Mr. Rosenblum's List, or, Friendly Guidance for the Aspiring Englishman

by Natasha Solomons

At the outset of World War II, Jack Rosenblum, his wife Sadie, and their baby daughter escape Berlin, bound for London. They are greeted with a pamphlet instructing immigrants how to act like "the English." Jack acquires Saville Row suits and a Jaguar. He buys his marmalade from Fortnum & Mason and learns to list the entire British monarchy back to 913 A.D. He never speaks German, apart from the occasional curse. But the one key item that would make him feel fully British -membership in a golf club-remains elusive. In post-war England, no golf club will admit a Rosenblum. Jack hatches a wild idea: he'll build his own.

It's an obsession Sadie does not share, particularly when Jack relocates them to a thatched roof cottage in Dorset to embark on his project. She doesn't want to forget who they are or where they come from. She wants to bake the cakes she used to serve to friends in the old country and reminisce. Now she's stuck in an inhospitable landscape filled with unwelcoming people, watching their bank account shrink as Jack pursues his quixotic dream.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, British Literature, Jewish, Historical, Book Club, Adult Fiction

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Natasha Solomons is a writer and the New York Times bestselling author of The Gallery of Vanished Husbands, The House at Tyneford, and Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English. She lives in Dorset England, with her husband, the writer David Solomons, and their two young children. Song of Hartgrove Hall is her fourth novel.

Reviews

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars.
German born Jack Rosenblum escapes Berlin with his wife and ends up in London. Using the welcome pamphlet provided to immigrants, Jack (originally Jacob) sets about modelling himself on the English gentleman. Business wise he becomes successful with a thriving carpet manufacturing factory. He manages many transformations but one eludes him His aim is to join a golf club but as a German Jew he is repeatedly rejected. He resolves to build his own golf course. His wife Sadie is less than thrilled with the idea. And one can’t blame her since the whole move from London to the country is thrust upon her without any consultation but presented as an accomplished fact.
In the country Jack finds those who seek to be friends and also those to whom he is an amusement and an embarrassment. Sometimes it is hard for Jack to tell who his friends are and who are seeking to do all they can to prevent his golf course going ahead.
I found this book charming, yet also laced with sadness. It gives a clear picture of the prejudices of people as well as the kindnesses and those who accept others who may be different to them. Even though I have no interest in golf, I fell in love with this poignant tale and its characters. At various times my husband heard me chuckling. At other times shedding a tear or sighing and muttering to myself at the cruelty of people. Jack, Sadie and some of the others became as real to me as if they were living next door. Once I started this book I wanted to read through to the end. A quirky entertaining read with its insights into human nature, it won’t be for everyone I suspect, but I loved it.

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nice premise but very turgid prose made this a boring book with which I found hard to maintain interest. I cant even explain to myself why I persevered with it when every time I thought of it or picked it up I was filled with irritation. As soon as I completed it I put it in the garbage. I never do that but I couldn't in good conscience donate it to a library sale or goodwill store. I read a rumour that this will soon be a movie, funnily enough this story may be better suited for a movie format than a book.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I think many will be talking about this year. It's a lovely, touching and extremely engaging novel about a German attempting to assimilate into British culture after the War and his quest to build a golf course. Really great writing, a compelling plot that breaks your heart but also elates it at every turn.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems like just a quirky book about a stubbornly determined but highly insecure man who is seeking acceptance into a world he can never be part of, but. . .it is really much more than that.

In this short book, we find so many universal themes and truths:

-- the search for acceptance from those who will never give it
-- the very different ways in which immigrants with similar backgrounds approach life in their adoptive countries
-- the value of perseverance
-- the upside and downside of pursuing a dream with singleminded determination
-- how the best things that happen to us sometimes come from the places we least expect
-- how good character can trump most flaws

So, there are definitely life lessons to be learned from this book, but the book never seems preachy or strained, just a charming story of a man with an enormous dream, the troubles of Job, and an almost unshakeable faith that he will overcome all and triumph. Seeing him question that faith is one of the toughest parts of the book.

