What do you think?
Rate this book
By the Grace of the Game: The Holocaust, a Basketball Legacy, and an Unprecedented American Dream
When Lily and Alex entered a packed gymnasium in Queens, New York in 1972, they barely recognized their son. The boy who escaped to America with them, who was bullied as he struggled to learn English and cope with family tragedy, was now a young man who had discovered and secretly honed his basketball talent on the outdoor courts of New York City. That young man was Ernie Grunfeld, who would go on to win an Olympic gold medal and reach previously unimaginable heights as an NBA player and executive.
In By the Grace of the Game , Dan Grunfeld, once a basketball standout himself at Stanford University, shares the remarkable story of his family, a delicately interwoven narrative that doesn't lack in heartbreak yet remains as deeply nourishing as his grandmother's Hungarian cooking, so lovingly described. The true improbability of the saga lies in the discovery of a game that unknowingly held the power to heal wounds, build bridges, and tie together a fractured Jewish family. If the magnitude of an American dream is measured by the intensity of the nightmare that came before and the heights of the triumph achieved after, then By the Grace of the Game recounts an American dream story of unprecedented scale.
From the grips of the Nazis to the top of the Olympic podium, from the cheap seats to center stage at Madison Square Garden, from yellow stars to silver spoons, this complex tale traverses the spectrum of the human experience to detail how perseverance, love, and legacy can survive through generations, carried on the shoulders of a simple and beautiful game.
In By the Grace of the Game , Dan Grunfeld, once a basketball standout himself at Stanford University, shares the remarkable story of his family, a delicately interwoven narrative that doesn't lack in heartbreak yet remains as deeply nourishing as his grandmother's Hungarian cooking, so lovingly described. The true improbability of the saga lies in the discovery of a game that unknowingly held the power to heal wounds, build bridges, and tie together a fractured Jewish family. If the magnitude of an American dream is measured by the intensity of the nightmare that came before and the heights of the triumph achieved after, then By the Grace of the Game recounts an American dream story of unprecedented scale.
From the grips of the Nazis to the top of the Olympic podium, from the cheap seats to center stage at Madison Square Garden, from yellow stars to silver spoons, this complex tale traverses the spectrum of the human experience to detail how perseverance, love, and legacy can survive through generations, carried on the shoulders of a simple and beautiful game.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published November 30, 2021
68 people are currently reading
1611 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
November 6, 2022
Baseball season is over so I honor the occasion by reading a book about basketball, my second favorite sport from when I was growing up (now it’s football but that’s a story in itself). Dan Grunfeld is the son of former New York Knicks legend and general manager Ernie Grunfeld. Being from Chicago, I grew up detesting the Knicks because in the 1990s, they were the Bulls hugest rivals. I was not going to give this book the time of day but the cover art of a basketball with a Juden star from pre holocaust Europe piqued my interest. Not only is Ernie Grunfeld a former New York playground legend, he is also the only player in the history of the United States’ four major sports leagues whose parents survived the Holocaust. His son Dan, a quality ball player in his own right, tells the family story.
The Grunfeld’s story goes well beyond basketball. Ernie’s parents, here called Apu and Anyu through the lens of their grandson, met soon after the Holocaust ended in Hungary. Both had lost nearly all of their family and were determined to rebuild what they lost. Anyu’s father was a scholar and owned a farm consisting of acres so the family of nine children could be self sufficient. Apu was one of the best ping pong and soccer players in Romania but was denied competing in international competitions due to his religion. Once married the new couple was determined to make life better for their two children spaced nine years apart, Litzke and Ernie. At one point in communist Romania, the family had plans to immigrate to Israel. That changed when one of Anyu’s surviving cousins worked on a film starring American actor Buddy Hackett. Hackett as a well known American was able to smuggle Apu’s hard earned dollars out of the country, which would become the family’s savings to start a life in America. By 1964, the Grunfelds had landed on their feet in Forest Gardens, Queens, New York.
Grunfeld tells the family story alternating between his and his father’s childhoods where eventually they come to a nexus when Ernie was general manager of the Knicks, allowing his son to come to practice and soak in everything there was to learn about basketball. The real star of this history is Anyu, who has preserved for sixty years in America, losing her older son and then her husband, choosing never to remarry. Approaching 100 years old at the time of publication, Anyu has been widowed for nearly forty of them, drives using an unorthodox method, and cooks Hungarian feasts for her family so that they do not forget the family origins. With a matriarch like Anyu, it is doubtful that the Grunfeld family going forward will ever forget where they came from.
Ernie Grunfeld was born in a Romanian village with no indoor plumbing or electricity. His older brother who would tragically pass had one wish, that his younger brother would become a famous person in America. After starring with Bernard King at the University of Tennessee, playing seven years in the NBA, and constructing two Knicks teams that would reach the NBA finals, I would say that his brother’s prophecy came to fruition. Recently, ESPN produced the documentary the Ernie and Bernie Show that brings the family history to an even greater light, including appearances from NBA legend Ray Allen, who praises the Grunfelds for their work on the US Holocaust Museum board.
Although now retired from competitive basketball, Dan Grunfeld has become a prolific writer for a number of publications. Having played in Germany, Spain, Romania, and Israel, and briefly for the Knicks, Dan has carried out his family legacy on multiple continents. Now a father named for his uncle, the star, Dan hopes to preserve Anyu’s legacy for the next generation, even if it means getting indigestion from Hungarian feasts. With a strong foundation, I wonder if Lev Grunfeld will make it to the NBA or carve out his own future, taking the family legacy to new heights. Regardless, I doubt I will ever view the 1990s Knicks teams with such levels of vitriol again (or not)
🏀 4.5 stars 🇮🇱
The Grunfeld’s story goes well beyond basketball. Ernie’s parents, here called Apu and Anyu through the lens of their grandson, met soon after the Holocaust ended in Hungary. Both had lost nearly all of their family and were determined to rebuild what they lost. Anyu’s father was a scholar and owned a farm consisting of acres so the family of nine children could be self sufficient. Apu was one of the best ping pong and soccer players in Romania but was denied competing in international competitions due to his religion. Once married the new couple was determined to make life better for their two children spaced nine years apart, Litzke and Ernie. At one point in communist Romania, the family had plans to immigrate to Israel. That changed when one of Anyu’s surviving cousins worked on a film starring American actor Buddy Hackett. Hackett as a well known American was able to smuggle Apu’s hard earned dollars out of the country, which would become the family’s savings to start a life in America. By 1964, the Grunfelds had landed on their feet in Forest Gardens, Queens, New York.
Grunfeld tells the family story alternating between his and his father’s childhoods where eventually they come to a nexus when Ernie was general manager of the Knicks, allowing his son to come to practice and soak in everything there was to learn about basketball. The real star of this history is Anyu, who has preserved for sixty years in America, losing her older son and then her husband, choosing never to remarry. Approaching 100 years old at the time of publication, Anyu has been widowed for nearly forty of them, drives using an unorthodox method, and cooks Hungarian feasts for her family so that they do not forget the family origins. With a matriarch like Anyu, it is doubtful that the Grunfeld family going forward will ever forget where they came from.
Ernie Grunfeld was born in a Romanian village with no indoor plumbing or electricity. His older brother who would tragically pass had one wish, that his younger brother would become a famous person in America. After starring with Bernard King at the University of Tennessee, playing seven years in the NBA, and constructing two Knicks teams that would reach the NBA finals, I would say that his brother’s prophecy came to fruition. Recently, ESPN produced the documentary the Ernie and Bernie Show that brings the family history to an even greater light, including appearances from NBA legend Ray Allen, who praises the Grunfelds for their work on the US Holocaust Museum board.
