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Harry Gets Wise: A novel
So begins Harry Gets Wise, an absorbing, sometimes funny, always heartfelt novel about an immigrant’s experience in a bygone America, the first in the Harry's Family Trilogy.
Harry Becker, a young shoemaker from Poland, settles in St. Louis in 1919 to escape the violence and oppression in his homeland and sets out to claim his small portion of the American Dream. But Harry’s ideals and belief in the promise of America are challenged not just by events in the larger world, such as the rise of Joe McCarthy, but also by those occurring right in his own backyard when his small shop is shaken down by two thugs, the brutal Tony the Pipe Allocco and the young wannabe, Carlo Barnini.
Overlapping stories of his daughter, who struggles with her sexual identity in mid-20th century America, and Harry, who develops a relationship with Carlo Barnini that is by turns hilarious, touching, and dangerous, connect thematically as the tightly constructed plot unfolds. We see Harry grow from a naïf who unquestioningly believes in the goodness of America and the rule of law, to a man of hard-won, clear-eyed wisdom. It is a novel that will consistently surprise, engage, and move readers right up to its final poignant words.
Harry Becker, a young shoemaker from Poland, settles in St. Louis in 1919 to escape the violence and oppression in his homeland and sets out to claim his small portion of the American Dream. But Harry’s ideals and belief in the promise of America are challenged not just by events in the larger world, such as the rise of Joe McCarthy, but also by those occurring right in his own backyard when his small shop is shaken down by two thugs, the brutal Tony the Pipe Allocco and the young wannabe, Carlo Barnini.
Overlapping stories of his daughter, who struggles with her sexual identity in mid-20th century America, and Harry, who develops a relationship with Carlo Barnini that is by turns hilarious, touching, and dangerous, connect thematically as the tightly constructed plot unfolds. We see Harry grow from a naïf who unquestioningly believes in the goodness of America and the rule of law, to a man of hard-won, clear-eyed wisdom. It is a novel that will consistently surprise, engage, and move readers right up to its final poignant words.
394 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 10, 2023
2 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 19, 2024
Took a little while to really get into this read but once I did it is an absolute gem. We follow Harry, a Jewish immigrant from Poland, a shoemaker, settle into his new American life. Although he comes to understand that the gold-paved streets are slightly tarnished he never gives up on America. The ending is exquisite.
Lots of well-researched detail on St. Louis, Harry’s adopted home town.
Lots of well-researched detail on St. Louis, Harry’s adopted home town.
November 19, 2023
Harry gets Wise is a really good book, telling a story that flows with compelling action interspersed with details of everyday life for the folks that have come to America for a better life than they had in the old country.
The characters are developed with love and compassion. Even the Bad guys, and there are a few, are displayed respectfully. The naive patriotism of the new arrivals is tested and changed by the reality of the new world and the characters they meet that are doing every thing they can to survive and thrive.
Sorrow and challenge balanced by humor and love fill this book as well as a great love displayed for the city of St. Louis. The characters and the lessons they learn will live in your head.
It is actually an exciting page turner filled with surprises and well developed characters.
I enjoyed it very much.
The characters are developed with love and compassion. Even the Bad guys, and there are a few, are displayed respectfully. The naive patriotism of the new arrivals is tested and changed by the reality of the new world and the characters they meet that are doing every thing they can to survive and thrive.
Sorrow and challenge balanced by humor and love fill this book as well as a great love displayed for the city of St. Louis. The characters and the lessons they learn will live in your head.
It is actually an exciting page turner filled with surprises and well developed characters.
I enjoyed it very much.
August 29, 2025
Great book set in St Louis -- I might use this in a St Louis themed fiction class!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews