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Zemsta
What Drives Good People to Do Something Bad?
As terrible revelations come to light, four people join together to commit an unspeakable act…
When a member of the privileged upper class frames a Polish immigrant for a socialite’s murder in 1920s Akron, the heart-pounding events that follow lead to a stunning and unexpected conclusion. This gripping tale of bigotry and class distinctions includes political corruption, greed, injustice, murder, and betrayal. While Albo Jablonski endures the atrocious conditions of the state penitentiary, his son Nickels, daughter Antonia, and their friends Kurt and Charlie are tormented by the knowledge that he is innocent. Zemsta is a powerful, character-driven story of three boyhood friends during the tumultuous days of Prohibition that explores the meaning of friendship, family, love, and loyalty.
As terrible revelations come to light, four people join together to commit an unspeakable act…
When a member of the privileged upper class frames a Polish immigrant for a socialite’s murder in 1920s Akron, the heart-pounding events that follow lead to a stunning and unexpected conclusion. This gripping tale of bigotry and class distinctions includes political corruption, greed, injustice, murder, and betrayal. While Albo Jablonski endures the atrocious conditions of the state penitentiary, his son Nickels, daughter Antonia, and their friends Kurt and Charlie are tormented by the knowledge that he is innocent. Zemsta is a powerful, character-driven story of three boyhood friends during the tumultuous days of Prohibition that explores the meaning of friendship, family, love, and loyalty.
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First published May 11, 2011
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About the author
Victoria Brown
1 book15 followersVictoria Brown has worked in the communications industry for over thirty years, most recently as President of her own firm, Victoria Brown Marketing Communications. VBMC clients included Motorola, The Boston Globe, Citrix, CBS SportsLine, Vitacost, and Liberty Mutual. Ms. Brown grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania and lived in the Boston area for twenty years. She has a degree from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. She has two grown daughters and is currently basking in the sun in Boca Raton, Florida where she lives with her two miniature dachshunds and a cat named Puppy. Zemsta is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 1, 2022
I received a signed copy of Zemsta from Goodreads First-Reads giveway. I loved this book.
Zemsta is the book to go to when you want something different. If you loved The Bean Trees, Where Things Come Back, and/or The Girl that Fell From the Sky, this is a must-read for you.
The story takes place during the prohibition era, yet some of the issues are still eerily present today (despite the 90-some year difference). This book has murder, infidelity, a sleezy politician, and, of course, revenge. Uniquely narrated by the granddaughter of one the three best friends that are central to the plot, the reader is quickly pulled in to become smitten with the three young boys. As the boys grow up, they are faced with challenges that pull them apart, and then, an injustice that brings them back together. We see that revenge can be sweet, but it never rights the original wrong.
Zemsta is the book to go to when you want something different. If you loved The Bean Trees, Where Things Come Back, and/or The Girl that Fell From the Sky, this is a must-read for you.
The story takes place during the prohibition era, yet some of the issues are still eerily present today (despite the 90-some year difference). This book has murder, infidelity, a sleezy politician, and, of course, revenge. Uniquely narrated by the granddaughter of one the three best friends that are central to the plot, the reader is quickly pulled in to become smitten with the three young boys. As the boys grow up, they are faced with challenges that pull them apart, and then, an injustice that brings them back together. We see that revenge can be sweet, but it never rights the original wrong.
June 21, 2012
This would be a great movie….
Three immediate impressions: the plot is very clever, the 1920s background and setting really come alive, and I think this would make a great movie! I can just see the scenes, settings, characters and action on the screen with all their contrast, movement and intrigue. This is an entertaining book, a fast read, but I really learned a few things about the place and time (Akron, OH in the 20s and 30s) that I didn’t know before, and I always like to learn something, even when I’m being entertained. And I think first time authors are so brave – just putting themselves out there for all the world to see (and judge). Bravo Ms. Brown!
Victoria Brown
Three immediate impressions: the plot is very clever, the 1920s background and setting really come alive, and I think this would make a great movie! I can just see the scenes, settings, characters and action on the screen with all their contrast, movement and intrigue. This is an entertaining book, a fast read, but I really learned a few things about the place and time (Akron, OH in the 20s and 30s) that I didn’t know before, and I always like to learn something, even when I’m being entertained. And I think first time authors are so brave – just putting themselves out there for all the world to see (and judge). Bravo Ms. Brown!