[Kate Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful treat this book is: sparkling wit, crystalline prose, characters full of courage and sympathy. The middle-aged Jack Rosenblum is a German Jew who escaped Nazi Germany by moving his family to England - and for twenty years, Jack has devoted himself to becoming the perfect English gentleman. He has the tweed suits from Harrods, the prosperous company job, the pipe and the Jaguar, but one thing eludes him: membership to a golf club. When every good golf club rejects Jack (no Jews allowed! Germany certainly didn't corner the market on anti-Semitism in the 40s and 50s) Jack decides with grandeur and a certain lunacy to build his own golf course. He drags his faithful wife Sadie out to the country to realize his dream, undaunted by mole hills, dubious local farmers, and his own complete lack of experience in either golfing or landscaping. Jack's journey, and Sadie's quieter one, is marked by humor, tragedy, and ultimately triumph as Jack builds his course and learns along the way what it really takes to be a true English gentleman. A moving, emotional-lump-in-your-throat novel. And what a pleasure to read a book about the trials, heroics, and soul-searchings of the middle-aged - as if only the young and beautiful have the right to star in fiction.

[Evi * · Rating 5 out of 5]

Come diceva il mio amico ex roberto ora Il vecchio e il lago devo essere gentile con me stessa e ogni cinque mattoni concedermi un libro leggero.
E questo libro è delizioso, molto delicato, dolcemente comico ma assolutamente non sciocco e più profondo di quello che appare.

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Talk about uneven pacing. Check this out:

1st 40 pages: Jack Rosenblum, a pre-WWII Jewish refugee from Germany, arrives with his wife and infant in England determined to be an Englishman. He strikes it rich almost instantly and makes it in every possible way except for being admitted to a golf club. He finally decides to build his own. Twenty years pass.

Next 210 pages: Jack moves to the countryside and builds the golf course, weathering an endless set of setbacks, only to experience a final blow and give up.

Last 50 pages: Jack makes a comeback and finally achieves his dream.

But I think my bigger problem with this book was the characterization. I got the sense that Natasha wanted me to be charmed by Jack and his indomitable spirit, much the way Mary Ann Shaffer kept begging you to fall in love with her LOVABLE ECCENTRIC characters in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. But to be honest, I didn't think Jack was cute or admirable in any way. I thought he was dumb. I thought his earnest following of a list in order to fit into British society, aside from being gimmicky and cutesy, made him way too naive to be believable, especially when it took him forever to outgrow it (this is the guy with the savvy to become a successful factory owner?). I thought his golf scheme and the risks he took for it was absolutely ridiculous and over the top. His last setback, I admit, was actually poignant for me and achieved the three-dimensional perspective on assimilation that should have happened 150 pages earlier. Unfortunately, it didn't redeem the book for me. And neither did any of the other, equally thin characters.

Last but not least -- RIDICULOUS Jewish mistakes. I mean, seriously. I'm somewhat used to this, as an Orthodox Jewish consumer of books about Jews written by non-Orthodox writers. But this was extreme. They're Orthodox and they don't know when Rosh Hashana is until the day of? Really? I swear by the hole in my beigel? Can I puke now?

[Banafsheh Serov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack and Sadie Rosenblum escape Hitler's Germany and land on the shores of England knowing know one, with very little money and heartsick at having left their loved ones behind. Desperate to regain a sense of belonging Jack immerses himself in becoming a proper English Gentleman, much to his wife's irritation. He follows the guidelines on manners, customs and habits of his new home as set out in the 'helpful list' for immigrants. Overtime he adds to the list his own observations, until he reaches his last point: English Gentlemen play golf.

After repeated requests to join various golf courses are rejected, Jack decides to build his own. Selling their home in London and moving to Dorset, Jack throws himself full heartily into building his golf course. Meanwhile Sadie spends her days remembering her lost family by baking towering cakes that taste of sadness and tending to her rose garden.

