Man of the Family

Karr (The Great Turkey Walk) captures the hopes and trials of a first-generation Hungarian family struggling to build a farm in southern New Jersey after WWI. She characterizes the five siblings and their parents as a tightly knit group yet clearly differentiates their personalities. The novel's greatest strength is the relationship between the 10-year-old narrator, Istv n, and his soft-spoken, industrious father, Apa. As the eldest son describes the events of a single year, he portrays the importance of his father's role and foreshadows events to come. For example, early in the novel, Apa finds work in Philadelphia, and while he's away the family nearly botches their livelihood. But Karr also communicates the family's strength during Apa's stint away; when the mortgage man arrives with a lascivious proposition to compensate for their missing payments, Anya, Istv n's gentle mother, slaps the man. Hence, the author offers readers some reassurance when the characters later must confront Apa's more sustained absence. Historical details abound (e.g., the second son's passionate interest in automobiles conveys their novelty; Istv n and Apa construct their own radio set), yet the childhood themes will be easily recognizable to readers today. They will root for Istv n as he steps into his father's shoes and remember these winning characters long after the final page has turned. Ages 10-up. (Sept.)