Victoria Brown
March 5, 2018
This was an amazing read. I thoroughly enjoyed the suspense/drama. The Story of a gentle family Dad wrongly accused and imprisoned for a murder he did not commit and the 10 years it took for the truth could be discovered. A dedication of four friends in an era where corruption/lawlessness/greed, etc., ran rampant. This, based on a true event, novel will make you smile, bring tears to your eyes, and make you very angry and during the reading of just a few pages. I recommend it to all of my friends, but especially those who may still live and/or grew up in Ohio.
June 15, 2016
from Kirkus Reviews:
Brown’s debut novel recounts how a young woman’s murder affects the lives of childhood friends.
In the early-20th century, three adolescent boys—Nickels, Kurt and Charlie—are the most loyal of chums. They each face their share of hardships, but none so difficult as Nickels’ father’s imprisonment for a murder he didn’t commit. The man was a father to all three boys; Charlie’s dad is a hapless drunk, and Kurt lost his father at a young age to pneumonia. Life goes on, inside and outside prison walls, until the friends learn that revenge against the real killer is in sight. The account is narrated by Nicky’s granddaughter, who gathered the information from her family. This approach adds a sense of authenticity and casts the tale as a recollection. Characters seem to arrive already defined, as they would in memory. The three boys are the indisputable heroes, and the villains are blatantly evil—Russell Cantrell, a rich lawyer who’s introduced as he accuses someone else for a crime he committed (he’s only 13 at the time), and his assistant/chauffeur, Voigt, whose hands are dirty almost from the get-go. The murder is incidental to the narrative, and the murderer’s identity is never really in question. Still, a generous amount of suspense comes with the revelation of the victim’s name and the exact date and location of the murder. The novel recreates an era as it follow the boys’ lives from World War I through their adulthood and into the Great Depression. Several issues faced by the characters are still relevant today, such as corruption and bigotry—Nicky and his Polish family are often vulgarly called “Polacks.” But it is the portrayal of real-world history—the height of Prohibition, the early days of cinema—that makes the book such a gem.
A nostalgic, authentic novel that charms with its vintage hue.
Brown’s debut novel recounts how a young woman’s murder affects the lives of childhood friends.
In the early-20th century, three adolescent boys—Nickels, Kurt and Charlie—are the most loyal of chums. They each face their share of hardships, but none so difficult as Nickels’ father’s imprisonment for a murder he didn’t commit. The man was a father to all three boys; Charlie’s dad is a hapless drunk, and Kurt lost his father at a young age to pneumonia. Life goes on, inside and outside prison walls, until the friends learn that revenge against the real killer is in sight. The account is narrated by Nicky’s granddaughter, who gathered the information from her family. This approach adds a sense of authenticity and casts the tale as a recollection. Characters seem to arrive already defined, as they would in memory. The three boys are the indisputable heroes, and the villains are blatantly evil—Russell Cantrell, a rich lawyer who’s introduced as he accuses someone else for a crime he committed (he’s only 13 at the time), and his assistant/chauffeur, Voigt, whose hands are dirty almost from the get-go. The murder is incidental to the narrative, and the murderer’s identity is never really in question. Still, a generous amount of suspense comes with the revelation of the victim’s name and the exact date and location of the murder. The novel recreates an era as it follow the boys’ lives from World War I through their adulthood and into the Great Depression. Several issues faced by the characters are still relevant today, such as corruption and bigotry—Nicky and his Polish family are often vulgarly called “Polacks.” But it is the portrayal of real-world history—the height of Prohibition, the early days of cinema—that makes the book such a gem.
A nostalgic, authentic novel that charms with its vintage hue.
May 10, 2012
Zemsta” by Victoria Brown is a refreshingly original story about three boyhood friends in Prohibition era Akron, Ohio whose childhood abruptly ends when the father of one is wrongfully imprisoned for murder. Albo Jablonski is a Polish immigrant, hardworking, loving and protective. Father to his son Nickels and his daughter Antonia he serves as a surrogate father to his son’s friends, Kurt and Charlie. Kurt’s father died when he was very young, forcing his mother to work long and exhausting hours running a boardinghouse with his bigoted aunt Erna. Charlie’s father, an Irish Catholic, is a bitter man whose harsh actions fueled by alcohol alienates him from his nine children.