Filled with a cast of ecentric characters Mr Rosenblum's List is a quaint tale that leaves the reader with a warm feeling in the stomach and a breezy smile. I liked the idea that for all of us in exile there are corners in the world where we can regain our sense of belonging.

[Felice · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everyone has their favorite place to read about. The place you secretly wish to live or at least vacation several times a year. As much as I am drawn to stories set in Asia thanks to early exposure to master storyteller James Clavell, novels set in England are still my pets. Thank you Charles Dickens, Jane Austin, George Eliott, Wilkie Collins, Anthony Trollope, Barbara Pym and Elizabeth Taylor. England is one of those key words like: historical, colonial and Hilary Mantel that will make me interested before I even pick up a book. Therefore Mr Rosenblum Dreams in English by Natasha Solomons is a natural for me, right? Yeah, well like the kids say these days, "Not so much".


Mr Jack Rosenblum brings his family from Germany to England just as WWII is starting. Jack is ready to follow the pamphlet they have been given “Helpful Information and Friendly Guidance for Every Refugee” on living English, to the letter. The main advice seems to be fit in and keep quiet. Jack knows that England will be safe, welcoming and persecution free to his Jewish family. His wife Sadie is not so sure. Over the years in fairy tale style Jack builds up a wildly successful carpet business but as you can guess because you see it coming a mile off every time Jack isn't accepted by the towns folk. Can't we all just get along? It becomes Jack's mission in life, the thing that will prove his place in this new homeland, to get membership at a golf club. Finally he has to build his own and, wait for it, if you build it they will come.

Oh well. I wanted to like Mr Rosenblum. I am certainly the target audience for this novel but for me it missed the mark. There are some nice post war details and the characters can be ingratiating but the pace is far too slow and the writing too inconsistent to support the slim, already well trodden plot. The author's desire here is lighthearted poignancy but it all ends up being soapy and endless

[Lavinia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many years ago I read (or was told, cannot remember exactly) that if you emigrate to USA you can be an American sooner or later, while if you emigrate to England you can never be an Englishman.
Now, trying to save himself and his family, Mr. Rosenblum flees Berlin right before WWII and goes straight to London, to start a new life. But he doesn't just want to live there, he wants to be a proper gentleman. (He obviously hadn't read the thing I had). Therefore, he has a list of things to do in order to become one: learn and speak only English, buy English products, wear an English suit and hat, drive an English car, and last but not least, play golf.
The book is touchy and funny, too bad it has ups and downs. While Jack ticks the things on the list one by one, struggling to be accepted in the English society, his wife struggles on her own, fighting with the pain of knowing her family in Berlin was left facing the Holocaust.
P.S. I wish I owned muttie's recipe book.

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t what I was expecting. I had anticipated a story of how Jack and Sadie Rosenblum assimilated into their lives in Britain after escaping from Nazi Germany just before WWII - what they struggled with and whether they were enjoying their new life. What I got instead, was a golf-course-making manual. Because Jack was making a list of what constituted a proper English gentleman (one point of which was playing golf), when Jack was unable to join the established golf clubs, he decided to make his own golf course. So there was a lot of information about building a golf course - much more than I had realised. I wanted more of how Sadie was coping.

It was also a bit strange in parts, and left some bits unexplained. All in all, a little disappointing - 2.5★

[Paula Margulies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book -- utterly charming and well-written. There were a few POV shifts here and there, but in this novel, they were forgivable. At times the story reminded me of a fairy tale; at one point, the main character, Jack Rosenblum, and his wife, Sadie, fall asleep in a field of bluebells and wake up to a rainfall, like children in a Brothers Grimm story. I loved that Jack really yearned for something -- to be English, to be a member of a golf club, and finally, when he can't find the acceptance he craves, to build a golf course of his own. It was a pleasure to read about a character who longed for acceptance and assimilation and didn't lose his humanity while searching for it. Sadie was a more difficult character; her preoccupation with her Jewish family lost in Germany during the war is sad and, at times, frighteningly obsessive. The tone of this novel reminded me of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand and the characters in the Dorset portion of the story reminded me of the quirky country set in Jan Karon's Mitford series. If you liked any of those books, you'll love this one.