Although now retired from competitive basketball, Dan Grunfeld has become a prolific writer for a number of publications. Having played in Germany, Spain, Romania, and Israel, and briefly for the Knicks, Dan has carried out his family legacy on multiple continents. Now a father named for his uncle, the star, Dan hopes to preserve Anyu’s legacy for the next generation, even if it means getting indigestion from Hungarian feasts. With a strong foundation, I wonder if Lev Grunfeld will make it to the NBA or carve out his own future, taking the family legacy to new heights. Regardless, I doubt I will ever view the 1990s Knicks teams with such levels of vitriol again (or not)
🏀 4.5 stars 🇮🇱
May 14, 2022
Loved this book.
All the reviews below speak to exactly what I would have written.
Not sure how someone couldnt love this book. The title is wonderful, which is what caught my eye.
All the reviews below speak to exactly what I would have written.
Not sure how someone couldnt love this book. The title is wonderful, which is what caught my eye.
October 24, 2025
Despite having no interest in basketball or sports generally, I found this book completely unputdownable. Finishing it in a mere three days, reading it at every available moment, is a testament to its power and accessibility. A great book, after all, should captivate any reader.
The narrative is a moving exploration of three generations of the Grunfeld family: Dan, his father (legendary NBA player and General Manager Ernie Grunfeld), and his grandmother. It’s a profound story of survival, beginning with his grandmother's journey through the Holocaust and the subsequent loss of her older son in their new country. The book traces Ernie's difficult path of assimilation, language learning, coping with loss, and how basketball became his essential lifeline. For Dan, it’s a story of overcoming the significant self-doubt that came with his father’s success, and the realization that his life demanded a path unique to him.
The writing is impeccably clear and engaging. The structural choice to alternate chapters, Dan's story with the intergenerational history of his father and grandmother, is brilliant and maintains an excellent pace. Dan’s admirable honesty and vulnerability, combined with the detailed historical and personal background, ensure this book holds valuable takeaways for absolutely everyone. It’s a must-read.
The narrative is a moving exploration of three generations of the Grunfeld family: Dan, his father (legendary NBA player and General Manager Ernie Grunfeld), and his grandmother. It’s a profound story of survival, beginning with his grandmother's journey through the Holocaust and the subsequent loss of her older son in their new country. The book traces Ernie's difficult path of assimilation, language learning, coping with loss, and how basketball became his essential lifeline. For Dan, it’s a story of overcoming the significant self-doubt that came with his father’s success, and the realization that his life demanded a path unique to him.
The writing is impeccably clear and engaging. The structural choice to alternate chapters, Dan's story with the intergenerational history of his father and grandmother, is brilliant and maintains an excellent pace. Dan’s admirable honesty and vulnerability, combined with the detailed historical and personal background, ensure this book holds valuable takeaways for absolutely everyone. It’s a must-read.
December 28, 2022
I don't post reviews on this site, but I must make an exception here.
This is an absolutely fantastic book.
Growing up in Tennessee, Ernie Grunfeld was one of my heroes. I thought I knew his "story," but that was far from the case....
His son, Dan, is a tremendous writer - and this is a tremendous book. This family history of tragedy, loss, love and determination is so inspiring and emotional. Dan tells this story so well and with such a passion.
One of the best books I have ever read, and one I will always share with with others.
This is an absolutely fantastic book.
Growing up in Tennessee, Ernie Grunfeld was one of my heroes. I thought I knew his "story," but that was far from the case....
His son, Dan, is a tremendous writer - and this is a tremendous book. This family history of tragedy, loss, love and determination is so inspiring and emotional. Dan tells this story so well and with such a passion.
One of the best books I have ever read, and one I will always share with with others.
May 11, 2022
The author touched my heart, made me cry and smile in pride and should be honoured for producing such fine work. We are taken along a journey of such horrific sadness, so much fear and hatred and then the realisation of the American dream and their pursuit of security and happiness. The dream was not given, or expected to be, but was earned with hard work and suffering and rewards.
Basketball, and those who play it, are different and this book reveals a lot about what makes basketball such a fascinating discipline. The family's cultural background, religion, devotion to family and goodness are endearing. Having survived the Holocaust, communism, immigration and adjustment to a new life and culture this family thrived.
Dan's journey is a real American tale of survivors and immigrants. Dan struggles with being the admittedly privileged son of a famous NBA Athlete and manager and eventually finds his own path. His struggles in an age of entitlement is a fine lesson for many modern families. The lessons throughout lead to the realisation that hard work brings rewards and family is the key to life. His journey is meaningful and he has shared it with all of us and I am proud of him and his family.
My only wish, and suggested for the 2nd edition, is for the book to contain some of the recipes for the Hungarian classic dishes often mentioned!!
Well done! You should read it!!
Basketball, and those who play it, are different and this book reveals a lot about what makes basketball such a fascinating discipline. The family's cultural background, religion, devotion to family and goodness are endearing. Having survived the Holocaust, communism, immigration and adjustment to a new life and culture this family thrived.
Dan's journey is a real American tale of survivors and immigrants. Dan struggles with being the admittedly privileged son of a famous NBA Athlete and manager and eventually finds his own path. His struggles in an age of entitlement is a fine lesson for many modern families. The lessons throughout lead to the realisation that hard work brings rewards and family is the key to life. His journey is meaningful and he has shared it with all of us and I am proud of him and his family.
My only wish, and suggested for the 2nd edition, is for the book to contain some of the recipes for the Hungarian classic dishes often mentioned!!
Well done! You should read it!!
May 11, 2025
One of the most incredible family stories I’ve ever read. I had no idea Ernie Grunfeld’s (famous NBA player/executive) parents were Holocaust survivors. To go from that kind of horror to being connected to the Knicks and the NBA is just amazing.
As a basketball fan, I loved how the game was described as more than just a sport. It teaches you how to work with others, push through adversity, and connect with people from all walks of life. The memories the author shares with his dad through the game were beautiful and really resonated with me.
This book is also a powerful reminder of the ugly history of the holocaust and proof of why we have to keep fighting for equality for every person, no matter their background.
My favorite quote:
“Basketball’s real gift was teaching me that it’s limiting to try to measure a life in points per game, grade point averages, or other arbitrary metrics of success. It’s fine to strive for greatness, but as Anyu has demonstrated, it’s far more lasting to take pride in your goodness.”
As a basketball fan, I loved how the game was described as more than just a sport. It teaches you how to work with others, push through adversity, and connect with people from all walks of life. The memories the author shares with his dad through the game were beautiful and really resonated with me.
This book is also a powerful reminder of the ugly history of the holocaust and proof of why we have to keep fighting for equality for every person, no matter their background.
My favorite quote:
“Basketball’s real gift was teaching me that it’s limiting to try to measure a life in points per game, grade point averages, or other arbitrary metrics of success. It’s fine to strive for greatness, but as Anyu has demonstrated, it’s far more lasting to take pride in your goodness.”
April 23, 2023
I have tears in my eyes after finishing Dan Grunfeld’s testimonial narrative on family, determination, love and basketball. This is a fast read full of heartache, laughter and overflowing with warmth. One can’t be a bit envious about Dan’s relationship with his Anyu - his extraordinary grandmother - and how her food and wisdom plays such a central role in his life. I heard Dan speak recently and I’m grateful that I read his story after hearing him - it helped to relive and punctuate his stories about his Dad, Anyu and his family tale of survival and perseverance.
October 3, 2022
While this story features a basketball career, it details both the family losses through the Holocaust and the pursuit of an athletic American dream. Dan Grunfeld inherited a love of the game of basketball from his father Ernie Grunfeld. Ernie and his immediate family left Romania at the end of World War II to pursue a new life. Details emerge of the atrocities committed in Germany, along with the difficulty in leaving Europe after the war ended. How do you start a new life in a country where you do not speak the language?? A lot of lessons taught and learned throughout the telling of the Grunfeld story.
December 23, 2022
I’m a huge sports fan and a regular reader of memoirs, so I’m a natural audience for this book. Grub field does a great job unfurling a multi-generational story of love, loss, and hard work. But the book felt under-edited to me. A bit repetitive in spots and a little all over the place jumping back and forth across generations. Overall, an enjoyable story and wonderful to read about the American success of Holocaust survivors and their children and grandchildren.