Akron, in the 1920’s was a fast-growing center of manufacturing considered the “Rubber Capital of the World”. Immigrants arrived daily to find work in its many factories. And like so many American cities at that time, there were distinctions of class, race and religion. It is within this setting and period that Ms. Brown tells her tale replete with memorable characters and interspersed with actual historic events. There is political corruption, greed, injustice, murder and betrayal as each young man grapples with his own inner sense of what it means to become a man. And then there is zemsta. It is a great title to this gripping and entertaining story by this first-time author. You’ll have to read the book to get the meaning. Highly recommended.
Akron, in the 1920’s was a fast-growing center of manufacturing considered the “Rubber Capital of the World”. Immigrants arrived daily to find work in its many factories. And like so many American cities at that time, there were distinctions of class, race and religion. It is within this setting and period that Ms. Brown tells her tale replete with memorable characters and interspersed with actual historic events. There is political corruption, greed, injustice, murder and betrayal as each young man grapples with his own inner sense of what it means to become a man. And then there is zemsta. It is a great title to this gripping and entertaining story by this first-time author. You’ll have to read the book to get the meaning. Highly recommended.
October 11, 2012
good story and liked that it was set in my hometown. loved the history. the writing was VERY rudimentary...almost too much for me to get past.would only reccomend to Akron natives or fans of historical rustbelt fiction
August 17, 2018
The cover on this drew my eye initially, just seemed like an interesting story of a by-gone era. Rounded up to two stars because I think the basic premise for the story is interesting, but the writing is just so rudimentary that I can't get past it. It jumps all over the place and there doesn't seem to be any cohesion to it. Got to 38 pages, but just not interested.
1.5/5
1.5/5
November 28, 2018
Very easy read
This book is an easy page turner. It doesn't take long to get you hooked on the storyline and into the lives of these characters. The chapters are short and the story unfolds quickly. I like the sprinkle of history throughout setting the era of the times.
This book is an easy page turner. It doesn't take long to get you hooked on the storyline and into the lives of these characters. The chapters are short and the story unfolds quickly. I like the sprinkle of history throughout setting the era of the times.
May 13, 2012
Three twelve-year-old boys in 1914 Akron, Ohio, swear eternal friendship. They call themselves "The Tribe," and devise secret rituals, as twelve-year-old boys have done throughout human history. Kurt is from a poor Lutheran family that runs a boarding house. Charlie O'Brien is Irish. Albert "Nickels" Jablonski is from Polish immigrants. This is the setup for Zemsta, a first novel by Victoria Brown, a marketing executive and ad copywriter transplanted from Pennsylvania to Florida.
The title is the Polish word for revenge, and that is indeed the overarching theme here. There's a brutal murder less than one quarter of the way through, and we know exactly who the culprit is. So this isn't a whodunit, or even a whydunit or a howdunit, but a willhegetawaywithit. When one of the Tribe boys gets promoted to police detective, and another becomes a campaigning journalist, we can rather easily imagine the answer to that question, especially since Nickels' father Albo is falsely convicted and imprisoned for the crime. However, there are still enough surprises in store, and the villain is depicted as so comprehensively vile that you have to keep reading just to be sure his comeuppance is appropriately humiliating.
We can thank the author's mother, apparently, for the wealth of authentic period detail as Akron copes with immigration, Prohibition, boom, Depression and finally recovery. The women are coming out of corsets, the automobiles that create the huge demand for Akron rubber are whizzing around, and the Cleveland Indians are the hot team of the era. Brown even weaves into her plot the astounding game 5 of the 1920 World Series, in which second baseman Bill Wambsganss pulled off the miracle of an unassisted triple play. There are "walk-on roles" for Charles Lindbergh and Owney Madden, bootlegging proprietor of Harlem's Cotton Club. She also gives us some of her best writing when describing the Dickensian conditions in the factories, prisons and hospitals of the 1920s.
Brown makes this material very interesting, and to her credit it's always clear what's happening and what the characters are thinking. At times, though, she seems to be rushing the plot along a bit too briskly. Russell Cantrell, the filthy-rich villain of the piece, meets a girl, courts her, marries her and grows tired of her, all on page 25. Such extreme story-compression induces a sort of vertigo in the reader.