[JG (Introverted Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jack Rosenblum and his young family were some of the fortunate Jews who escaped Berlin before WWII started. When they disembarked in Great Britain, they were given a pamphlet entitled While you are in England: Helpful Information and Friendly Guidance for every Refugee. Mr. Rosenblum becomes obsessed with the idea of living his life according to these rules and becoming a perfect English gentleman. As time goes by, he realizes that the list is incomplete. He begins to add to it and to cross items off the list. The original list states that only English should be spoken. Mr. Rosenblum thinks that every English gentleman owns a suit that was tailored for him on Savile Row. He crosses both items off his list.

Things proceed swimmingly for a few years, then Jack hits a snag. Every English gentleman must belong to a golf club. Mr. Rosenblum tries and tries and tries again to join one. No golf clubs are admitting Jews. Jack, being an eternal optimist, decides to buy a place in the country and build his own. It shouldn't be too hard.

I'll admit that I was a little nervous about this book as I got a good start on it. I was really liking optimistic Jack and there seemed to be so much room for heartbreak in his story. I don't generally like heart-breaking books. There are heart-breaking moments, but the overall tone is one of hope. Much more my style.

I just couldn't help but like and root for Mr. Rosenblum. I wished that he could be comfortable in his own skin and with his own identity, but I understood where he was coming from. He felt that he could only be safe if he became a proper English gentleman. He came from such a hard time and place. His attitude is understandable. He was such a hard worker and his boundless enthusiasm for his projects was endearing. He might be a hard man to live with, but he was very good company in the pages of a book.

His wife Sadie was almost the exact opposite. She is clinging to her old life and her memories. I felt so bad for her. She lost family in the Holocaust and she tried so hard to remember them and honor them. Mr. Rosenblum's embrace of the English life felt to her like a betrayal of the old life. Sadie had a hard time but she started to grow on me as well.

I read the last several chapters with a huge smile on my face. This was just a feel-good book about community, remembrance, and accepting yourself. I highly recommend it.

[Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ... · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one is plagued by inconsistent writing and lethargic - almost stagnant - pacing. And even worse, for me, Mr. Rosenblum is a dull and unlikable character.

Natasha Solomons presented a story about Mr Jack Rosenblum, who brings his family to England from Germany just before WWII. Jack wants to fully assimilate. He wants to be English, rather than an immigrant. He was given a pamphlet entitled “Helpful Information and Friendly Guidance for Every Refugee” and he is following it -- every tiny detail of it. The most important message is that the immigrant should stay quiet and fit in. Because Jack believes that England will be safe for his family he is motivated to follow the advice carefully. His wife, Sadie, is less convinced. She understands that no matter how careful they may be they will still be seen as Jewish, and due to WWII, as Germans. She knows they will always be seen as suspect.

Jack goes into the carpet business which becomes very successful. Despite his wealth the people of his community to do not accept him. (No surprise here.) But this only makes Jack more determined and because no golf club will allow him membership he decides to build a golf club of his own. The book spends a lot of time discussing the building of this club and at times it felt like an instruction manual.

Truthfully the message here is one I should like as I find books about the immigrant experience to be powerful, emotional and moving. But this was none of those things. Perhaps the premise blocked all of that for me -- Jack was trying so hard to deny his Jewishness and Germanic nature that none of those immigrant issues could be explored with any depth.

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book caught me off guard. I don't think everyone will love it the way I did, but there are qualities within these pages to please most everyone.
It starts off with a quirky tone which lasts throughout the whole book but underneath there are deep undertones of grief, love and survival. I laughed and cried and found found myself criticizing characters only to analyze them a little more and feel as if I understood them to their very core.
It is a post WWII story about human nature hidden within the tale of a German Jewish man, Mr. Jack Rosenblum, who has the crazy idea to build his own golf course.
Some of the most emotional writing was contained in the passages about his wife Sadie's cooking. I loved it and felt her grief. There were times I felt so frustrated by both Sadie and Jack and loved seeing their progression.
The characters were eclectic but lovable. The story was quirky but heartfelt and it made me think a lot about life. I would highly recommend and will definitely be purchasing a copy of this book for my bookshelf. It is a great book for bookclub!

[Debbi · Rating 1 out of 5]

It has taken so much longer than it needed, to finish this book. It was a very painful ordeal, during which I gave up several times. I finally forced myself to finish so I would know that something good happened to this poor man. He was mistreated and abused by the people in the newly adopted country where he and his family sought refuge from the persecution of German Jews. He was misunderstood and mistreated by his wife. His daughter was an overindulged, spoiled brat, who did come through eventually, naturally.

A solid 7/8ths of this book, if not more, is misery applied liberally on top of sadness and despair. I finally managed to finish by skipping large portions of meanness and abuse.

In the end {and by end, I mean the VERY end}, there was a little upswing, but talk about "too little too late"! The author found it necessary to finally break what seemed to be the indomitable spirit of the main character, Jack, before she tossed him a crumb. I think the attempt was to feel like real life, but in reality, it was just plain painful to read. I don't know how many nights I closed the book before it could get worse.

I think there is a premise here for the wonderful, cheerful, uplifting story that I was told to expect, but if you read it, don't go into it expecting anything less than a story of sadness and a poor miserably mistreated, sweet old man.

{I am certain that the author is a very sweet and lovely person, and I don't want to pick on her . . . it's just that this book, for my taste, went a bit too far with the sadness and misery, and not far enough pulling it out of the downward spiral. I was mislead into reading it by a professional reviewer. It is she I think, who is responsible for leading me down the proverbial primrose path . . . and myself for following her.}

[Sally · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this completely unreadable - the writing was all over the place; there was no structure; the characters were flat. I struggled trhough about three chapters and gave up - something I rarely do.

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 5 out of 5]

«Israele è un posto da giovani, e io sono vecchio. È troppo, costruire un intero Paese.
Mi basta un campo da golf».

Sicuramente Natasha Solomons è stata la mia scoperta del 2021, perchè mi sono ritrovata a leggere tre suoi libri, uno dietro l'altro.
Va detto che, rispetto alle colorate e strepitose cover che hanno i suoi libri in edizione originale, qui da noi in Italia è penalizzata da foto d'epoca che danno l'impressione di affrontare storie tristi e "serie" (come se non si potessero scrivere romanzi storici e sbarazzini, in grado di farci sognare...). Anche il titolo originale rendeva molto di più, perchè è la lista "di cose tipiche che rendono un bravo cittadino inglese", stilata da Mr. Rosenblum, appena arrivato in Inghilterra, come profugo ebreo, dalla Germania, a costituire la vera ossatura della trama.

Per quanto giovani, Jack e Sadie portano con sé un bagaglio di dolore e lutti non indifferente. Ma mentre Sadie si aggrappa con tenacia ai ricordi, alle foto del fratellino perduto, alle tradizioni e alle celebrazioni ebraiche per non perdere la propria anima e non dimenticare, Jack è convinto che la vera opportunità sia ricominciare in una nuova terra, con un nuovo nome, una nuova attività e nuove passioni. La sua ostinazione è quella di "uniformarsi", di non essere più identificabile come straniero, come potenziale bersaglio, ma di abbracciare tutto ciò che deriva dalla sua nuova patria, cominciando una carriera economica che porterà ricchezza, ma non pieno riconoscimento sociale.

Sadie apprezzava il calendario ebraico perché era tutto incentrato sulla memoria. Anche lei aveva una lista: ricordati di rispettare il Sabbath, ricordati di seguire i precetti alimentari che ti rammentano che sei ebrea; allo Yom Kippur espia i tuoi peccati e, ancora più importante, non dimenticare i morti. Durante la vita c’è il compleanno e poi lo Yahrzeit, il giorno della morte, e Sadie sapeva, festeggiando ogni anno il proprio compleanno, che c’era quell’altro anniversario in attesa come un invisibile fermalibro. Le piaceva il rituale dell’anno ebraico: era una corda da bucato a cui appendere le sue rimembranze.

E se l'ultima tappa del nuovo status è far parte di un golf club, ma nessuno lo vuole come socio, Jack supererà l'ostacolo a modo suo. Anche se questo vuol dire spostarsi in campagna, aggirare la diffidenza di vicini scostanti, andare a caccia del "maiale lanoso", farsi beffe di nobili snob e festeggiare a proprio modo l'incoronazione della regina Elisabetta.

Ambientato tra il dopoguerra e gli anni '60, questo romanzo è uno scorcio agrodolce nella vita di una coppia (con figlia), che diviene ritratto di un villaggio e di una società che cambia, ma anche un modo originale per raccontare il dolore di chi si ritrova senza radici e deve ripartire da zero, scegliendo una strada per farlo. Ricordare o tracciare una linea bianca?
Ci sono libri che inaspettatamente ti entrano nel cuore e a giorni di distanza non riesci ancora a lasciare andare i personaggi.

Tagliò una sottilissima fetta per ciascuna con un enorme coltello. Tutte l’assaggiarono, ed era la torta più straordinaria che avessero mai mangiato. Era dolce e morbidissima con un sentore di limone, ma non appena si riempì la bocca del suo sapore delizioso ciascuna donna fu sommersa dalla tristezza. Ognuna di loro assaggiò i ricordi di Sadie, il suo dolore e la sua infelicità, e per una volta, mentre loro mangiavano, Sadie non fu sola nella propria tristezza.

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. I almost gave up on this and I can't say that I am particularly glad that I didn't. While it had some cute, poignant moments and some valuable insights into cross-cultural adaptation, belonging, acceptance, and identity, it was also verrrry slow moving and the cheesiness and mystical/folklore element took away from the historical context. The end was predictable, but at the same time I kept waiting for some kind of twist or lesson or something that never came. I couldn't help thinking it would be better as a movie -- sort of "Field of Dreams" meets "Chocolat" meets "Dear Mr. Henshaw" (yes, that's a book, but anyway . . .) meets every "eccentric-but-charming villagers pull together" movie ever made with a pinch of WWII drama. The tedious "Jack does a lot of digging" and "Sadie does a lot of baking" sequences would be so much better as montages set to music. Maybe this is the rare case in which the movie would be better than the book . . .

[Loes Dissel · Rating 3 out of 5]

" He liked the English and their peculiarities. He liked their stoicism under pressure; on the wall in his factory he kept a copy of a war poster emblazoned with the Crown of King George and underneath the words "Keep Calm and Carry On". "

[Rosario · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being an immigrant, I'm always on the lookout for stories that might reflect my experience in some way. Most of the ones set in the present-day, though, seem to be about the difficulties and the culture clashes and present immigration as a sort of necessary evil. This has not been my experience at all, and so while I do find these accounts valuable and interesting, I don't particularly identify with them. Me, I actually like England. I could go back and have a perfectly good life back in Uruguay any time, it's just that with all its flaws (which I do see!) this place suits me much better than Uruguay ever did. And so Mr. Rosenblum's List, with its insights into integration and the nature of Englishness spoke to me.

The story concerns a German Jew, the eponymous Mr. Rosenblum, who moves to London with his family when World War II is about to erupt. While his wife, Sadie, misses her former life and grieves for all she left behind, Jack (as he immediately decides to call himself) throws himself wholeheartedly into his new life and his new country, determined to become the most English Englishman of them all. He makes a list of what it means to be English, and will achieve all the items on that list, whatever it takes. All of them, including the one that turns out to be the hardest: membership in a golf club.

Mr. Rosenblum's List is hilarious and heartbreaking, sometimes at the same time, and it's also really insightful. Solomons really gets it, things like how it feels when you embrace something you love about your new home, but at the same time have a tiny niggling fear that some people find if funny that you have done so, or the realisation that some people will always perceive you as different and exotic, however at home you feel. Not that Jack Rosenblum has those realisations (at least that we know), but even so, the insights are there and they definitely resonated.

MY GRADE: A B+.

[Sandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the day in 1937 that he and his wife and infant daughter left their German homeland and relocated to London, Jack Rosenblum has been trying to leave the remnants of his own culture behind and "become English" much to the chagrin of his wife who he drags along into his assimilation pipedream while she longs only for the old days and old ways.

Once you get past the first 35 to 40 pages chances are very likely that you will find MR. ROSENBLUM DREAMS IN ENGLISH to be one of the most engaging books you will come across this year and the lives of its central characters, Jack and Sadie Rosenblum thought-provoking. Their departure from the smog and dirt of London and relocation to the "burbs" of Dorset so that Jack may pursue an unusual and very personal project is an adventure we experience right along with them. We find ourselves gently drawn into the lives of Jack and Sadie and those of their neighbors, an eclectic mixture of delightful characters. I, personally, was most taken with two of these unusual townsfolk - Curtis Butterworth - he of the special secret cider recipe and tall tales surrounding the existence of the elusive Dorset woolly-pig and his doubting Thomas cohort Jack Basset.

Author Natasha Solomons has provided her readers with an engaging and multi-faceted tale. In it we experience aspects of love, loyalty, friendship, optimism, conviction, isolation and betrayal as well as an examination of the larger history of British elites, their feelings of entitlement and their denigration of those they perceive as occupying a lesser station in life.

This is a wonderfully readable synthesis of fact and fiction whose message is humorous at times and heart-wrenching at others but ultimately this is a lesson in the art of pursuing and fulfilling ones dreams.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm torn. Was this a two star or a three star book? On one hand, I had a hard time getting into it. On the other hand, once I did, I couldn't put it down.

Jack and Sadie Rosenblum immigrate to England from Berlin during WWII and then settle into an outsider's life. Jack tries everything he can do to become the proper Englishman, but to no avail. He will always be known as the Jew. He crafts a neverending list of things proper Englishmen do and tries to do them to the best of his ability. The final item was belonging to a golf club. Unfortunately, because of his ethnicity, he was rejected. So he uproots his wife, moves from London to a small country town and proceeds to build his own golf course.

It should be noted that I hate golf. And so I had given up on the book and read two other books in between, but kept going back to this one. Towards the last third of the book, the story line really picked up. And in the end, I'm glad I finished it.

HOWEVER, this is a poorly written book, technically, with viewpoints scattered all over the place and the story line took a long time to develop, so I picked up the inconsistencies in the book. And once I saw them, they were hard to ignore, which distracted from the story overall.

[Tilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times whilst reading this book I couldn't decide whether I loved it or hated it! I definatley enjoyed the people in it and found the subtleties of Jacks character, such as his self-critisicm whenever he did something he deemed un-English, to be very entertaining and endearing.
Curtis too was excellently portrayed by the author in a way which forced the reader to love him and although sadie was a little too downtrodden sometimes, we are able to sympathize thanks to the background solomons has set earlier in the book.
One thing I found really difficult in the book though was the over indulgent descriptions of the countryside. The language used was beautiful yes, but I felt the amount of description used overall throughout the book actually worked against itself and made all those charmingly written passages more tedious than enjoyable.
Overall a pleasant read but one that wasn't easy to feel passionate about in parts.

[Sarah]

I might come back to this one, because I'm hoping my lack of excitement for it stems from my overabundance of excitement for re-reading the Hunger Games series in anticipation of next week's Mockingjay release. Besides, look at that beautiful cover! Gorgeous -- logically it means it's a great book, right? Right? Hm.

[Abby · Rating 1 out of 5]

i didn't finish this book. i got about 1/3 of the way in and i was so bored and uninterested in the characters that i had to stop. i never do that. i appreciated the little details of english rural life, but felt irritated by everything and everyone else. weird.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

As so often happens, I find through no planning on my part that I read succeeding books similar or in the same location. This book is the second I've read lately that deals with the protagonist's love of England. They are very different in tone and in depth. Jack Rosenblum and his wife, Sadie, are German Jewish exiles during WWII. Jack does everything he can to become a perfect English gentleman, but Sadie is lonely for her homeland and her family, whom we understand were not fortunate enough to escape the fate of many Jews in Germany. Jack become a successful rug manufacturer, and they are somewhat accepted, but he is unable to be allowed to join a golf club. So Jack determines to build his own. They move to Dorset, and Jack begins his plans to build the golf course. Here, this part of the book takes on almost the tone of a fantasy. Sadie withdraws to her kitchen and remembers her old life through her mother's cookbook while Jack is completely obsessed with the golf course. Over the years they gradually become a part of the rural community. I feel, as an American who has never been to England, I miss a lot by not being familiar with the countryside. Solomon writes with beautiful description of the area, which I discovered she is from. Her love of the area is obvious. There is pathos in the sorrow and longing Sadie experiences. I can't imagine what it must be like to have that experience. I've read one other book by Solomon, and plan to read more.

[debra L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book 4 stars for story; 3stars for the writing. Loved the characters and the story but found it a bit too wordy... (found myself occasionally skimming when getting bogged down)
Engaging and quirky story that involves you in a rather different and entertaining immigrant experience...

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The original UK title for this book, Mr Rosenblum's List: Or Friendly Guidance for the Aspiring Englishman, is so much better. I don't know why the publisher felt the need to change it.

Jakob "Jack" Rosenblum, his wife, and their infant daughter seek asylum in England just before World War II. Unfortunately, they find themselves treated poorly because of both their German accents and their Jewish surname. (I didn't realize that England "detained" citizens of German ancestry during WWII, much like the U.S.'s treatment of Japanese-Americans. Jack is released because he owns a carpet factory that has been turned over to the war effort.)

After the war, Mrs. Rosenblum is perfectly happy living in a predominately Jewish neighborhood in London, but Jack's greatest desire is to be a true Englishman. He initially follows a list of ways to assimilate provided by a local organization, but goes on to write his own list. The one item he's unable to complete is joining a golf club, so he decides to move out into the countryside and build his own. Various conflicts with the country farmers ensue.

For a long time, I really wasn't sure where this book was going. Certain events occur that indicate the ending will be a sad one: Jack's golf course being destroyed, Sadie nearly dying, Jack's course not being approved by the local council, etc. If you want to know the tone (but no details) of the ending: it all ends extremely conveniently and happily. It was a little too convenient for my taste.

In many ways, this book reminds me of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: the English countryside setting, the golf club, class snobbery, treatment of immigrants, impending development of the land, etc. There is some humor in this book as well, but not to the extent I found in Major Pettigrew's dry wit. In general, I would say if you like Helen Simonson, you will most likely enjoy Natasha Solomons.

[Lorri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to read novels that inspire, that are filled with beautiful prose and have a story line that captures me from the beginning straight through to the end. Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English, by Natasha Solomons, is such a novel.

From the first page to the last, I was enthralled with the story of Jack Rosenblum, and his wife Sadie. They manage to flee Nazi Germany just before World War II with their young daughter, Elizabeth, and emigrate to England. Once they arrive there, they are given a pamphlet, on how to best fit into proper English life. Jack takes the pamphlet and begins to live in earnest by its contents. He goes one step further and adds his own items to the list, items he feels are of great importance in the quest to become a proper English citizen. By the time he is finished there are over 100 items on the list, with the last entry being a membership in an English golf club.

Natasha Solomons is extremely brilliant in her assessment of the characters, and her display of them. They are based, in part, on her own grandparents. She depicts Jack and Sadie with all of their humanness, their flaws, strengths, sorrows and joys, and gives the reader a radiant look at their will to survive and begin anew at all costs. Her visuals are vibrant, and the reader is given use of all of their senses through the illuminating prose.