April 6, 2023
I am not a basketball fan, so all the names and statistics were of no interest to me.
The main reason I liked this book is because it reminded me of my own Transylvanian grandmother who was an amazing cook, my best cheerleader, and made a life for herself and her family in America after World War I.
No offense to the author, but I was more interested in Ernie Grunfeld's story - an immigrant who rose to success through hard work and perseverance, than Dan's story, although Dan also worked very hard to achieve his goals.
Because his grandparents were Holocaust survivors, there was a lot of background information and history to put their survival in context.
The main reason I liked this book is because it reminded me of my own Transylvanian grandmother who was an amazing cook, my best cheerleader, and made a life for herself and her family in America after World War I.
No offense to the author, but I was more interested in Ernie Grunfeld's story - an immigrant who rose to success through hard work and perseverance, than Dan's story, although Dan also worked very hard to achieve his goals.
Because his grandparents were Holocaust survivors, there was a lot of background information and history to put their survival in context.
January 9, 2022
Very warm story about the life of a grandson and his relationship with his grandmother who survived the Holocaust and about his father who came from Europe learned the language and become a successful basketball player, broadcaster and front office executive.
This is the story of the immigrant experience where the grandparents work day and night to create a better life in the new world and where the kids struggle to learn the language, fit in and achieve.
Dan tells the story in a format that seems like a younger child looking up to his family.
Even though in fact, Dan, is quite accomplished in his own right as both a basketball player and an investment banker.
Easy reading and just a lot of warmth on these cold winter days.
A gem
This is the story of the immigrant experience where the grandparents work day and night to create a better life in the new world and where the kids struggle to learn the language, fit in and achieve.
Dan tells the story in a format that seems like a younger child looking up to his family.
Even though in fact, Dan, is quite accomplished in his own right as both a basketball player and an investment banker.
Easy reading and just a lot of warmth on these cold winter days.
A gem
September 27, 2022
Easily one of the 3 best books I read all year. A must read.
June 6, 2022
If you have a chance to hear the author speak via zoom or in person—Definitely do it!! He is a wonderful speaker.
July 1, 2022
This book covers two of my main reading interests - Sport and the Holocaust. The author is the grandson of Holocaust survivors who lost family in Auschwitz but managed to survive in Communist Romania until the 60's when they immigrated with their children to the US. Their younger son Ernie learned English and got his education on the basketball courts of Queens, ultimately becoming a star player (along with Bernard King) at the U of Tenessee, playing in the NBA and becoming a long term GM of several NBA teams including his beloved Knicks. Grandson & Author Dan Grunfield also gets the basketball bug becoming a star at Stanford and playing in Europe & Israel. The book interleaves chapters of family history with his own biography - beautifully describing family relationships with his father & especially his grandmother who was still alive at 95 as of the writing of the book. The book, if not a literary classic, is a highly readable story of the impact of the Holocaust on subsequent generations through the lens of a love of basketball. Very much recommended.
January 15, 2025
The book interweaves the Holocaust and the path of survivors with how a father-son combo emerged from that plight to become professional basketball players. I'm glad I read it because I'm Jewish and I love sports. For people lacking those two traits, I would not recommend it.
The author, Dan, did a nice job in the first half of the book tying in the Holocaust with the Grunfeld basketball family. But after a while, it got tedious and repetitive. But in the second half, the book morphed from the telling of the Holocaust from Dan's revered grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, to a personal story about how Dan tried to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was a successful basketball player in college and the NBA. I really didn't care to hear about Dan's path as a basketball player, one of thousands and thousands of players who were good in high school and college but weren't good enough to play in the NBA.
Final note: it was pretty cool to read about how Dan's father, Ernie Grunfeld, may be the only Jewish professional athlete whose family survived the Holocaust.
