric of his poignant narrative. This provocative novel is the colorful description of life as seen through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Joel, and at the same time, a telling and re-telling that allows adult Joel to process and decipher the truths and richness of all that transpires. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. --Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, author of Eden: A Novel My Mother's Son is a richly sprawling and singular Jewish-American saga. It echoes with an unwashed Boston brogue and a heart that beats with a Holocaust past. And it entertains with wit, humor and secrets both dark and luminously incandescent. --Thane Rosenbaum, author of The Golems of Gotham and Second Hand Smoke David Hirshberg's engrossing debut not only captures the coming-of-age of a young boy in the wake of WWII, it also layers hidden identities, family secrets, and larger-than-life characters from Boston's past into a story that will leave readers deeply satisfied. --Crystal King, author of Feast of Sorrow David Hirshberg has written an engrossing novel that belongs in the canon of great American Jewish literature. Filled with stories of concealed truths, shattering discoveries, and unconditional love, MY MOTHER'S SON is a twenty-first century exploration of the formative American Jewish experiences of the twentieth century. It transports the reader to that other time even as it speaks to the urgent concerns of today. --Dan Libenson, founder and president of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future and co-creator of the Judaism Unbound podcast. Sometimes it's the lies we grow up with -- more than the truths -- that define who we are and where we come from. That's the message of David Hirshberg's coming-of-age novel, MY MOTHER'S SON. Through the eyes of young Joel, we witness essential elements of the mid-twentieth century: the scourge of polio, the magic of baseball, the repercussions of war, and the development of modern Jewish-American culture. But above all, we come to understand why Joel is his mother's son -- and how that phrase resonates for us all. A deceptively simple, profoundly memorable novel. --Barbara Solomon Josselsohn, author of The Last Dreamer MY MOTHER'S SON starts out as a story of a family's life in Jewish Boston and grows as big as a century. Fascism lurks. Polio carries off its prey. Only-in-Boston characters pop up. To wit: Murph Feldman, the Jew of Southie. Time rushes in only to roll back as the stories within stories reveal truths not only about one family and one city, but about America in the 1950s and, by extension, today. Hirshberg is a raconteur who feels no need to stop to get a sip of water. --Paul Goldberg, author of The Yid and 2017 Finalist -- Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and 2016 Finalist - National Jewish Book Award Goldberg Prize for Debut Fiction Reading MY MOTHER'S SON is like opening up a time capsule and sifting among the treasures. 1952 Boston comes alive as David Hirshberg weaves the artifacts of that year into the fabric of his poignant narrative. This provocative novel is the colorful description of life as seen through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Joel, and at the same time, a telling and re-telling that allows adult Joel to process and decipher the truths and richness of all that transpires. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. --Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, author of Eden: A Novel MY MOTHER'S SON is a richly sprawling and singular Jewish-American saga. It echoes with an unwashed Boston brogue and a heart that beats with a Holocaust past. And it entertains with wit, humor and secrets both dark and luminously incandescent. --Thane Rosenbaum, author of The Golems of Gotham and Second Hand Smoke David Hirshberg's engrossing debut not only captures the coming-of-age of a young boy in the wake of WWII, it also layers hidden identities, family secrets, and larger-than-life characters from Boston's past into a story that will leave readers deeply satisfied. --Crystal King, author of Feast of Sorrow Only occasionally does a novel like this come along--one that sculpts a vivid, irresistible portrait of a life and times. Evocative of the 1950's, with cinematic flashbacks and flash-forwards, it is clever, poignant and funny. Hirshberg allows the reader to eavesdrop on complicated 1950s family intimacies that had been clouded by years of denial, secrecy and self-preservation. What he exposes are the riches left behind, those that reveal the truth of the human condition. This is a book worth reading, probably more than once. --Mitch Markowitz, screenwriter of Good Morning, Vietnam

David Hirshberg has written an engrossing novel that belongs in the canon of great American Jewish literature. Filled with stories of concealed truths, shattering discoveries, and unconditional love, MY MOTHER'S SON is a twenty-first century exploration of the formative American Jewish experiences of the twentieth century. It transports the reader to that other time even as it speaks to the urgent concerns of today. --Dan Libenson, founder and president of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future and co-creator of the Judaism Unbound podcast. Sometimes it's the lies we grow up with -- more than the truths -- that define who we are and where we come from. That's the message of David Hirshberg's coming-of-age novel, MY MOTHER'S SON. Through the eyes of young Joel, we witness essential elements of the mid-twentieth century: the scourge of polio, the magic of baseball, the repercussions of war, and the development of modern Jewish-American culture. But above all, we come to understand why Joel is his mother's son -- and how that phrase resonates for us all. A deceptively simple, profoundly memorable novel. --Barbara Solomon Josselsohn, author of The Last Dreamer MY MOTHER'S SON starts out as a story of a family's life in Jewish Boston and grows as big as a century. Fascism lurks. Polio carries off its prey. Only-in-Boston characters pop up. To wit: Murph Feldman, the Jew of Southie. Time rushes in only to roll back as the stories within stories reveal truths not only about one family and one city, but about America in the 1950s and, by extension, today. Hirshberg is a raconteur who feels no need to stop to get a sip of water. --Paul Goldberg, author of The Yid and 2017 Finalist -- Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and 2016 Finalist - National Jewish Book Award Goldberg Prize for Debut Fiction Reading MY MOTHER'S SON is like opening up a time capsule and sifting among the treasures. 1952 Boston comes alive as David Hirshberg weaves the artifacts of that year into the fabric of his poignant narrative. This provocative novel is the colorful description of life as seen through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Joel, and at the same time, a telling and re-telling that allows adult Joel to process and decipher the truths and richness of all that transpires. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. --Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, author of Eden: A Novel MY MOTHER'S SON is a richly sprawling and singular Jewish-American saga. It echoes with an unwashed Boston brogue and a heart that beats with a Holocaust past. And it entertains with wit, humor and secrets both dark and luminously incandescent. --Thane Rosenbaum, author of The Golems of Gotham and Second Hand Smoke David Hirshberg's engrossing debut not only captures the coming-of-age of a young boy in the wake of WWII, it also layers hidden identities, family secrets, and larger-than-life characters from Boston's past into a story that will leave readers deeply satisfied. --Crystal King, author of Feast of Sorrow Only occasionally does a novel like this come along--one that sculpts a vivid, irresistible portrait of a life and times. Evocative of the 1950's, with cinematic flashbacks and flash-forwards, it is clever, poignant and funny. Hirshberg allows the reader to eavesdrop on complicated 1950s family intimacies that had been clouded by years of denial, secrecy and self-preservation. What he exposes are the riches left behind, those that reveal the truth of the human condition. This is a book worth reading, probably more than once. --Mitch Markowitz, screenwriter of Good Morning, Vietnam

Hirshberg's debut novel packs both emotional punch and a vivid portrait of Jewish American life in post-WWII Boston. . . . Readers will find connections here to Michael Chabon's The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (2000) and to Saul Bellow's classic The Adventures of Augie March (1953). --Booklist, starred review This amazing mosaic of fact and fiction will hold readers in its grip from the first to last page. --Library Journal, starred review This colorful and complex portrait of a 1950s Jewish family is warm and nostalgic, yet grounded by deep history. . . . The narrative shifts from the past to the present, creating a colorful and complex portrait of a family from their immigration to their assimilation and eventual successes. The main voice belongs to Joel . . . [whose] memories are filled with larger-than-life personalities and recollections of an era when childhood seemed less complicated and more enjoyably collective. Beyond the novel's nostalgic humor, however, are deep reflections. . . . --Foreword Reviews This well-crafted, compassionate, and witty debut novel is an emotional and entertaining read. David Hirshberg artfully constructs Joel's life and drops hints and clues as the story sweeps along. The complicated back stories of betrayals, loyalty, and love are engrossingly intertwined with the present. My Mother's Son explores today's values along with the past as Joel's struggles lead him to realize life is never simple. The many half-truths and clouded secrets he's dealt with over the years finally become clear as Joel realizes he truly is his mother's son. This journey from innocence to acceptance is satisfying, rich, and reflective. --Renita Last, Jewish Book Council Only occasionally does a novel like this come along--one that sculpts a vivid, irresistible portrait of a life and times. Evocative of the 1950s, with cinematic flashbacks and flash-forwards, it is clever, poignant and funny. Hirshberg allows the reader to eavesdrop on complicated 1950s family intimacies that had been clouded by years of denial, secrecy and self-preservation. What he exposes are the riches left behind, those that reveal the truth of the human condition. This is a book worth reading, probably more than once. --Mitch Markowitz, screenwriter of Good Morning, Vietnam Joel, one year retired from 47 years of telling stories five nights a week over a Boston radio station, begins the story of his boyhood with an accurate statement: 'When you're a kid, they don't always tell you the truth.' Joel's family didn't, as we slowly discover in the engrossing My Mother's Son, by David Hirshberg. . . . It's not difficult to read--it's difficult to put down. . . . Readers young in the 1950s will feel at home. Those younger can sense those times in a tale wonderfully told.--Neal Gendler, American Jewish World From the first page, David Hirshberg's novel is about a young man's understanding of the world into which he was born, questioning his mentors, because they don't 'always tell you the truth.' The pattern of initiation into adulthood is universal: the differences between what culture, friends and family tell us about the world, and what we discover ourselves. . . . Joel, the narrator in Hirshberg's novel (we never learn his last name), is growing up in a Jewish family from Brookline in the middle of the 20th century. The timing of the 1950s is significant. The times anticipated the future we inherited. Technological, political, and social changes, from the post-World War II era, are felt today. . . . --Len Abrams, The Jewish Advocate This is one beautiful book. . . . a very Jewish book--Jewish in the American way of successive generations being influenced by and reshaping a vanishing but not quite extinguished past. It is a world of Hebrew School lessons, Yiddish phrases being maintained and even penetrating the dominant non-Jewish community, and ethnic foods and--of course--memories. There are stories hidden until they must be revealed. There are other stories repeated and reshaped, perhaps with no expiration date. . . . [A] beautifully prepared feast of wisdom and discovery.--Philip K. Jason, Federation Star, L'Chayim, and The Jewish News David Hirshberg has written an engrossing novel that belongs in the canon of great American Jewish literature. Filled with stories of concealed truths, shattering discoveries, and unconditional love, My Mother's Son is a twenty-first century exploration of the formative American Jewish experiences of the twentieth century. It transports the reader to that other time even as it speaks to the urgent concerns of today. --Dan Libenson, founder and president of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future and co-creator of the Judaism Unbound podcast Sometimes it's the lies we grow up with--more than the truths--that define who we are and where we come from. That's the message of David Hirshberg's coming-of-age novel, My Mother's Son. Through the eyes of young Joel, we witness essential elements of the mid-twentieth century: the scourge of polio, the magic of baseball, the repercussions of war, and the development of modern Jewish-American culture. But above all, we come to understand why Joel is his mother's son--and how that phrase resonates for us all. A deceptively simple, profoundly memorable novel. --Barbara Solomon Josselsohn, author of The Last Dreamer My Mother's Son starts out as a story of a family's life in Jewish Boston and grows as big as a century. Fascism lurks. Polio carries off its prey. Only-in-Boston characters pop up. To wit: Murph Feldman, the Jew of Southie. Time rushes in only to roll back as the stories within stories reveal truths not only about one family and one city, but about America in the 1950s and, by extension, today. Hirshberg is a raconteur who feels no need to stop to get a sip of water. --Paul Goldberg, author of The Yid and 2017 Finalist--Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and 2016 Finalist - National Jewish Book Award Goldberg Prize for Debut Fiction Reading My Mother's Son is like opening up a time capsule and sifting among the treasures. 1952 Boston comes alive as David Hirshberg weaves the artifacts of that year into the fabric of his poignant narrative. This provocative novel is the colorful description of life as seen through the eyes of thirteen-year-old Joel, and at the same time, a telling and re-telling that allows adult Joel to process and decipher the truths and richness of all that transpires. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. --Jeanne McWilliams Blasberg, author of Eden: A Novel My Mother's Son is a richly sprawling and singular Jewish-American saga. It echoes with an unwashed Boston brogue and a heart that beats with a Holocaust past. And it entertains with wit, humor and secrets both dark and luminously incandescent. --Thane Rosenbaum, author of The Golems of Gotham and Second Hand Smoke David Hirshberg's engrossing debut not only captures the coming-of-age of a young boy in the wake of WWII, it also layers hidden identities, family secrets, and larger-than-life characters from Boston's past into a story that will leave readers deeply satisfied. --Crystal King, author of Feast of Sorrow

Author Information

David Hirshberg is the pseudonym for an entrepreneur who prefers to keep his business activities separate from his writing endeavors. As an author, he adopted the first name of his father-in-law and the last name of his maternal grandfather, as a tribute to their impact on his life. Using his given name, he is an accomplished 'C-level suite' executive, having served in the life sciences industry as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of four firms, Chairman of the Board of six companies and a member of the board of three other organizations. In addition, he is the founder and CEO of a publishing company. Hirshberg is a New Yorker who holds an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College and a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Much like the narrator MY MOTHER'S SON, he is a raconteur in real life as well as through his fiction. His range of interests outside of business is in American history, Jewish literature and practices, the nexus of science and religion, the current cultural wars in our society, as well as in English, Irish and Gordon setters. Learn more at: www.DavidHirshberg.com.

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