The Corner Store

by Albert E. Idell

The 1930s in Philadelphia on the corner of Camac and McClellan finds you at the corner store. It is a gathering place for the neighbors as well as the six Joneses, an institution—one like that found in many neighborhoods in the 1930s. Life is exciting, full of adventure, romance, crime, births, deaths, marriages, elopements—all told with humor and honesty of the problems and triumphs of ordinary people.

Genres: Historical Fiction

287 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1953

Reviews

[Frances Benemowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book will take you back in time to a difficult time (post-depression recession), yet a better time in many ways. The reader becomes immersed in the lives of the Jones family who run a neighborhood corner store in Philadelphia. They are an essential part of the neighborhood and as such, know just about everyone in the area--along with their travails and successes. If you are having a bad day, this story will be a lovely escape and remind you of the difficult times faced by our grandparents. There are some racial epithets and terms used that some may find offensive, but they were authentic to the time period.

[J. Boo]

Reportedly a lot of details of shopkeeping & running a business - possibly in the vein of the more interesting parts of Six Girls and the Tea Room.

[Sandy Pfefferkorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to escape to a simpler time, read this book, set in the mid-1930s in Philadelphia (if you can find a copy). The Jones family owns and runs a typical corner confectionary complete with a soda fountain, three telephone booths, a lending library, and everything else you would have found in such a business at the time. The phone booths were in constant usage because most homes did not have telephones. If you got a call on one of the phones, owner Chester Jones sent one of the kids lurking around outside to let you know. The kids were rewarded with a nickel for bringing you the message. Another use for the phones was the neighborhood women's gambling calls to their bookies.

The book is a fascinating story about the fictional Jones family and their surviving during and after the Great Depression. It's not a politically correct book by today's standards, for it is filled with ethnic slurs common back then. In spite of that caveat, I thoroughly enjoyed the book!

[Treasure Island Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a young person and have remembered it fondly since. Upon re-reading, I realize that much of the language and attitudes are outmoded and somewhat offensive. I realize that the author was writing about the 30s, and these epithets would have been accepted then. The story is charming. The Jones family works together to keep their small corner store. Mr. and Mrs. Jones act as surrogate parents for the neighborhood children. The Jones children, George, Dickie, Kay, and Helen, learn about life by observing the customers. Can we judge a book by our current sensibilities? Should we read it and try to understand the past as it actually was and not how we wish it had been? Should we discard the book altogether? I have decided to enjoy books from the past and try to learn the lessons they have to teach.

[Jobiska (Cindy) · Rating 5 out of 5]

CW: the book includes language (including racial and ethnic descriptions) prevalent in the time period; however, the attitudes of the primary protagonists do not convey racism or other similar.

I thought this book would be cute and fun when I picked it up secondhand. I assumed it would be set in the Midwest for some reason, and was amazed to discover that it was set in Philly--and specifically, mainly, South Philly, where my husband's mother grew up; and she was about the age of the older children in the story. So all the details resonated extra specially for me. The period details seemed accurate and evocative, including the dealings with the political machine.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book on my shelf for decades! I think I read it originally when I was a teenager, just needing something to read and I picked it up again, having run out of things to read. It's a shame I didn't re-read it sooner. Such a comforting peek into late 1930's life in Philadelphia through the eyes of "the common man" a storekeeper on a corner in the Irish section of Philly. Such a great reminder that little interactions can make a big impact.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I agree with the reviewers who noted the dated attitudes and language. I’ve read it several times - my grandparents had corner stores in Philadelphia a little before the time of this book. At this reading I was struck by the anti Democratic political tone. It’s a trite story but an interesting look at attitudes and mores of the mid to late 1930s.

[Antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story of post depression, neighborhood and people who live there. Really gets you into life then. Racial and ethnic slurs and stereotypes typical of the period, but not endorsed by the main character, who is genuinely nice guy. I want to see if there is a squeal, to see what happens to the family.