The female characters are important, believable, and well described. We learn some of the snobbery and disrespect swirling around this very mixed community through the eyes of Kurt's teetotal mother and aunt, slaving away in the boarding house. Antonia, sister of Nickels and love interest of Kurt, seems weak and put-upon but turns out to have the crucial amount of nerve to pull off the final Zemsta.
Getting dialog right is, notoriously, the greatest challenge for a first-time novelist, and here Victoria Brown unfortunately comes up short. She does a decent job with the broken English of the Polish immigrants, but that's the easy part. Her meticulous scene-setting seems like wasted effort when it carries dialog we can't believe in. "Each day is totally different and definitely never boring. I look forward to going to work every day, even if it is hard work. I have to be alert at all times." This is not how intimate buddies talk to each other about the challenge of a new job.
The novel has a "narrator" --Patty Henry, grand-daughter of Nickels. It's not a very successful literary device, sometimes even causing confusion as a character called Granddad pops up at seemingly random moments. Perhaps it would have been better to have kept the identity of the narrator secret until the last page.
So enjoy this work for its richly detailed portrait of an era very few people alive today have experienced. The book is available in a number of different e-formats in addition to old-fashioned dead trees. Don't expect a murder mystery--although there's a murder, there's no mystery.
The title is the Polish word for revenge, and that is indeed the overarching theme here. There's a brutal murder less than one quarter of the way through, and we know exactly who the culprit is. So this isn't a whodunit, or even a whydunit or a howdunit, but a willhegetawaywithit. When one of the Tribe boys gets promoted to police detective, and another becomes a campaigning journalist, we can rather easily imagine the answer to that question, especially since Nickels' father Albo is falsely convicted and imprisoned for the crime. However, there are still enough surprises in store, and the villain is depicted as so comprehensively vile that you have to keep reading just to be sure his comeuppance is appropriately humiliating.
We can thank the author's mother, apparently, for the wealth of authentic period detail as Akron copes with immigration, Prohibition, boom, Depression and finally recovery. The women are coming out of corsets, the automobiles that create the huge demand for Akron rubber are whizzing around, and the Cleveland Indians are the hot team of the era. Brown even weaves into her plot the astounding game 5 of the 1920 World Series, in which second baseman Bill Wambsganss pulled off the miracle of an unassisted triple play. There are "walk-on roles" for Charles Lindbergh and Owney Madden, bootlegging proprietor of Harlem's Cotton Club. She also gives us some of her best writing when describing the Dickensian conditions in the factories, prisons and hospitals of the 1920s.
Brown makes this material very interesting, and to her credit it's always clear what's happening and what the characters are thinking. At times, though, she seems to be rushing the plot along a bit too briskly. Russell Cantrell, the filthy-rich villain of the piece, meets a girl, courts her, marries her and grows tired of her, all on page 25. Such extreme story-compression induces a sort of vertigo in the reader.
The female characters are important, believable, and well described. We learn some of the snobbery and disrespect swirling around this very mixed community through the eyes of Kurt's teetotal mother and aunt, slaving away in the boarding house. Antonia, sister of Nickels and love interest of Kurt, seems weak and put-upon but turns out to have the crucial amount of nerve to pull off the final Zemsta.
Getting dialog right is, notoriously, the greatest challenge for a first-time novelist, and here Victoria Brown unfortunately comes up short. She does a decent job with the broken English of the Polish immigrants, but that's the easy part. Her meticulous scene-setting seems like wasted effort when it carries dialog we can't believe in. "Each day is totally different and definitely never boring. I look forward to going to work every day, even if it is hard work. I have to be alert at all times." This is not how intimate buddies talk to each other about the challenge of a new job.
The novel has a "narrator" --Patty Henry, grand-daughter of Nickels. It's not a very successful literary device, sometimes even causing confusion as a character called Granddad pops up at seemingly random moments. Perhaps it would have been better to have kept the identity of the narrator secret until the last page.
So enjoy this work for its richly detailed portrait of an era very few people alive today have experienced. The book is available in a number of different e-formats in addition to old-fashioned dead trees. Don't expect a murder mystery--although there's a murder, there's no mystery.
October 25, 2012
Zemsta. Revenge. A quick read surrounding two of my favorite subjects--history and crime.
This novel is told from the perspective of one of the main character's grandchildren who does an excellent job of staying invested in the story while speaking as an outsider observer. The grandchild clearly was not there for the events described, which contributes to the simple yet unique writing style. I felt that there was just enough detail to keep me engaged and for once an author did not go over the top or try too hard. I thank author Victoria Brown for allowing the reader to use his or her own imagination. I felt it was my story too.
Personally, I became incredibly attached to a lot of the characters, particularly Albo, Antonia and Nickels (must be a Jablonski thing). Kurt and I had a love-hate relationship... if you read Zemsta, perhaps you'll see why.
I will certainly be reading this again. Zemsta has officially been added to my favorites list, one of only 25 books (out of hundreds I've read) that I have ever ranked 5 stars. It would make an excellent movie.
Please take the time to sit down and take a journey with The Tribe--a group of three boys growing up in Ohio in the 1920s who face many hardships, make mistakes and ultimately get revenge as men. I promise you won't regret it.
This novel is told from the perspective of one of the main character's grandchildren who does an excellent job of staying invested in the story while speaking as an outsider observer. The grandchild clearly was not there for the events described, which contributes to the simple yet unique writing style. I felt that there was just enough detail to keep me engaged and for once an author did not go over the top or try too hard. I thank author Victoria Brown for allowing the reader to use his or her own imagination. I felt it was my story too.
Personally, I became incredibly attached to a lot of the characters, particularly Albo, Antonia and Nickels (must be a Jablonski thing). Kurt and I had a love-hate relationship... if you read Zemsta, perhaps you'll see why.
I will certainly be reading this again. Zemsta has officially been added to my favorites list, one of only 25 books (out of hundreds I've read) that I have ever ranked 5 stars. It would make an excellent movie.
Please take the time to sit down and take a journey with The Tribe--a group of three boys growing up in Ohio in the 1920s who face many hardships, make mistakes and ultimately get revenge as men. I promise you won't regret it.
July 16, 2012
I received this novel as an ARC from Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
The novel is set the early 1900s in Ohio, detailing the lives of 4 kids from childhood who grow up together, dealing with the effects of a tragedy that befalls one of their family members and how they come together for Zemsta. I won't give away the meaning of the word and spoil the plot but it ties the novel together well.
The novel is well-written, detailing the lifestyles typical of lower-middle class Americans of the time period, along with their cultural beliefs, which were much stronger back then before so many generations had passed from when their ancestors had come over from their native lands. Ms. Brown obviously did a fair amount of research to try and accurately portray how life was back then, and her efforts show in the details, providing a rich background for her characters to shine in.
I would heartily recommend this book for reading. While the story will definitely appeal to readers who like fiction with some historical context, it's just a good story period. On occassion, I felt the narrative was a little distant from the characters, but overall, the reader will come to like the depictions of the "good guys" and root for them to succeed.
The novel is set the early 1900s in Ohio, detailing the lives of 4 kids from childhood who grow up together, dealing with the effects of a tragedy that befalls one of their family members and how they come together for Zemsta. I won't give away the meaning of the word and spoil the plot but it ties the novel together well.
The novel is well-written, detailing the lifestyles typical of lower-middle class Americans of the time period, along with their cultural beliefs, which were much stronger back then before so many generations had passed from when their ancestors had come over from their native lands. Ms. Brown obviously did a fair amount of research to try and accurately portray how life was back then, and her efforts show in the details, providing a rich background for her characters to shine in.
I would heartily recommend this book for reading. While the story will definitely appeal to readers who like fiction with some historical context, it's just a good story period. On occassion, I felt the narrative was a little distant from the characters, but overall, the reader will come to like the depictions of the "good guys" and root for them to succeed.
August 9, 2012
Zemsta is, evidently, the Polish word for revenge. In this novel, the family and friends of a Polish immigrant wrongly convicted for murder set out to make things right.
The plot is interesting enough...but the characters truly drive the story. I was more interested in the setting and the time period than in the story itself. The story takes place in Akron, Ohio--a boom town in the 1920s because Henry Ford needed tires for all those automobiles, and Akron was THE rubber capital of the world. Tire factories drew immigrants from all over the world, and it was the class warfare and cultural mix that sold me on this novel.
We watch children from diverse backgrounds become friends, grow up, meet obstacles and reunite for a common cause: ZEMSTA for the kindly father figure framed for murder by a wealthy, unscrupulous man.
