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Portraits
From New York’s Lower East Side to San Francisco, four generations of an immigrant family in America come to vivid life in this timeless saga by bestselling author Cynthia Freeman
In an act of great courage and will, Esther Sandsonitsky leaves her abusive new husband and tiny village on the border between Poland and Germany for the more welcoming shores of the United States. When she makes her way through the throng at Ellis Island, the world is on the threshold of a new century. But Esther is on her own to capture a piece of the American dream for her children, including Jacob, the son she was forced to leave behind.
Portraits tells an indelible story of the struggles and sacrifices of a family—and a people—searching for a place to belong.
In an act of great courage and will, Esther Sandsonitsky leaves her abusive new husband and tiny village on the border between Poland and Germany for the more welcoming shores of the United States. When she makes her way through the throng at Ellis Island, the world is on the threshold of a new century. But Esther is on her own to capture a piece of the American dream for her children, including Jacob, the son she was forced to leave behind.
Portraits tells an indelible story of the struggles and sacrifices of a family—and a people—searching for a place to belong.
852 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1979
382 people are currently reading
472 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Freeman
29 books58 followersBeatrice Cynthia Freeman (January 10, 1915 - October 22, 1988), pseudonym of Bea Feinberg, was an American novelist. She was born in New York City, where, as a young girl, she began writing books but abandoned writing to pursue a career running an interior decoration business. When poor health forced her to give up her business, she decided to dust off an old manuscript from childhood but discovered the cleaning lady had thrown it out. From memory, she rewrote the story.
Ms Freeman specialized in multi-generational stories of Jewish families, centering on a female protagonist. Her novel, "No Time For Tears," was No.10 on the list of bestselling novels in the United States for 1981 as determined by the New York Times. Her books were translated into thirty-three languages, selling more than twenty million copies worldwide.
Cynthia Freeman died of cancer in San Francisco in 1988,[1] aged 73.
Ms Freeman specialized in multi-generational stories of Jewish families, centering on a female protagonist. Her novel, "No Time For Tears," was No.10 on the list of bestselling novels in the United States for 1981 as determined by the New York Times. Her books were translated into thirty-three languages, selling more than twenty million copies worldwide.
Cynthia Freeman died of cancer in San Francisco in 1988,[1] aged 73.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
August 2, 2018
A lot changes throughout the course of this book. My first impression and last impression could not be more different. First impressions were good. The first 200 pages were quite solid- a diverse bunch of characters with interesting backgrounds. Jacob's childhood experiences in particular were thrilling and touching to read about. So were Sara's. They're both likable, earnest characters.. who devolve into bitterly miserable and unreasonable caricatures.
Their daughters, in turn, start off pretty likable. Each girl responds differently to their frankly cringe-worthy parentage and escape the way most would in that time period- through marriage. It was around page 300 when the writing became excruciating and repeating the same ideas over and over like groundhogs day.
The last two hundred pages- concerning that second generation of daughters and their children is when things have fallen apart beyond repair. It's like watching an over-the-hill soap opera on fast-forward.
Characters meet. Fall in love within two pages. They get married. Something bad happens. They fall in love with others. Marry, something bad happens. Repeat with other characters. Children are born. Financial crisis. Sara and Jacob continue being awful. Somebody falls in love. It's like the author threw 8 possible scenarios into a basket, randomly picks one, and writes about it for a few pages.. rinse and repeat. I should have given up but after getting all the way to page 500, I really wanted to finish. And no matter how awful the plot, it remains pretty simple to read.
There is one very amusing thing I should mention. The back cover blurb speaks of passion, dreams coming true, love, etc. It's a trap!! There is no passion here. The relationships are rushed and wooden. There are no dreams coming true. The central characters spend the greater parts of their lives repeating the same dire patterns and never connecting on a meaningful level. Love? This book approaches marriage in the most cynical and least romantic fashion I've ever read. The only couple that kinda/sorta generated interest was Jacob and Sara. They live 90 years of mostly self-inflicted hell.
Perhaps I've come from a privileged time and background but honestly, the struggles these characters go through are not worth living through. I remember mentioning something similar about The Thorn Birds. Looking back now, that one was still passionate with likable characters and great writing. The characters were endearing and you could feel their pain and lifelong unfulfilled yearning. When it comes to Portraits I couldn't wait to get away from these people.
Their daughters, in turn, start off pretty likable. Each girl responds differently to their frankly cringe-worthy parentage and escape the way most would in that time period- through marriage. It was around page 300 when the writing became excruciating and repeating the same ideas over and over like groundhogs day.
The last two hundred pages- concerning that second generation of daughters and their children is when things have fallen apart beyond repair. It's like watching an over-the-hill soap opera on fast-forward.
Characters meet. Fall in love within two pages. They get married. Something bad happens. They fall in love with others. Marry, something bad happens. Repeat with other characters. Children are born. Financial crisis. Sara and Jacob continue being awful. Somebody falls in love. It's like the author threw 8 possible scenarios into a basket, randomly picks one, and writes about it for a few pages.. rinse and repeat. I should have given up but after getting all the way to page 500, I really wanted to finish. And no matter how awful the plot, it remains pretty simple to read.
There is one very amusing thing I should mention. The back cover blurb speaks of passion, dreams coming true, love, etc. It's a trap!! There is no passion here. The relationships are rushed and wooden. There are no dreams coming true. The central characters spend the greater parts of their lives repeating the same dire patterns and never connecting on a meaningful level. Love? This book approaches marriage in the most cynical and least romantic fashion I've ever read. The only couple that kinda/sorta generated interest was Jacob and Sara. They live 90 years of mostly self-inflicted hell.
Perhaps I've come from a privileged time and background but honestly, the struggles these characters go through are not worth living through. I remember mentioning something similar about The Thorn Birds. Looking back now, that one was still passionate with likable characters and great writing. The characters were endearing and you could feel their pain and lifelong unfulfilled yearning. When it comes to Portraits I couldn't wait to get away from these people.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2017
Sigh. The torture of a book that's not quite bad enough to abandon but not good enough to enjoy. I read all 677 pages of this based on what I believed it could and should have been, not what it actually was. Not my best decision from a time management perspective. I think Freeman had some good ideas but lacked the talent to execute them. Her writing is totally pedestrian. She has no flare for language. A lot of the dialogue is corny and clumsily expository. Even though this is a long book, a lot of important choices characters make and formative experiences are quickly and superficially glossed over. Freeman doesn't have a good grasp of what information is important. This is larded with filler yet it skimps on character development. It somehow manages to feel both too long and too short. Her writing seems so artless and this book feels shallow. I found the first two hundred or so pages fairly interesting despite the amateurish writing but on the whole this is a slog best avoided.
March 20, 2019
This lovely novel with characters that will capture your heart and bring tears when it comes alive in the first chapter! It is great saga of a multi generation family. I became completely absorbed in this historical family and their love for one another though they had their trials and tribulations. I've read some of Cynthia Freemans novels before but this one is my favorite.
March 7, 2011
I am a HUGE fan of 'historical fiction' and all books even slightly within that genre. I LOVED Portraits. It spans over 50 years and was big, thick, and juicy. I read wicked fast so any book that is GOOD and has a lot of pages makes me ONE VERY happy woman!
May 29, 2020
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I read another reviewer’s synopsis and I agree with her to a certain point. This book is good enough to keep reading but tortuous in its own way. It’s a story about Jewish immigrants and begins at the turn of the century. Boy meets girl, they’re poor as all get out, but boy eventually makes it good. Along the way there are three daughters who grow up and make their own way through life. It’s a conglomeration of all their human failings and failures. To critique the author, I would say I disliked the last fourth of the book, I thought the story became disjointed and disconnected. But I’m still glad I read this book which is near to classic status now.
October 19, 2015
It was a long read but it filled the dull hours of my days. I loved how Freeman managed to narrate the life of a four generation family. When I am nearing the end, I would stop sometimes and realize how I actually watched everyone grow before my eyes. Jacob was just a little boy before but then he's a man with grandchildren now. It's like I became immortal and witnessed the life of everyone in that family. I loved every piece of it. The emotions that this book evoked in me is so wonderful. Thank you for letting me read another precious gem.
October 6, 2012
really enjoyed the book, thanks Mackie for suggesting it!
November 30, 2017
Beginning was good and had promise, then it changed and by the end I couldn't wait to be done with it.
August 31, 2020
2.5 Stars.
The page count for this novel was daunting at first but as soon as I picked it up the words flowed effortlessly off the page.
I got through the first half in no time. I enjoyed the way the lives of the characters unfolded and how their backgrounds and past history shapes who they came to be as people.
The second half of the book was a completely different experience.
This book is 400 pages too long, as the narrative became repetitive.
Hardships the characters faced always seemed grazed over. One problem would blend into the next one and would eventually repeat itself with no character building or comprehension.
The negativity of each character was over pronounced. Through each generation the unhappiness seemed to pass on, which I thought was interesting. The title of the novel should have been pattens not portraits as every character seemed unwilling to break their own.
The story reads a bit like a slow paced soap opera. Nothing too dramatic happens throughout the pages but it’s enjoyable to follow the families lives throughout the generations.
Each character starts off like-able and quickly sours based on their life misfortunes.
Although the storyline was a bit one dimensional it was entertaining enough and I enjoyed reading about early America and the Jewish culture.
The page count for this novel was daunting at first but as soon as I picked it up the words flowed effortlessly off the page.
I got through the first half in no time. I enjoyed the way the lives of the characters unfolded and how their backgrounds and past history shapes who they came to be as people.
The second half of the book was a completely different experience.
This book is 400 pages too long, as the narrative became repetitive.
Hardships the characters faced always seemed grazed over. One problem would blend into the next one and would eventually repeat itself with no character building or comprehension.
The negativity of each character was over pronounced. Through each generation the unhappiness seemed to pass on, which I thought was interesting. The title of the novel should have been pattens not portraits as every character seemed unwilling to break their own.
The story reads a bit like a slow paced soap opera. Nothing too dramatic happens throughout the pages but it’s enjoyable to follow the families lives throughout the generations.
Each character starts off like-able and quickly sours based on their life misfortunes.
Although the storyline was a bit one dimensional it was entertaining enough and I enjoyed reading about early America and the Jewish culture.
November 19, 2011
C1980: Fabulous generational saga. This review says it all, really – “"An intriguing rags-to-riches tale of an immigrant Jewish family in America... Freeman has demonstrated her narrative gifts in previous works and proves them once again in this four-generation novel with its varied characters and lively plot and nostalgic settings." --San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle” Inspirational when you think that Ms Freeman started her writing career at the age of 55! Cynthia Freeman is actually her middle and maiden name. FWFTB: Jewish, Poland, America, turbulent, emotional. FCN :Esther Sandsonitsky, Jacob Sandsonitsky, Sara Sandsonitsky, Rachel, Doris.
March 14, 2020
Ellipsis...lots of telling...tragedy
The writer is in love with...
Try and guess...
What punctuation...appears...so many times....it was distracting and ridiculously overused.
This novel was far too long. The characters were mostly pretty terrible people I couldn’t empathize or ever like who loved long monologues about what other characters should be doing or were thinking. It was depressing and trite and very disappointing.
The writer is in love with...
Try and guess...
What punctuation...appears...so many times....it was distracting and ridiculously overused.
This novel was far too long. The characters were mostly pretty terrible people I couldn’t empathize or ever like who loved long monologues about what other characters should be doing or were thinking. It was depressing and trite and very disappointing.
September 16, 2009
Enjoyed - Jewish family immigrated to US. Story passes on to children & Grandchildren.
Tells of their struggles and their finding wealth but not happiness. Their children and
grandchildren take many different paths. Some find wealth & happiness and some don't find either. Very interesting reading.
Tells of their struggles and their finding wealth but not happiness. Their children and
grandchildren take many different paths. Some find wealth & happiness and some don't find either. Very interesting reading.
October 1, 2012
I loved this book! Cynthia Freeman is a master at writing characters that you want to know or feel like you already do. This book begins with a Jewish lady immigrating to the U.S. in the late 1800's. She tells the story of 4 generations of this family ending in around the 1960's. I didn't want it to end!
August 6, 2017
This book was awful. There wasn't a single likeable character. The same story was told over and over and over again. Go on a date, immediately fall in love and agree to marriage, marriage fails. I only kept reading in hopes of redemption, there was none. This family is awful, cruel, spineless, pathetic, sad. I do not recommend.
February 23, 2012
I loved this book. It is a family saga covering five generations of a Jewish family. The major characters are very well developed. I always enjoy Cynthia Freeman's books, but this has been my favorite.
April 23, 2012
I love this book!! I saved it out of the library trash bin since it couldn't be sold at their used book sale. It really wraps you into the family drama and life over the generations. I read this book usually every year on vacation. Great beach and rainy/lazy day companion!
August 1, 2017
There are so many excellent books on the immigrant experience, it was only because of positive reviews that I kept slogging through this unending family saga of a shallow and dysfunctional family through countless generations of twisted values and misconstrued concepts of one's heritage.
July 25, 2008
I loved Ms. Freeman's multi-generational sagas when I was entering the adult reading world.
February 9, 2010
Loving this. Totally addicted its like reality tv but in a book. 4 generations of families and their kids & their jobs etc. LOVING IT! Just found out theres a follow up ...
May 14, 2010
One of my all time favorite books. Have read it 4 times
May 19, 2011
This is my best friends fav so i read it, I have nothing in common with these characters but i am entralled. I read the book one ever two years.
October 27, 2016
Another great book by cynthia freeman...I think I've read them all..this was really good it was about three generations..great read
October 29, 2011
A good Jewish family saga.
November 19, 2011
This took a long time for me to read--a little over three weeks, and I'm usually a quick reader. But it was VERY involved--great character development! I really enjoyed it!!!
October 15, 2012
read this years ago.....saw it today in a used book store.....great family saga!
Read
June 9, 20134th one, I think I really like this one
August 15, 2013
I think this was the longest book I ever read n I enjoyed it
October 22, 2013
A book from my youth... But this lady lured me in so well and removed "big" books from my list of intimidations.
December 28, 2014
Love historical fiction!
November 29, 2014
Great read...
Loved it, a definite page turner. Just a bit long. But in the end, could not put it down .
Loved it, a definite page turner. Just a bit long. But in the end, could not put it down .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews