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Later With Myself: The Misadventures of Millie Moskowitz
Twelve-year-old Millie Moskowitz doesn’t know that her father has a “Mafia mistress” and an illegitimate son; she only knows that he sleeps elsewhere, carries a gun and comes and goes as he pleases. When Lee Moskowitz is at home, Millie is his personal foot rubber and back scratcher while her mother cooks his meals, washes dishes and irons his shirts. Seeking to escape her oppressive home life, Millie skips school to meet select neighborhood men for a soda in a delivery truck, a cigarette in a supermarket storeroom, or a ride on the school bus to an abandoned house. Millie is empowered by her misadventures, until she finds herself pregnant by a Black man twice her age. Later With Myself: The Misadventures of Millie Moskowitz chronicles Millie's midlife quest for peace and redemption, as she faces her childhood demons with honesty and humor.
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- GenresMemoir
414 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2011
About the author
Sheryl Sorrentino
6 books88 followersSheryl Sorrentino is the author of six very different novels:
Later With Myself: The Misadventures of Millie Moskowitz
(which recounts a neglected twelve-year-old’s devastating pregnancy);
An Unexpected Exile
(a romantic ride with Risa Weinberg, a 29-year old Jewish fashion merchandiser who is relentlessly pursued by a charismatic and slightly "off-kilter" Sandinista rebel);
The Floater
(the story of 46-year-old Norma Reyes, who gets a rude awakening when her law degree leads her into a den of discrimination and betrayal);
Stage Daughter
(a page-turning exposé of single-motherhood, blended families, and religious intolerance endorsed by Compulsion Reads and winner of a Finalist slot in the Chick Lit/Women's Lit fiction category of The 2013 USA Best Book Awards);
Stop & Frisk
(which tells the story of a strip club bouncer struggling for closure and kinship), and her latest,
Smarter Than That
(the story of a recent widow's calamitous foray into the world of online dating).
Through her gritty and provocative writing style, Sheryl Sorrentino has pioneered a culturally-inclusive women's fiction subgenre that's both sensual and socially significant. A practicing attorney by day, Sheryl Sorrentino writes Real Fiction for Real Women™. To learn more, visit her website at www.sherylsorrentino.com, follow her on Twitter (https://twitter. com/ SherylSorrentin); and "friend" her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/sheryl.sorre...). And for a sampling of Sheryl's edgy and entertaining musings, check out her blog at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 30, 2011
Sheryl Sorrentino’s book – Later With Myself – is the story of a self-obsessed, driven
man and the daughter who loves him. The author develops the character of Lee Moskowitz, the Father, with a fine ear for dialogue. Her “spoken” narration goes to the heart of Millie, his daughter. Interestingly the tone and language of the book gain insight and maturity as the character, Millie, grows up. This is an intense story. Dysfunction rules. What’s new here is that fiction often presents the mogul on his way down – but here Lee Moskowitz is a hard luck guy fighting his way up by any means that occur to him. He’s running as fast as he can and although often downright unlikeable, his need and humanity as seen through his daughter’s eyes compel the reader. The author writes in her NOTE that she considered writing this book as memoir. There’s elements of memoir throughout and at times the writing is too literal as if Sorrentino was bound to one truth. Regardless, this is an impressive debut. Hopefully Sorrentino has a second book in the works or maybe a play.
Debbie Jones
Award winning playwright
Author - Tales of Wonder from the Garden State.
man and the daughter who loves him. The author develops the character of Lee Moskowitz, the Father, with a fine ear for dialogue. Her “spoken” narration goes to the heart of Millie, his daughter. Interestingly the tone and language of the book gain insight and maturity as the character, Millie, grows up. This is an intense story. Dysfunction rules. What’s new here is that fiction often presents the mogul on his way down – but here Lee Moskowitz is a hard luck guy fighting his way up by any means that occur to him. He’s running as fast as he can and although often downright unlikeable, his need and humanity as seen through his daughter’s eyes compel the reader. The author writes in her NOTE that she considered writing this book as memoir. There’s elements of memoir throughout and at times the writing is too literal as if Sorrentino was bound to one truth. Regardless, this is an impressive debut. Hopefully Sorrentino has a second book in the works or maybe a play.
Debbie Jones
Award winning playwright
Author - Tales of Wonder from the Garden State.
November 4, 2012
Raw. This is the one word that I would use to describe this book. It has an honesty that is refreshing. What this author has done with this story is amazing. It takes true, God given talent, to do what, Sheryl Sorrentino, has done with this book. This type of writing isn’t something that you cultivate, I truly believe, that it’s a talent that you are born with. She is able to tell a horrific story, through the eyes of a victim without the victim sounding victimized, instead she sounds strong, sympathetic, and triumphant for having gone through what she did.
The story is told from the perspective of the main character, Millie, who as an adult, has to unleash herself from the horrors of her childhood. Through therapy, she is able to go back and relive the childhood that has haunted her for many years. We are able to relive this childhood with Millie, and we are able to feel sympathy for a child who was forced to grow up and witness things that no child should ever see. Sorrentino does such an amazing job with each character. We are able to get a full picture of what life for Millie must have been like. What I really enjoy about Sorrentino’s writing is how she is able to give full details without sounding redundant. She gives just enough for us to be able to visualize, without boring us with unnecessary details. Many authors, even successful ones, have tried this and failed. I have been known to yell at books, “I don’t care if Bella took a sip of water from a freaking glass cup with dots on it!” Really, who cares if a character is drinking out of a glass with dots, unless it’s important to the big picture.
The story itself is heart wrenching, as a mother, I wanted many times to just scoop this little girl in my arms and tell her how special she is. The things that she lived through seem unreal, until you get to the end of the book and read that these are accounts from the author’s life. It is amazing to me that a story so close to this woman’s heart can be told with such truth and clarity. Yes, this story is deep and tugs at your heart, but it’s not a dreary read, there are many times that I laughed out loud. These family members where some characters I tell you. They had big personalities and in the midst of all the dysfunction there were moments of hilarity and even tender ones.
After putting down this book, the characters remained with me. I pondered for many days. This to me is the sign of a great story. I am so happy that I discovered this author, and I really hope she continues to write more stories because honesty and talent like hers is hard to come by.
The story is told from the perspective of the main character, Millie, who as an adult, has to unleash herself from the horrors of her childhood. Through therapy, she is able to go back and relive the childhood that has haunted her for many years. We are able to relive this childhood with Millie, and we are able to feel sympathy for a child who was forced to grow up and witness things that no child should ever see. Sorrentino does such an amazing job with each character. We are able to get a full picture of what life for Millie must have been like. What I really enjoy about Sorrentino’s writing is how she is able to give full details without sounding redundant. She gives just enough for us to be able to visualize, without boring us with unnecessary details. Many authors, even successful ones, have tried this and failed. I have been known to yell at books, “I don’t care if Bella took a sip of water from a freaking glass cup with dots on it!” Really, who cares if a character is drinking out of a glass with dots, unless it’s important to the big picture.
The story itself is heart wrenching, as a mother, I wanted many times to just scoop this little girl in my arms and tell her how special she is. The things that she lived through seem unreal, until you get to the end of the book and read that these are accounts from the author’s life. It is amazing to me that a story so close to this woman’s heart can be told with such truth and clarity. Yes, this story is deep and tugs at your heart, but it’s not a dreary read, there are many times that I laughed out loud. These family members where some characters I tell you. They had big personalities and in the midst of all the dysfunction there were moments of hilarity and even tender ones.
After putting down this book, the characters remained with me. I pondered for many days. This to me is the sign of a great story. I am so happy that I discovered this author, and I really hope she continues to write more stories because honesty and talent like hers is hard to come by.
September 14, 2011
Wow! This was a great book, but not at all what I expected. When I picked it up I thought I was going to get a light summer read, but instead I got a very complex and heart wrenching story about a little girl's journey though her tumultuous and difficult childhood. This book evoked such intense emotions for me. I haven't felt so strongly about any cast of characters, literary or otherwise, in a very long time. Sheryl Sorrentino has done a brilliant job with her first novel and I sincerely hope that she plans to write more.
The story is written in the reflective voice of Mille Moskowitz and spans several decades. Much of the story focuses on her childhood in New York City where she grew up with her parents and two brothers. Her family life was abysmal. Her father, Lee, was horribly abusive and her ineffectual mother, Franny, did nothing to support her daughter during her difficult childhood. I quickly found myself rooting hard for little Millie, even as she made some horrible mistakes in her misguided effort to gain the love and attention of her abusive father. Millie finds herself pregnant at the tender age of 12. She desperately wants to have and keep the baby to raise as her own. Her baby would be someone to love. A love that she craved but never experienced in her own life. To make matters worse, Millie's life is complicated by the secret Mafia family that Lee supports on the side. It's not until she is an adult that she learns the truth about the other family and is left to process this painful reality.
Millie endures a level of neglect and abuse that is criminal. But even through all of the pain and heartache, a thread of hope and humor is woven through the story. Fortunately, Millie lands in a good place later in life, so I finished the book feeling positive. I highly recommend this book and look forward to Sheryl Sorrentino's next piece of work.
The story is written in the reflective voice of Mille Moskowitz and spans several decades. Much of the story focuses on her childhood in New York City where she grew up with her parents and two brothers. Her family life was abysmal. Her father, Lee, was horribly abusive and her ineffectual mother, Franny, did nothing to support her daughter during her difficult childhood. I quickly found myself rooting hard for little Millie, even as she made some horrible mistakes in her misguided effort to gain the love and attention of her abusive father. Millie finds herself pregnant at the tender age of 12. She desperately wants to have and keep the baby to raise as her own. Her baby would be someone to love. A love that she craved but never experienced in her own life. To make matters worse, Millie's life is complicated by the secret Mafia family that Lee supports on the side. It's not until she is an adult that she learns the truth about the other family and is left to process this painful reality.
Millie endures a level of neglect and abuse that is criminal. But even through all of the pain and heartache, a thread of hope and humor is woven through the story. Fortunately, Millie lands in a good place later in life, so I finished the book feeling positive. I highly recommend this book and look forward to Sheryl Sorrentino's next piece of work.
August 28, 2011
Above all, this is a great story! The language, pace, and characterizations are those of an accomplished writer, even though this is a first novel. The book is both laugh-out-loud funny and deeply affecting emotionally. The main character, Millie, is a bright pre-teen who is doing her best to figure out a life for herself in the midst of a family that cares nothing about her. Her father, a racist, misogynist bully, and her mother, a passive dishrag, are too involved in their own lives to provide any guidance for her--which may be a good thing, since their values are skewed and destructive. (Her father, for example, has an affair with a Mafia princess and fathers a child that Millie meets but doesn't know is her half-brother. He stays married and lets his wife care for him while also living with his mistress.) Bounced here and there by the family dynamics, Millie does her best under the circumstances, but she ends up pregnant at twelve. I came to love her, to root for her and feel compassion for her mistakes. Though the father is mean-spirited and despicable, I loved the scenes in which he appears. He is larger than life, and the author gets his New York dialect just right. I also felt the predicament of the passive, trapped mother. I highly recommend this book!
May 9, 2014
Okay, this is now my third attempt at trying to write a review for Later with Myself. Somehow I feel as though nothing I could write will be adequate enough. To say that I was spellbound would be an understatement.
Mille like any young girl just wants love and attention but when her parents fail in that department ( and fail miserably I might add) she sets out on a path of self destructive behavior. The consequences of that behavior will ultimately end up haunting her for a lifetime. Sheryl Sorrentino has given us a raw and emotional journey that shouldn't be missed.
Mille like any young girl just wants love and attention but when her parents fail in that department ( and fail miserably I might add) she sets out on a path of self destructive behavior. The consequences of that behavior will ultimately end up haunting her for a lifetime. Sheryl Sorrentino has given us a raw and emotional journey that shouldn't be missed.
July 23, 2011
“Later With Myself: The Misadventures of Millie Moskowitz” chronicles one woman's midlife struggle to make sense of her dysfunctional upbringing. I think you will find it to be a great read--despite its controversial subject matter. This gritty and shocking story is really about Millie's redemptive power to heal and grow, despite the obstacles of her bizarre and toxic childhood. Happy reading!
December 27, 2016
Later With Myself was my first read by this author. The copy of the book was given to me courtesy of the author.
I know NOT everyone will find this book to their liking because of the language and subject matter. However, this did NOT put me off to reading this book. It reminded me of V.C Andrews books in a way because her writing is always different and has sensitive subject matter. The same is true of Jodi Picoult. I would recommend this book to anyone who is familiar with the sensitive subject matter, but doesn't let that deter them from trying new books and authors. This is one that I can honestly say I would read more of. I don't know if it's a book I'd loan to my grandmother, but it's probably something my mother would find engaging. This book really holds your interests, at times you will find yourself thinking what the heck is going on.. but not once did I find this book too vulgar.
I know NOT everyone will find this book to their liking because of the language and subject matter. However, this did NOT put me off to reading this book. It reminded me of V.C Andrews books in a way because her writing is always different and has sensitive subject matter. The same is true of Jodi Picoult. I would recommend this book to anyone who is familiar with the sensitive subject matter, but doesn't let that deter them from trying new books and authors. This is one that I can honestly say I would read more of. I don't know if it's a book I'd loan to my grandmother, but it's probably something my mother would find engaging. This book really holds your interests, at times you will find yourself thinking what the heck is going on.. but not once did I find this book too vulgar.
March 8, 2014
Im so sad that this book had to come to an end, this is my first book I've read by Sheryl Sorrentino and it sure wont be my last, I immediately got drawn into this book from the very first page, I felt a connection with Millie one of the main characters, she went through a lot of the same things I've been through in life. I want to say so much more about this book but I don't want to ruin the story for anyone but I will suggest if anyone is looking for a really good book to read this one!!! Sheryl, your a great writer and I'm so happy I came across this book. 5 star read!!!
February 24, 2012
“Later With Myself” is a "page-turner" and the reader will find herself "rooting"
for the heroine, Millie, as her story progresses. Millie does her best to make sense of the environment she is thrust into, never meaning to break the rules of society but trying to deal with a family environment of loneliness while fulfilling her own need for affection. She comes across as a good person with a certain childlike loyalty to her family, even when they were awful. Every reader should be able to identify with this heroine and feel empathy for her.
The author reveals at the end that Millie’s character is based on her own life, which should lead us to respect and admire her all the more for her courage in revealing her unique story. Most people want to "make sense out of their troubled history"—the author’s stated goal. Through her story, the author displays an ability to use autobiographical fiction to make sense of what might seem like a haphazard bunch of awful experiences. Sorrentino ties it together nicely so that it makes sense.
I’m looking forward to reading Sorrentino’s second novel, “An Unexpected Exile,” as both it and “Later With Myself” share the common theme of women being led astray and falling into becoming abused or taken advantage of. These narratives should serve as a warning to women, as they show the effect of childhood on later mind-set, coping and functioning.
for the heroine, Millie, as her story progresses. Millie does her best to make sense of the environment she is thrust into, never meaning to break the rules of society but trying to deal with a family environment of loneliness while fulfilling her own need for affection. She comes across as a good person with a certain childlike loyalty to her family, even when they were awful. Every reader should be able to identify with this heroine and feel empathy for her.
The author reveals at the end that Millie’s character is based on her own life, which should lead us to respect and admire her all the more for her courage in revealing her unique story. Most people want to "make sense out of their troubled history"—the author’s stated goal. Through her story, the author displays an ability to use autobiographical fiction to make sense of what might seem like a haphazard bunch of awful experiences. Sorrentino ties it together nicely so that it makes sense.
I’m looking forward to reading Sorrentino’s second novel, “An Unexpected Exile,” as both it and “Later With Myself” share the common theme of women being led astray and falling into becoming abused or taken advantage of. These narratives should serve as a warning to women, as they show the effect of childhood on later mind-set, coping and functioning.
November 14, 2014
3/6/12 I just bought this for Kindle:) Can't wait to read it!!
I finished this whole ebook yesterday, 8/21/12.
The book's honesty really made me think. I think it is hard to share our own personal life stories & wait for what others think.
I give this e/book 5 stars. I do this for many reason. For 1, it was intriguing to me. It kept me wanting to read. For 2, it's really a personal story, whether or not the real names & slight things have been changed. It's very hard to share your personal life with the "world".
I think Ms. Sorrentino did a great job writing the story. I totally related to & connected with Millie. I felt a connection to someone else in the world who had a bunch of problems as a kid.
I think its empowering to read if you've had a "bad" childhood.