Some reviews have derided the author for simple dialog. I appreciated it! For me, much of it read like nonfiction. The quick descriptions and succinct dialog kept a good pace and made this book "light reading" while still conveying a good plot and some excellent history.
The plot is interesting enough...but the characters truly drive the story. I was more interested in the setting and the time period than in the story itself. The story takes place in Akron, Ohio--a boom town in the 1920s because Henry Ford needed tires for all those automobiles, and Akron was THE rubber capital of the world. Tire factories drew immigrants from all over the world, and it was the class warfare and cultural mix that sold me on this novel.
We watch children from diverse backgrounds become friends, grow up, meet obstacles and reunite for a common cause: ZEMSTA for the kindly father figure framed for murder by a wealthy, unscrupulous man.
Some reviews have derided the author for simple dialog. I appreciated it! For me, much of it read like nonfiction. The quick descriptions and succinct dialog kept a good pace and made this book "light reading" while still conveying a good plot and some excellent history.
August 26, 2012
I received this book as a giveaway and before I start my review I want to thank the publisher.
I lived in Akron, Ohio while I went to the university there and found the history and descriptions of the city and the people in it during the 1920s to be fascinating. Victoria Brown did a great job at her research and that definitely comes across on the page.
This novel is about the murder of a young lady at a country club that is covered up - resulting in an innocent man being sent to jail. In time the three young boys, who are lead characters, realize the devastation this murder and cover-up have on themselves and their families. "Zemsta", Polish for revenge is their story.
Brown's writing is simple yet compelling. Her short chapters make this an easy book to pick up and read for a moment. The pages are rich with the history and culture of the era that it takes place in. While I did enjoy the premise of this novel, I thought that it was a little anticlimactic, predictable and I didn't really feel an attachment to any of the characters. All-in-all though, it was an enjoyable read for what it was a first novel.
I lived in Akron, Ohio while I went to the university there and found the history and descriptions of the city and the people in it during the 1920s to be fascinating. Victoria Brown did a great job at her research and that definitely comes across on the page.
This novel is about the murder of a young lady at a country club that is covered up - resulting in an innocent man being sent to jail. In time the three young boys, who are lead characters, realize the devastation this murder and cover-up have on themselves and their families. "Zemsta", Polish for revenge is their story.
Brown's writing is simple yet compelling. Her short chapters make this an easy book to pick up and read for a moment. The pages are rich with the history and culture of the era that it takes place in. While I did enjoy the premise of this novel, I thought that it was a little anticlimactic, predictable and I didn't really feel an attachment to any of the characters. All-in-all though, it was an enjoyable read for what it was a first novel.
June 12, 2012
Always the grudge-holder; bitter and unforgiving, Nickels is the Polish son of the man who was falsely accused of murder.
Kurt – Forever interested in furthering his career and making money, he wounds those he loves and who love him.
Charlie seems like the lesser of the three personalities. We learn, however, that his views of certain groups of people change.
I enjoyed reading about the caste system in the earlier years of immigration. Mistreatment of certain ethnic groups was as normal as it is today. (It was just more open then. People might refrain from directing slurs at the intended, but the hatred is in the heart.)
Most of this story was good and moved along at a good pace. While the characters were positioned to play their respective roles in the final 'scenes,' I felt somewhat disappointed with the ending and how that played out. Yah, I thought the ending was anti-climactic. After quite the build-up, it merely fizzled out.
Four stars because the rest of the book was that good.
Kurt – Forever interested in furthering his career and making money, he wounds those he loves and who love him.
Charlie seems like the lesser of the three personalities. We learn, however, that his views of certain groups of people change.
I enjoyed reading about the caste system in the earlier years of immigration. Mistreatment of certain ethnic groups was as normal as it is today. (It was just more open then. People might refrain from directing slurs at the intended, but the hatred is in the heart.)
Most of this story was good and moved along at a good pace. While the characters were positioned to play their respective roles in the final 'scenes,' I felt somewhat disappointed with the ending and how that played out. Yah, I thought the ending was anti-climactic. After quite the build-up, it merely fizzled out.
Four stars because the rest of the book was that good.
May 28, 2012
Strong characters, deep relationships and rich historical detail all together in a fast-paced and fascinating read. You will be pulled into the story and will care deeply about what transpires. The suspense builds as you live through the shocking events endured. And the ending - what a surprise!
New author Victoria Brown has shown great skill in developing both plot and characters. The finely drawn relationships among the three friends, Kurt, Nichols and Charlie make us care as we follow them from boyhood into their adult lives. And we understand their devotion to and admiration of Nichol's father, Albo Jablonski. What happens to Albo impacts them all and will move you as well.
All this drama is set against the backdrop of Prohibition, a fascinating historical era. Brown deftly weaves history, class conflict and rum running into her story.
Brown is a truly promising author: her writing is sure; her pacing is excellent; her story is compelling. Read it and you will agree.
New author Victoria Brown has shown great skill in developing both plot and characters. The finely drawn relationships among the three friends, Kurt, Nichols and Charlie make us care as we follow them from boyhood into their adult lives. And we understand their devotion to and admiration of Nichol's father, Albo Jablonski. What happens to Albo impacts them all and will move you as well.
All this drama is set against the backdrop of Prohibition, a fascinating historical era. Brown deftly weaves history, class conflict and rum running into her story.
Brown is a truly promising author: her writing is sure; her pacing is excellent; her story is compelling. Read it and you will agree.
September 14, 2012
I liked this story and the way the three friends stuck together through adversity and change over the years. It seemed well-researched and was a great way to show how people from different backgrounds can become and remain friends through life.
I did, however, think the writing style was a bit elementary. While reading it, I often felt like I was reading a novice's novel. Sometimes it read somewhat choppy and the voice lacked depth. This did make for an easy read, though, which probably helped the intensity of the story not feel so harsh.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was an easy read but the plot was strong and I enjoyed how each boy turned out to be a successful man that helped pull everything together in the end. I also enjoyed the family dynamics of the characters. They seemed realistic. I'm glad I read it!
I did, however, think the writing style was a bit elementary. While reading it, I often felt like I was reading a novice's novel. Sometimes it read somewhat choppy and the voice lacked depth. This did make for an easy read, though, which probably helped the intensity of the story not feel so harsh.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. It was an easy read but the plot was strong and I enjoyed how each boy turned out to be a successful man that helped pull everything together in the end. I also enjoyed the family dynamics of the characters. They seemed realistic. I'm glad I read it!
September 3, 2015
Zemsta is the Polish word for revenge.
In this book, we follow the lives of three boys as they become men. Charlie, Nickels, and Kurt grow up in the 1920s and live through the Depression of the 30s. "The Tribe" as they call themselves, are faced with a serious ordeal when a person they all care very dearly for is framed for murder. As the years progress, no justice is served. Now men, Charlie, Nickels, and Kurt are faced with a serious, life-changing decision: should they take justice into their own hands?
This is a beautifully written tale about life, love, loss, revenge, and an important era of American history. A wonderful book!
Additionally, I would like to say that I received this book via a first-reads giveaway and thank you to Wood Chuck Publishers and Victoria Brown for sending it to me!
In this book, we follow the lives of three boys as they become men. Charlie, Nickels, and Kurt grow up in the 1920s and live through the Depression of the 30s. "The Tribe" as they call themselves, are faced with a serious ordeal when a person they all care very dearly for is framed for murder. As the years progress, no justice is served. Now men, Charlie, Nickels, and Kurt are faced with a serious, life-changing decision: should they take justice into their own hands?
This is a beautifully written tale about life, love, loss, revenge, and an important era of American history. A wonderful book!
Additionally, I would like to say that I received this book via a first-reads giveaway and thank you to Wood Chuck Publishers and Victoria Brown for sending it to me!
June 6, 2012
I won this book on first-reads.
This book was dramatic, clever, and I'm sad to say, a bit slow sometimes. The beginning was okay, but it took until about page 40 to really pull me in, fall in love with the characters and realize what the plot was, besides a history lesson. After a rough beginning, I really did fall in love with the characters especially Marta and Aunt Erna. One character I felt was a bit undeveloped even by the end was Charlie, I feel he was lovable in the beginning, but became forgettable. Yet, despite all of these faults I couldn't help loving the antics of Marion, the wisdom of Albo, and the genius of the zemsta.
This book was dramatic, clever, and I'm sad to say, a bit slow sometimes. The beginning was okay, but it took until about page 40 to really pull me in, fall in love with the characters and realize what the plot was, besides a history lesson. After a rough beginning, I really did fall in love with the characters especially Marta and Aunt Erna. One character I felt was a bit undeveloped even by the end was Charlie, I feel he was lovable in the beginning, but became forgettable. Yet, despite all of these faults I couldn't help loving the antics of Marion, the wisdom of Albo, and the genius of the zemsta.
December 19, 2015
One of the most enjoyable books I've ever had to read for school. The wording seemed a little simplistic at times, which annoyed me some. But overall the book was great. Also, most story villains, you know they are evil, but at the same time you can see where they are coming from. Why they have turned out to be the way they are. Not this guy. I was thinking that there would be at least some tiny redeeming quality about him, but there was none. None whatsoever! He was completely heartless. Even so, he made the book interesting. I wanted to reach into the book, through the paper and ink and punch him in the face on occasion. But the novel was still great.
June 20, 2012
Very well written novel for first time author, Victoria Brown. The characters were believ
able, story easy to follow and a very unexpected ending. Once I started reading, I was drawn into the lives of the "Tribe", anxious to follow them throught their lives. This was one book that, once I started reading it, it was difficult to put down, Read the entire book in 2 days!! Have already passed it on to a neighbor to read, then will go to my sister and maybe others. Very done, Vicotia. Great accomplishment, great book, great read!
able, story easy to follow and a very unexpected ending. Once I started reading, I was drawn into the lives of the "Tribe", anxious to follow them throught their lives. This was one book that, once I started reading it, it was difficult to put down, Read the entire book in 2 days!! Have already passed it on to a neighbor to read, then will go to my sister and maybe others. Very done, Vicotia. Great accomplishment, great book, great read!
March 4, 2013
I enjoyed this story, but the author's conversations that take place between the characters are not very realistic. People don't really talk that way. She used conversation as a way to let the reader know what the character was thinking, and it did not come accross as normal conversation. Other than that, I enjoyed the story and was so curious to see how the villian in the story would "get what was coming to him"!
September 1, 2016
I liked the story but the writing was mediocre at best. Also there were plenty of times where the author would be talking about a character then jump to another character for 2 or 3 paragraphs and then start a new chapter. It really throws off the flow of the book. What should have been a quick read wasn't because I had to keep putting it down.
July 27, 2012
I found Zemsta to be a great read. The history of prohibition and the power of friendship in the 1920s and30s Akron, Ohio are facinating. There is no doubt which characters are bad and which are good, but the story of what the good do to right a terrible wrong is like no other ending I've found. Kirkus Review called it a "gem." It certainly is...
September 11, 2012
This is a great story set during the 1920's - 1930's during prohibition. It features a lot of well researched period details of the time. It's a very well written book its also suspenseful and includes murders , social bigotry , loyalty and family sagas . It really held my interest all the way through right until the end. Great read.
August 24, 2012
I won this signed copy in a give away. It is a well written historical drama set in the 1920's-1930's. The writing is well done and the era well researched. The story however was a bit lacking. There was too much history of the characters and not enough action. It got interesting in the last few chapters but a bit boring waiting to get the to climax.
June 20, 2012
Riveting historical fiction based on the author's family's experiences during the prohibition years. The novel has it all: family loyalty, life-long friendships, love stories, murder, and a satisfying finish.
June 28, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed Zemsta. A fast read as the story intrigued me to read on. With great historical connections, characters you loved and loved to hate, and even an unforeseen ending. Zemsta was refreshingly full of substance!
July 20, 2012
I loved the story and the characters. I can't believe this is Victoria Brow's first book. Historic details of 1920s are accurate, the story is suspenseful, especially the three friends. I was curious what "Zemsta" meant and did not find out until chapter 36.
January 23, 2016
Wow! This book was awful. The dialogue was very flat, repetitive, and predictable. The plot was not imaginative, characters were introduced without substance or explanation. The writing was very amateur.
August 18, 2012
I enjoyed this debut book by Victoria Brown. Based on facts, she tells the story of love, murder, corruption, and revenge. It kept me turning pages.
Good job, Victoria. Hope you're working on book 2.
Marlis Day
Good job, Victoria. Hope you're working on book 2.
Marlis Day
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