All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor
CW: Scarlet Fever, Money Problems, Lost Child, Police Propaganda, Parental Problems, Jealousy
5/5
I recently overheard a conversation about Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I couldn't help but think about the fact that I've never read the book nor seen an adaptation. I was raised on Sydney Taylor's All-of-a-Kind Family instead.* Certainly they aren't quite the same, but it was my story collection about young girls in a large family. I decided it was time to revisit this part of my childhood, and I'm very glad I did! I have been able to gush about it with my mom and remember things that had been lost to time. Taylor is an excellent author and Suzanne Toren did an amazing job narrating the audiobook.
All-of-a-Kind Family is about 5 Jewish sisters growing up in a tenement house in New York City in the early 1900s. Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie are all very close. The book follows these sisters, their family, and a family friend as they go through roughly a year of their life. This family loves the library, seeing new things, and finding clever ways to spend their allowance. They get themselves into a fair bit of trouble, but they always have each other to count on when that happens.
This book is told in vignette-like chapters as it progresses through time. Each one is a little story from their lives, but it retains continuity as it goes from one to the next. For example, the first chapter is about a lost library book. The book is being paid back throughout the rest of the chapters, being brought up in a couple of them. I quite enjoyed this style of writing. There were some background plot lines to tie the whole book together, but I was specifically captivated by the chapter-long plots. It kept me from being able to predict what would come next. This was a relief, for I had forgotten much of All-of-a-Kind Family in the decades since reading it last.
One of the most interesting things about reading All-of-a-Kind Family now is that it's historical fiction from before even my mom was born. The book was written about the turn of the 20th century, it was published in 1951, and I read it in 2023. I had a lot of fun trying to figure out what was included as historical and what was just normal for Taylor. Tenement life is not something I knew a lot about. It was interesting to learn about the candy they had, all of the peddlers trying to sell things, and the fashion, among other things.
I certainly loved all the Judaism in All-of-a-Kind Family! This is likely why I was raised on the series, because it was a group of young Jewish kids. I'm only one of 3 instead of the large number in this family, but there was still plenty of relatable content. I smiled at all the Yiddish included, the voices done by the narrator, and all of the holidays they celebrated. Although each holiday was explained to Gertie, the youngest child, it's clear that the book was written for a Jewish audience (but don't let that discourage you if you aren't Jewish!). It was interesting to see the religion from their perspective, as they're clearly more conservative than I am. Women did not typically go to synagogue, and when they did, they were separated into sections. They also had the two sets of dishes that kosher rules dictate. I keep kosher-style. This means that I follow the basic rules only. Not everyone practices Judaism the same way, so I appreciate that variety being represented in what I read.
All-of-a-Kind Family is aimed at children, likely to be read to them by their parents. Each chapter is very much its own story, the children are young, and the other characters are referred to in ways a child would (ex. Mama, Library Lady). Still, it seems to have transcended time and age-range. Someone of any age could get something out of this book. The point of view for the book is 3rd Person Omniscient. That means you get to know what's going through the minds of the adults too. It also has some relatively universal themes like familial love, money problems, a love for reading, and the weight of responsibility. Don't be afraid to read a children's book for your own pleasure, especially this one.
If you like historical fiction, books about Jewish characters, or stories that take place in New York City, give All-of-a-Kind Family by Sydney Taylor a chance! The girls and Mama have all kinds of adventures for you to join them on. And if you need me to up the stakes, if you're a fan of Little Women, you can challenge me to read that while you read this! Now let's get to reading about these book lovers!
*I want to make it clear that I am snubbing Little Women, it just wasn't part of my childhood.
Коментарі