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My Father's Compass: A Memoir
My Father's Compass is a poignant, moving and at times hilarious memoir celebrating the long life of a man with many roles: country doctor, gardener, seaman, carpenter, welder, French polisher, shipwright, cook, religious Jew and mohel (performer of ritual circumcisions). As a doctor, he earned the admiration and respect of the farming community of Leeton, the love of his patients and the esteem of his colleagues. As a man, he inspired all who knew him. Fiercely independent, passionate and always stubborn, he selflessly cared for his ailing wife into his nineties. Through the pages of this beautifully written book, Howard Goldenberg records and honours the deep faith, strength and vitality of his father, as well as giving the reader a glimpse into the soul of a tightly bonded family with roots going back to eastern Europe and Turkish Palestine. From the naughty escapades of little boys to a tragic drowning, from the joys of sailing to the heartache of helping aging parents, Goldenberg's love, respect and intense loyalty shine through on every page. This book will evoke tears and laughter, grief and joy as it paints an unforgettable portrait of the man who continues to guide and inspire his descendants. Martin Flanagan: 'Howard Goldenberg writes with verve and humour. He also writes with deep compassion. It is this unusual marriage of qualities which makes him a rare and valuable witness to our times.' Helen Garner: 'Honest, funny, painful, shining with respect and love: a man's tribute to the severe beauty of his father's character.'
236 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
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June 21, 2012
A sensitive, humorous and loving tribute to a very special man.
Alan Gold writes: 'When a son’s biography of his father’s long and extraordinary life begins “My father was a faithful Jew. He was also a radical sceptic”, readers know they’re in for a thrilling, multidimensional ride. How can a faithful Jew, a man described through his long life as observing the commandments, refuse to believe in anything he was told without seeing the evidence for himself?
Yet this is the conundrum which permeates Howard Goldenberg’s beautiful and painful biography of his astonishing father. Howard, a Melbourne doctor, spent more than 57 years observing his father, Myer, in the most minute and intimate detail, and the result of such intimacy enabled him to write a beautiful memoir, My Father’s Compass.
What could have been a sentimental hagiography is, instead, a delightful and complex exploration studied with wit, passion and luminous respect. But more than a son’s recording of a father’s life, My Father’s Compass is an exemplar of that unique quality of Jewishness which has enabled us to survive all of the trials and tribulations of the past two thousand years.
Myer Goldenberg, Howard’s father, was a chameleon of a man, playing many parts throughout his long and fascinating life. He was a country doctor in Leeton, a sailor, a gardener, a carpenter, olive grower, shipwright, a French polisher, and follower of other trades and professions; but central to them all was his deep and abiding conviction to his Judaism.
Indeed, what makes Myer such a fascinating character is the fusion of dinky-di Aussie and devout Eastern European Jew, a man who straddles both worlds while at the same time creating a unique place for himself and his talented family in landscapes populated by bushies and urbanites.
Howard Goldenberg and his siblings might have had a favoured upbringing because of their father, but through Howard Goldenberg’s book, we are all enabled to journey with them through half a century of Jewish history, tradition and culture.'
Alan Gold writes: 'When a son’s biography of his father’s long and extraordinary life begins “My father was a faithful Jew. He was also a radical sceptic”, readers know they’re in for a thrilling, multidimensional ride. How can a faithful Jew, a man described through his long life as observing the commandments, refuse to believe in anything he was told without seeing the evidence for himself?
Yet this is the conundrum which permeates Howard Goldenberg’s beautiful and painful biography of his astonishing father. Howard, a Melbourne doctor, spent more than 57 years observing his father, Myer, in the most minute and intimate detail, and the result of such intimacy enabled him to write a beautiful memoir, My Father’s Compass.
What could have been a sentimental hagiography is, instead, a delightful and complex exploration studied with wit, passion and luminous respect. But more than a son’s recording of a father’s life, My Father’s Compass is an exemplar of that unique quality of Jewishness which has enabled us to survive all of the trials and tribulations of the past two thousand years.
Myer Goldenberg, Howard’s father, was a chameleon of a man, playing many parts throughout his long and fascinating life. He was a country doctor in Leeton, a sailor, a gardener, a carpenter, olive grower, shipwright, a French polisher, and follower of other trades and professions; but central to them all was his deep and abiding conviction to his Judaism.
Indeed, what makes Myer such a fascinating character is the fusion of dinky-di Aussie and devout Eastern European Jew, a man who straddles both worlds while at the same time creating a unique place for himself and his talented family in landscapes populated by bushies and urbanites.
Howard Goldenberg and his siblings might have had a favoured upbringing because of their father, but through Howard Goldenberg’s book, we are all enabled to journey with them through half a century of Jewish history, tradition and culture.'
Displaying 1 of 1 review