Title: The Invisible Wall 
Author: Harry Bernstein
Summary: From Amazon.com
“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, Harry’s 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. Harry’s mother, devoted to her children and fiercely resilient, survives on her dreams: new shoes that might secure Harry’s 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 Harry’s 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 he’s 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.
Positive Elements: This book is a beautifully written memoir of world many of us know nothing about. The story begins with the author recalling his childhood from age 4. The details and landscape of his everyday life are vivid and engrossing. On the surface it would appear that Harry Bernstein did not have a happy childhood. His father was emotionally and most of the time physically absent. He was often teased and harrassed walking to and from school because of his Jewish faith. Harry’s mother was perhaps the most memorable character in the book. What an amazing woman. She sacrificed her self in every way for her children. She truly is an inspiration to everyone. This memoir is a testament to the resiliency of children. It was also a real look into the divisive world of Jews and Christians. Bernstein realizes that whether Jew or Christian, underneath we are all have the same emotions and hope and dream of the same things. It took a tragedy then a celebration to bring the two cultures together.
Sexual Content: None
Violent Content:There are several situations of domestic violence in the story. However these situations are not too graphic. There are also several instances of children fighting.
Profanity: Some negative connotations and slurs referring to Jews and Christians
Drug Content: None
Conclusion: I loved reading this book. Bernstein faced so much adversity in his childhood. History has always informed of us of the tension and bitterness between Jews and Christians. I have never read a book that brought it to a reader from such a personal persepective. The lively characters from Bernstein’s childhood will make you laugh, want to cry and smile at the small victories. What a triumph for him to pen his first book at 93. I am looking forward to reading the sequel The Dream.
