American Dreams

AMERICAN DREAMS                             KENNETH BROMBERG

In 1904 Czarist Russia, Max, a four-year-old Jewish boy, witnesses his mother's rape and murder by Russian soldiers. After the boy's father extracts terrible revenge, father and son escape to New York and settle on the Lower East Side, a teeming melting pot of recent immigrants. Max meets a young Polish girl, Sophie, and the two children become inseparable playmates. By the time they are teenagers, Max excels at both school and sports, Sophie has become a stunningly beautiful young woman, and friendship has grown into love. Their plans are shattered when Sophie is forced to marry a local crime boss and once again, Max must simply watch as the most important person in his life is taken from him. In response, he begins a ruthless and violent climb to the top of the New York underworld. FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.

PAT'S REVIEW

A family saga that starts in Russia 1904 when the village Max lives in with his mom and father is destroyed by the Kazaks. His mother is killed and Max is spared along with his father who was in the woods. They would end up in New York where he would grow up in an apartment house with a father and daughter close by. The daughter Sophie would become the love of Max’s life but because of her father’s gambling debts, she is forced to marry the older man. Max is so upset he sets off to destroy the man and in turn run the powerful crime syndicate. When he and Sophie met after her husband dies she leaves shortly for California after not hearing from Max. Then you have Jonathan an Irishman who as a teen comes to America and lives with relatives. Trying to work for a better life he and his cousin open a bar but then they are thrown into a fight with an uncle. He comes later to be partners with Max running speakeasies for him. Married now he falls into depression when his wife dies giving birth, with a son Max has him move to California to start up business out there. Meanwhile, Sophie has changed her named and has become an actress had a son as well. Much later as the author takes you through each year and decade you see who each one of their lives has been intersecting, now many years later Max wants something, but will he get it or will the mother and father protect their two boys? Can Sophie really protect her son? A fabulous story that will keep you entertained from the first page until the last and even the end has a surprise. Very good characters and the author makes you feel like you were back in time. Well done. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com