The Tin Horse: A Novel
Janice Steinberg
Language: English
Pages: 352
ISBN: 0679643745
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
In the stunning tradition of Lisa See, Maeve Binchy, and Alice Hoffman, The Tin Horse is a rich multigenerational story about the intense, often fraught bond sisters share and the dreams and sorrows that lay at the heart of the immigrant experience.
It has been more than sixty years since Elaine Greenstein’s twin sister, Barbara, ran away, cutting off contact with her family forever. Elaine has made peace with that loss. But while sifting through old papers as she prepares to move to Rancho Mañana—or the “Ranch of No Tomorrow” as she refers to the retirement community—she is stunned to find a possible hint to Barbara’s whereabouts all these years later. And it pushes her to confront the fierce love and bitter rivalry of their youth during the 1920s and ’30s, in the Los Angeles Jewish neighborhood of Boyle Heights.
Though raised together in Boyle Heights, where kosher delis and storefront signs in Yiddish lined the streets, Elaine and Barbara staked out very different personal territories. Elaine was thoughtful and studious, encouraged to dream of going to college, while Barbara was a bold rule-breaker whose hopes fastened on nearby Hollywood. In the fall of 1939, when the girls were eighteen, Barbara’s recklessness took an alarming turn. Leaving only a cryptic note, she disappeared.
In an unforgettable voice layered with humor and insight, Elaine delves into the past. She recalls growing up with her spirited family: her luftmensch of a grandfather, a former tinsmith with tales from the Old Country; her papa, who preaches the American Dream even as it eludes him; her mercurial mother, whose secret grief colors her moods—and of course audacious Barbara and their younger sisters, Audrey and Harriet. As Elaine looks back on the momentous events of history and on the personal dramas of the Greenstein clan, she must finally face the truth of her own childhood, and that of the twin sister she once knew.
In The Tin Horse, Janice Steinberg exquisitely unfolds a rich multigenerational story about the intense, often fraught bonds between sisters, mothers, and daughters and the profound and surprising ways we are shaped by those we love. At its core, it is a book not only about the stories we tell but, more important, those we believe, especially the ones about our very selves.
Advance praise for The Tin Horse
“Steinberg, the author of five mysteries, has transcended genre to weave a rich story that will appeal to readers who appreciate multigenerational immigrant family sagas as well as those who simply enjoy psychological suspense.”—BookPage
“Steinberg . . . has crafted a novel rich in faith, betrayal, and secrecy that explores the numerous ways people are shaped and haunted by their past. . . . A sweeping family saga reminiscent of the writing of Pat Conroy, where family secrets and flashbacks combine to create an engrossing tale of growth and loss. Highly recommended for fans of family drama and historical fiction.”—Library Journal
“Steinberg’s quietly suspenseful novel is compelling by virtue of her sympathetic characters, vivid depiction of WWII-era Los Angeles, and pinpoint illuminations of poverty, anti-Semitism, family bonds and betrayals, and the crushing obstacles facing women seeking full and fulfilling lives.”—Booklist
Life Is Short (No Pun Intended)
exposing her vulva for his camera. “Mr. Yardley—” “Alan.” “When did you take the most recent picture?” “The most recent …?” “Where she’s on that bench.” I had spotted it among his props. “With her legs open.” He sighed. “You saw that one? Hmm, I suppose a few weeks ago.” “Arthur Geiger said he just got that one in his shop last weekend.” Despite my combative tone, he responded evenly, “That sounds right. It takes a few weeks for me to develop the film, make the prints, and then get them to
birth to their only child, a girl who was already dead when the midwife pried her from her mother. That had happened ten years ago, and no one had washed Avner’s shirts properly since. Another thing Zipporah had learned about Avner Papo was that he was kind, and not in the show-offy way of some people, who made a fuss so everyone would notice their good deed. Avner was kind in his heart. If Pinchas, who was simple, was doing some small job in the cafe and someone made fun of him, Avner
ship’s motion, and she helped him up to the deck for a little fresh air. At last the ship arrived in America. In the city where Avner’s cousin lived, New York. “Your brother is where?” Avner’s cousin asked her, dismayed at having to squeeze not one but two greenhorns into his tenement apartment. “Chicago? How are you going to get there?” “I’ll walk!” Mama declared. She had crossed Romania on foot, hadn’t she? “New York to Chicago, she thinks she’s gonna walk.” The cousin guffawed, and his
home,” he said. Barbara, her face as stunned as Zayde’s, turned and ran. “Zayde!” I cried. “Go home!” I pretended to leave, but I hid among the fish and pickle barrels outside Rosen’s. When Zayde started down the street, taking big, fast strides, I trotted a little behind him. I felt as if the harm Barbara had done was mine to repair, or at least—since I had no idea how to fix this damage—not to abandon. He went into Elster’s Hardware; I lurked a few doors away. Ten minutes later, he emerged
too dangerous to stay in Romania, where Ivan had even been beaten by Iron Guard thugs. “Those animals!” Mama cried. “Did they hurt you?” “Just my wrist.” He held up his left arm. His wrist was slightly crooked; it must have healed badly after being broken. Tears came to my eyes, and Mama couldn’t bear it—she ran from the table sobbing. “I’m sorry to upset her,” Ivan said. “For us … Such things happened to everyone, you know, many boys my age.” “Enough of the Old World,” Papa said. “You’re in