From the Bookshelf of Around the World in 80 Books…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought

What an intriguing story! The main character is Malka Treynovsky, who emigrated to New York with her poor Jewish family in 1913. The twists and turns in her life are amazing and unbelievable, yet she survives and transforms herself into Lillian Dunkle, who becomes the "Ice Cream Queen of America", as President Eisenhower eventually called her. Her past has made her into a formidable woman who will stop at nothing to succeed and get what she wants, no matter what she has to do to get it. The stor
...more

Although this is my first book of Gilman's that wasn't a memoir, I still loved her humor. With many flashbacks in the mostly chronological organization, it left some details out until you needed to know them. This especially was the case with the ending of the book. You get hints as to an accident and trial, but you don't know exactly what until the end.
As far as moments that stood out, I felt for Malka and her sisters. The transition from Russia to America and then from Orchard St to the Dinel ...more
As far as moments that stood out, I felt for Malka and her sisters. The transition from Russia to America and then from Orchard St to the Dinel ...more

A story that is quite light and enjoyable to listen to, read by its author. Lots of interesting anecdotes on immigrant lifestyle and the chutzpah required to make it in the new world. I did enjoy the smart-ass style of the narrator/protagonist.


Feb 26, 2016
Agatha Donkar Lund
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
chpl-has-it

Apr 23, 2018
Terri
marked it as jewish-book-club
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
jewish-fiction

