Recommended Reading: Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English, by Natasha Solomons
MR. ROSENBLUM DREAMS IN ENGLISH
Natasha Solomons
Reagan Arthur Books, 2010. 368 pp. $23.99
ISBN: 978-0-316-07758-3
Review by Erika Dreifus
By now, we are familiar with literature penned by “2G”-ers, children of the second generation, whose Jewish parents survived Nazi persecution. With time’s passage, it was inevitable that we’d begin to see writings from the next generation: the grandchildren.
British writer Natasha Solomons is one such grandchild. The “About the Author” section at this debut novel’s end reveals that Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English is based “on her own grandparents’ experience.” The novel focuses on Jack (né Jakob) Rosenblum, who emigrates from Germany with his wife, Sadie, and their baby daughter in the summer of 1937. Upon arrival, Jack receives a “dusky blue pamphlet entitled While you are in England: Helpful Information and Friendly Guidance for every Refugee.” If Jack cherishes a Bible, this pamphlet is it: “He obeyed the list with more fervour than the most ardent Bar Mitzvah boy did the laws of Kashrut….” Over time, he expands and adds to the list based on his own observations.
Sadie Rosenblum does not share her husband’s enthusiasm for throwing off their past (or for his “verdammt list”). She is haunted by the family left behind—and lost—in Germany. This domestic conflict underlies the novel. But the challenge that actively propels the plot is Jack’s quest to build a golf course in Dorset, which results from his being denied golf-club membership—the final list item, “the quintessential characteristic of the true English gentleman.”
This is a gorgeous book, with setting, scenes, and dialogue all artfully managed (an aside: the cover art is equally lovely, although I can’t help wishing that this American edition had preserved the British title, Mr. Rosenblum’s List: Or Friendly Guidance for the Aspiring Englishman). It is no surprise to discover that Solomons is a screenwriter. Let us hope that she will soon script this story for film.
(This review was published in Jewish Book World, Winter 5771/2010.)
I enjoyed your review! I share your enthusiasm for this wonderful book, and like you, think the cover is gorgeous.
Thanks! You know, I debated about included that–should we really judge books by their covers, after all? But I couldn’t help myself.
I think the old saying of not judging a book by its cover works better for people than for books. The cover (and format in general) of a book is part of the experience of the book, and it does affect your perception of the story to some degree.
Anyway, it sounds like a really interesting and unusual story. Thanks for including it in the December Jewish Book Carnival, and a really big thank you for being the host this month!