Thank you Ms. Sorrentino for being brave enough to put your story into writing !! :)
(It's also hard to write reviews from your phone, so I edited a bit when I got on the computer:)
I finished this whole ebook yesterday, 8/21/12.
The book's honesty really made me think. I think it is hard to share our own personal life stories & wait for what others think.
I give this e/book 5 stars. I do this for many reason. For 1, it was intriguing to me. It kept me wanting to read. For 2, it's really a personal story, whether or not the real names & slight things have been changed. It's very hard to share your personal life with the "world".
I think Ms. Sorrentino did a great job writing the story. I totally related to & connected with Millie. I felt a connection to someone else in the world who had a bunch of problems as a kid.
I think its empowering to read if you've had a "bad" childhood.
Thank you Ms. Sorrentino for being brave enough to put your story into writing !! :)
(It's also hard to write reviews from your phone, so I edited a bit when I got on the computer:)
April 15, 2014
Millie's story is incredibly touching and poignant. Heart wrenching at times and hilarious at others, this book is full of emotion and strength. I'm a huge fan of Sheryl Sorrentino and Later With Myself is a perfect example of why. Her style frank and honest but with a charm that is unparalleled. I cheered for Millie from start to finish and it was wonderful to see her come into her own. Fantastic book written by a fantastic author. I can't wait to read what she writes next!
March 5, 2012
"Amazing! I related to it on so many levels and went through every emotion in the book. I finished it on Feb 24, and am still thinking about it a week later. I think it will be one of those books that will always be in the back of my mind. Thank you, Sheryl Sorrentino, for sharing this story with the world."
August 30, 2011
A powerful, emotional story of relationships within a family struggling with a father's inability to cope with a life he didn't want. Very well-written. Looking forward to more books by Sheryl Sorentino.
February 27, 2012
I think Sheryl has a really compelling story to tell! It's very readable, and I think she's brave to put her own personal history out there in this type of book. One issue with the book is that to me it reads like a memoir, and I think it might have been better in that category.
April 28, 2012
I enjoyed this book very much. It is sometimes gritty and at other times heart warming. But certainly worth reading. You can't go wrong with this one!
October 5, 2014
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
I struggled with this story almost from the first page, and there were times when I really didn't want to finish it. But having said that I'd read and review, I felt obliged to keep going.
This book has been described as raw, shocking and emotional, but I didn't find it so. Although the author's family were certainly dysfunctional I wasn't shocked in the least.
It's also autobiographical fiction, which means it's not all truth. The author says the reason for this is that it gave her "the liberty (or the enjoyment) of postulating what went on in my parents’ minds as they muddled through their messy lives." I have to say that, for me, it wasn't written in a believable way.
The characters were flat and emotionless, and I really didn't like or feel sympathy for any of them.
The story moves back and forwards between past and present. The writing is disjointed and often confusing. There were times I had to scroll back a few paragraphs to make sense of what I was reading.
One example:
PAGE 61 on my laptop:
The next night after work, Lee and Franny went to a Chinese restaurant Lee liked. Afterward, Lee suggested that they to go back to the shop instead of him walking her home. Franny said nothing but followed in step. Neither of them spoke during the short walk. Once at the store, Lee directed Franny to the apartment in back, and she did not protest.
“Lee, please, no! Isn’t there some other way?” Franny sobbed as Lee entered her studio apartment with an axe hanging at his side.
???? First they were in the apartment behind the shop, and then they were in the author's apartment and Lee has an axe. Makes no sense to me.
I'm in the minority among all the four and five star reviews here and on Amazon, but I really didn't enjoy it.
January 28, 2014
I could relate to many aspects of this story. We all have dysfunction from our childhoods to integrate into our adult lives. I think Sheryl was very brave to put herself out there in this context. The story kept my interest, but I struggled with the connections and resolutions or lack thereof. I think there's a lot more to this story. It seemed like the resolution with her father was a bit forced like she wanted to put it to rest, but there were issues she didn't really deal with. I think it's a good start but 5 years of therapy is not enough to come to terms with a lifetime of abuse and neglect.
April 2, 2012
This seemed to be quite a contrived story of an extremely dysfunctional family in the 1960's and later, until I found out it is actually biographical (and by a local author). While I am complaining about it, I have to admit it held my interest as I read it!
February 13, 2012
Could not put it down.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews