Sadie in Love

Sadie Schuster, of Polish-Jewish descent, lives on New York's Lower East Side in 1913. Husband Fivel has recently died leaving her with an eight room flat on Orchard Street. Sadie is a hustler of sorts. Besides collecting rents, she runs a love knot business. Purchase a love knot for 50 cents and Sadie promises that the one you love will be "pulled" in your direction. Plan the wedding!

Sadie is a chubby, middle-aged force to be reckoned with. She speaks to deceased husband Fivel regularly. She meets with suffragettes like herself and is determined to march for the women's right to vote. Most importantly, Sadie wants love and passion in her life. In Poland, a "match" was made for her. Now in America, she wants to choose a man herself. Enter iceman, Herschl. Sadie needs a plan and a love knot for herself.

How should Sadie go about hooking a husband? She approaches her tenant, Mitzi for assistance in helping her "pretty up". Well, "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach". Will a hearty meal pique Herschl's interest in Sadie?

"Sadie in Love" by Rochelle Distelheim is a delightful immersion into Jewish immigrant life in 1913 New York. Images of ice wagons, pushcarts of fruits and vegetables, and conversations in a mixture of Yiddish and night school English prevail. There is a burgeoning attempt to be American, the exception being Sadie's daughter Yivvy's choice of boyfriend. Author Distelheim's debut novel is one of hope, magical spirits and comedic scenes in Sadie's quest for love.

Thank you Aubade Publishing and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Sadie in Love".

Sadie in love ....she could have been one of my relatives. Reading this book brought back memories of my grandpa who came to America from Russia in 1905 at 18 years of age. Sadie spoke the same way, I could hear the wonderful inflections. The lower east side, my favorite part of New York, came to life in this book...all those delicious Jewish foods, borst, herring, gefilte fish.....pickles!!! This was a great read. Perfect in length, and delicious in story. Thank you to Rochelle Distelheim for bringing back memories of a life and relatives I never really knew. Mom grew up on Rivington Street, and Orchard Street and the Tenement Museum are my favs!!! This book should definitely be sold in the bookstore of the Tenement Museum!! Thank you to Netgalley and Audbade Publishers for the perusal!

Did I love this book!! I just love Sadie! She could have been my bubbe! I loved the Jewish immigrant way of life on the lower East Side in 1913. I could just smell the herring and the pickles! Loved the Yiddish words and Sadie's inflection. Made me smile from beginning to end. Thank You!

I loved this boo and reading about the immigrant experience in 1913 on the Lower East Side. The author’s detailed writing really kept my interest.

1913 and the lower East Side of New York. Filled with immigrants, you could actually smell the flavors of the tenements, almost hear the accents spoken. And then there is Sadie, a Polish immigrant who owned a tenement building and made "love knots" promising those who requested them they would soon be married to the person of their choice. Now it's Sadie's turn after losing her husband to ask the "spirits" to help her in her conquest to meet the man she chooses. This book is delightful. The combination of Yiddish phrases and American translations was humorous and brought back memories of my grandparents. The description of the foods, from the pickled herring to the borscht, reminded me of years past. This heartwarming story of the immigrant life in 1913 was a gift. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.