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The Invisible Wall
The Invisible Wall | Harry Bernstein
8 posts | 13 read | 21 to read
There are places that I have never forgotten. A little cobbled street in a smoky mill town in the North of England has haunted me for the greater part of my life. It was inevitable that I should write about it and the people who lived on both sides of its Invisible Wall. The narrow street where Harry Bernstein grew up, in a small English mill town, was seemingly unremarkable. It was identical to countless other streets in countless other working-class neighborhoods of the early 1900s, except for the invisible wall that ran down its center, dividing Jewish families on one side from Christian families on the other. Only a few feet of cobblestones separated Jews from Gentiles, but socially, it they were miles apart. On the eve of World War I, Harrys family struggles to make ends meet. His father earns little money at the Jewish tailoring shop and brings home even less, preferring to spend his wages drinking and gambling. Harrys mother, devoted to her children and fiercely resilient, survives on her dreams: new shoes that might secure Harrys admission to a fancy school; that her daughter might marry the local rabbi; that the entire family might one day be whisked off to the paradise of America. Then Harrys older sister, Lily, does the unthinkable: She falls in love with Arthur, a Christian boy from across the street. When Harry unwittingly discovers their secret affair, he must choose between the morals hes been taught all his life, his loyalty to his selfless mother, and what he knows to be true in his own heart. A wonderfully charming memoir written when the author was ninety-three, The Invisible Wall vibrantly brings to life an all-but-forgotten time and place. It is a moving tale of working-class life, and of the boundaries that can be overcome by love. From the Hardcover edition.
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JenReadsAlot
The Invisible Wall | Harry Bernstein
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This was so good. I wasn't aware that Harry was in his 90s when he wrote it!

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Karen5
The Invisible Wall | Harry Bernstein
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Little by little I started loving his story. Not everything is a fairy tale story you know!

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Cinfhen
The Invisible Wall | Harry Bernstein
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I‘m not sure if I‘ve already sent love and congrats to @DGRachel on reaching 100,000 Litfluence 🎉❣️😊 💕 Rachel is generously hosting a fabulous #giveaway #ShareTheLitsyLove 💓💓💓One of my favorite genres is memoirs...here are a few that really stayed with me...and thanks for #PayingItForward 😘😘

DGRachel Thanks for entering!! 6y
104 likes1 comment
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TrishB
The Invisible Wall | Harry Bernstein
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#bookmail
As recommended by the lovely @Cinfhen

Cinfhen I really hope you love it! 7y
TrishB @Cinfhen It will probably be my non fiction for this month - but you know how these things go! 7y
Cinfhen I nervously await your thoughts... 7y
TrishB Aww.. ..I get like that when I recommend a loved book 💓 7y
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Cinfhen
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These are #MoreOrLess two of my favorite nonfiction reads! Both were five star reads for me! Harry Bernstein wrote his memoir at the age of 93😍and I enjoyed every word😃

TrishB This sounds fab 😀 7y
Cinfhen I loved this book @TrishB I've loaned it to sooo many and they've all raved about it too! This is my third copy 😉 7y
TrishB I've stacked it! Payday next week!! 7y
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Katiedabookworm
The Invisible Wall | Harry Bernstein
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This book was amazing. His perspective was incredibly interesting, and I love his descriptions of his home. It was an amazing book, and I'll definitely try the rest of the series.

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Cinfhen
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#17BookLove #MemoirLove Each of these memoirs are excellent reads! I'm amazed at what people can endure and overcome! I know I'll be thinking of more memoirs all day...Can't wait to see all the recommendations today!!!💗💗💗

haileybean I've been listening to Born a Crime and I'm loving it. :) 7y
howjessicareads I've read the righthand 3, and loved them! I'll have to look for the other two. 🙂 7y
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Cinfhen @haileyhugsbooks best "celebrity" memoir I've read, I also listened to the audio, so good (edited) 7y
Cinfhen I had a chance to meet James McBride @Wife he's such a warm, kind and funny man. I loved his memoir 7y
Cinfhen I hope you try the other two memoirs @jess.how 😊our book club had a really fascinating discussion about 7y
Wife How exciting! I plan on reading the rest of your picks. Already read The Glass Castle and loved it! 7y
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Cinfhen
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For #Recommendsday, I gotta go with my favorite memoir INVISIBLE WALL. At the age of 93 Harry Bernstein penned his heartbreaking and truly fascinating life story of growing up in England prior to WWI. His family's story is remarkable and the bond he shares with his wife will melt your heart.

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