The Forever Street: A Novel
by Frederic Morton
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Description
Berek, a young penniless Jew of eighteen is struggling to make a home of Turk Place, a desolate street that, in 1873 Vienna, was little more than a Gypsy encampment. But Berek believes fiercely in his own power to forge miracles. Taking the caretaker's daughter as his bride, Berek is confident he can thrive on faith. When a mysterious piece of stone comes into his possession, he and his wife believe their prayers have been answered; the stone may be a holy fragment of Jerusalem's Wailing show more Wall. This relic, no larger than a brick, proves to transfigure the couple's lives. They make Turk Place their home and three generations of Turk Place residents share the legacy of the Brick. For six decades, the family perseveres in the face of tumultuous events -- World War I, the shattering of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Great Depression. But Hitler's "final solution" forces them to make an impossible choice: flee the Nazis or remain and perish. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Reviews
Very interesting and nice connections in time forged between the origins of the stone, and 'Black' Mustafa (I guess he would seem 'dark' to the residents of Vienna, even 400 years after the seige, with very nice descriptions of the minarets...), the Prime Minister, and the current life of the city, again seeming to be under seige from dark forces.
Definitely bears another reading next year.
Definitely bears another reading next year.
Very interesting and nice connections in time forged between the origins of the stone, and 'Black' Mustafa (I guess he would seem 'dark' to the residents of Vienna, even 400 years after the seige, with very nice descriptions of the minarets...), the Prime Minister, and the current life of the city, again seeming to be under seige from dark forces.
Definitely bears another reading next year.
Definitely bears another reading next year.
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Author Information
Frederic Morton was born Fritz Mandelbaum on October 5, 1924 in Vienna, Austria. He fled with his family to Britain in 1939 and immigrated to New York City the following year. The senior Mandelbaum changed the family name in order to join an anti-Semitic labor union. Morton went to a trade school and became a baker. He later attended City College show more of New York and Columbia University, where he studied literature. His best-known work was The Rothschilds, about the banking family, which became a Broadway show. His other nonfiction works included A Nervous Splendor: Vienna, 1888-1889, Thunder at Twilight: Vienna 1913-1914, and a memoir, Runaway Waltz. He wrote several novels during his lifetime including The Hound, The Schatten Affair, Snow Gods, An Unknown Woman, and The Forever Street. In 2002, the city of Vienna distributed 100,000 copies of The Forever Street to residents for free. He received the Cross of Honor for Arts and Sciences in 2003. He died on April 20, 2015 at the age of 90. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Some Editions
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Eine Stadt. Ein Buch. (2002)
Common Knowledge
- Original title
- Forever Street
- Original publication date
- 1984
- Important places
- Vienna, Austria
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 56
- Popularity
- 545,292
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.50)
- Languages
- English, German
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 8
- ASINs
- 2