The author, Dan, did a nice job in the first half of the book tying in the Holocaust with the Grunfeld basketball family. But after a while, it got tedious and repetitive. But in the second half, the book morphed from the telling of the Holocaust from Dan's revered grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, to a personal story about how Dan tried to follow in the footsteps of his father, who was a successful basketball player in college and the NBA. I really didn't care to hear about Dan's path as a basketball player, one of thousands and thousands of players who were good in high school and college but weren't good enough to play in the NBA.
Final note: it was pretty cool to read about how Dan's father, Ernie Grunfeld, may be the only Jewish professional athlete whose family survived the Holocaust.
February 3, 2023
I just finished By the Grace of the Game : the Holocaust, a Basketball Legacy, and the American Dream by Dan Grunfeld. I'm not sure what made me start it since I don't usually read non-fiction, maybe the title intrigued me. I absolutely was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It's the story of a family, their roots in Romania, the Holocaust, Communism, immigration, and of course, basketball. The chapters alternate between the authors own story, his father's story and his grandparents' story. It reads like a novel and was fascinating. There are moments of heartbreak and moments of glory. There are often moments of the authors self doubt. What really comes through is love of family ( and basketball)!
December 4, 2025
Read for book club. Even aside from the staunch Zionism and anti-Palestinian/anti-Arab rhetoric sprinkled throughout, the book was just not for me. I thought that Anyu’s and Ernie’s stories were interesting and worth knowing about, but I couldn’t really connect to Dan’s portion of the book, so it was disappointing that his story is half of the novel. In writing alternating chapters about his own life and the life of his grandmother and father, it naturally invites comparison, and it felt like Dan was trying to draw parallels between the two, but those parallels largely rang hollow. The book tries to tackle a lot of big themes as well, and I don’t think most of them were adequately explored. The writing itself is fine and readable, but I didn’t find Dan to be a terribly talented writer, and the book relies more on the strength of his family’s story than his writing ability.
August 19, 2025
I grew up a Knicks fan. They introduced me to the game I love! What I knew about Ernie Grunfeld came from his time at Tennessee with Bernard King! The ‘Bernie and Ernie Show’! I had no idea of the struggle and loss that his family endured during the Holocaust! His son Dan’s book brings this story out! One of survival and immigrating to a new land in order to build a better life! He brings out the obstacles his Dad and family had to overcome to achieve the success he did! Stories I had never heard about Ernie! We view athletes as heroes but sometimes the real heroes are the ones in the back story!!
December 7, 2022
I am continually recommending this book to my friends and family. You, too, will love reading Dan’s autobiography or listening to Chris Lutkin’s soulful, soothing narration. As a child of a Hungarian Holocaust Survivor, this book hits close to home. Yet, Dan’s beautiful story of his family's journey before and after the Holocaust resonates whether or not you have a personal connection to the war or its link to basketball. I think this book should be required reading in all of our high schools. In short, By The Grace Of The Game is an important book that belongs on your bookshelf!
February 9, 2023
So timely to be finishing this book after I was just admiring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for being such an incredible basketball player, writer, and thinker.
The immigrant and survivor stories in this book are so powerful, and I loved being able to learn about Dan's devotion to his dad and grandma. It was beautiful to see the transformation of basketball being a representation of what mattered most to him, rather than what mattered most to him.
My hands were sweating as I pictured that familiar orange ball go through the hoop. Crazy how much this sport can mean :)
The immigrant and survivor stories in this book are so powerful, and I loved being able to learn about Dan's devotion to his dad and grandma. It was beautiful to see the transformation of basketball being a representation of what mattered most to him, rather than what mattered most to him.
My hands were sweating as I pictured that familiar orange ball go through the hoop. Crazy how much this sport can mean :)
March 30, 2023
This book was excellent. It's multiple stories in one - as Dan, a former basketball star at Stanford - traces his family legacy back to the Holocaust.
The stories from the Holocaust were both hard to read and necessary to read. Dan was able to recount a tremendous amount from his grandmother, a survivor.
The book becomes a little easier on your thoughts the deeper it gets, as you delve into the backstories of him and his father, Ernie.
Richly detailed but you'll get through that part without too much issue.
Definitely recommend
The stories from the Holocaust were both hard to read and necessary to read. Dan was able to recount a tremendous amount from his grandmother, a survivor.
The book becomes a little easier on your thoughts the deeper it gets, as you delve into the backstories of him and his father, Ernie.
Richly detailed but you'll get through that part without too much issue.
Definitely recommend
January 14, 2022
The juxtaposition of Dan Grunfeld's journey along with his family's was incredibly engaging. This book puts you through a range of emotions, and it's inspired me to reflect on my own family roots as well. And as a basketball fan, I got to learn a few fun behind-the-scenes stories of a couple of my favorite teams growing up — the 1998-99 New York Knicks and the 2004 Stanford Cardinal. Would highly recommend checking this book out!
March 8, 2022
Beautiful
I truly loved reading this book. As a Jewish mother who raised a basketball player, this book allows me to relive his journey.
Dan - you and my son have a lot of similarities. He played for Coach Montgomery at Cal, trained with Frank for a summer, won gold in the Maccabiah, and played for Herzliya during his two year pro career. I would love for you two to connect. Thank you for sharing your family's story.
I truly loved reading this book. As a Jewish mother who raised a basketball player, this book allows me to relive his journey.
Dan - you and my son have a lot of similarities. He played for Coach Montgomery at Cal, trained with Frank for a summer, won gold in the Maccabiah, and played for Herzliya during his two year pro career. I would love for you two to connect. Thank you for sharing your family's story.
March 16, 2022
A good story about a family affected by the Holocaust that achieved success via basketball. A bit too self-congratulatory as the author describes his and his father's basketball careers, repeatedly tying their links to his grandparents survival. Better to let others praise you! He repeatedly raves about his grandmother's cooking, never translating their Hungarian names or explaining what they are.
March 5, 2023
This is a book that you can not put down and you will need to read it again, as I just did. Dan Grunfeld does a magnificent job detailing his family’s journey out of the Holocaust as well as Post War Communism to find freedom and opportunity in the USA. It is a remarkable story of one family’s perseverance. Dan’s family is so lucky to have the family history documented so beautifully by one of their own. Dan, your family must be kvelling, because even I am. Thanks so Much!
July 12, 2023
A big story of family, love, sports and perseverance. Dan Grunfeld lovingly retells the story of his family with all its trials and triumphs. We follow his grandparents escape from the Holocaust to eventually settle in New York city, his father’s travels from eastern Europe to the heights of the NBA, and his own life and legacy. For those who love sports and recognize its power to transform lives, but mostly for those who love family and the power of the human spirit.
January 15, 2024
An amazing book that beautifully weaves the strands of Ernie Grunfeld’s life through the eyes of his son. Dan Grunfeld does a terrific job of tracing the steps of his grandparents and his father through the Holocaust to Communist Romania to NYC and the world of basketball. He does it while telling his own story of his basketball and personal journey. And, by the way, you will fall in love with his grandmother!
May 21, 2022
A Wonderful Homage to an American Dream
This book is a work of art, a true story of grit and determination combined with honor, artistry and love. It is about some who survived the ultimate nightmare but still managed to hold on to new found dreams and, above all, their humanity. Not all survivors led good lives, but it is wonderful to read a story of some who did.
This book is a work of art, a true story of grit and determination combined with honor, artistry and love. It is about some who survived the ultimate nightmare but still managed to hold on to new found dreams and, above all, their humanity. Not all survivors led good lives, but it is wonderful to read a story of some who did.
May 29, 2022
Of special interest to me on many levels. A story of a family fm Europe, some of whom survived the Holocaust, resettled in NYC in the boroughs of the BX and then Queens, and then onto the world of basketball. All of which relate to my life to some degree. Well done by the son of a basketball legend.
January 8, 2025
I really enjoyed this book and how he toggled back and forth between his families struggles fleeing persecution in Europe and dealing with antisemitism in the US with how sports was a ticket to a better life for him and his dad. And I just want to hug his grandmother and try some of her cooking.
A really heartwarming and educational book. Highly recommend it.
A really heartwarming and educational book. Highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews