The Two-Family House

I am not generally a reader of fiction and certainly never one of family dynamics and stories that would resonate more with my wife and her friends than mine. I am, however, a Jew of Eastern European descent, a Father, a Son and a Parent who was able to go back in time through this book and be in the room with my Grandparents as they raised my parents. It was the story of Me and anyone else whose Jewish roots started at Ellis Island, had a family business and is willing to accept the fact that, behind closed doors, both literal and figurative, we are almost all dealing with these issues. Beautiful story, beautifully written, wonderful job, Linda.

The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman is the story about two brothers who share a family home. Mort, Rose, and their daughters live in the downstairs apartment. Abe, Helen, and their four boys live upstairs. The two brothers work together at Box Brothers. They make cardboard boxes for businesses. Helen and Rose end up pregnant at the same time with their babies due in January. Their children are born during a winter storm in Brooklyn in 1947. One woman wants a boy and the other a girl. They have the opportunity to get what they want and take it. See how this one choice (act) changes their lives and their families. The Two-Family House is a slow starter. It is hard to get to keep reading this book, but I persisted. The novel was okay (satisfactory), but not wonderful. The story just plods along telling you what happens because of the decision these two women made (and one regrets it). The characters were flat. The Two-Family House is told in a first person point-of-view by various characters (which leads to confusion as it switches). The novel needed a little something (like maybe making it more of a secret) to make it more appealing. It needed more depth and interest. It reads more like a first or second draft, than a finished novel. I give The Two-Family House 2 out of 5 stars. I received a complimentary copy of The Two-Family House from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book from beginning to end. I did not want it to end....I felt like I was part of the family.

The first half of the book reminds of the short fiction that appeared in women’s magazines years ago: routine descriptions of family life.The seond half is more interesting as the characters become more nuanced and developed. Unfortunately, the book’s big reveal was entirely predictable. The author writes with grace and sensitivity, however, and I look forward to her next book.