Heard as an audiobook. Quite boring, I began playing it at a more rapid speed just to get thru it, but abandoned it as soon as I had a replacement audio to listen to.
I really could care less about Jack, who is not given any depth. And his wife (and even more so, his daughter) only enter the story when some contrast or point must be made. His ability to develop a factory from the few pounds he had on immigration, and then his abdication of it some years later (there is a large time gap in the story) for a rural "estate" while still living off the profits, is an unrealistic proposition.
I can see the possibilities for self-discovery as Jack realizes his prior goals are no longer important to him, but don't know if this ever happens. ( )

A beautifully written, witty and poignant tale of one man's life as he faces ongoing religious discrimination and his courage to be accepted no matter the cost. Highly recommended ( )

The story starts off a bit slow bouncing back and forth to the present and past. The story revolves around the main character's (Jack Rosenblum) efforts, determination and the strong will-to-survive in England around the time of the Holocaust. He religiously follows the guide/pamphlet given to him while he arrives at the refugee camp. He adapts himself to adhere to the new life to become the perfect Englishman. However his wife is too sick of this obsession of his.

How their life takes many twists and turns getting them a lot of uncanny stares in the new country and a few good friends who help the couple survive is explained beautifully. The many dilemmas that he faces while on the way to building a golf course all by himself really can tense you up.

In a nutshell, this book is a must read, not just to get motivated to follow your dreams, but also to learn how, when life throws us into many difficult situations, we need to rise back up and figure out a new way to reach the goals; of course, without any ego in the way. ( )

Mr. Rosenblum manages to leave Germany with his wife and daughter in the 1930s and wants very much to be as English as possible. The story comes near the horror of the Holocaust, but moves in another direction thanks to some magical, mythical people and events to a charming, happy ending. And Mr. Rosenblum becomes more English than some native born peers.

Legendary Dorset woolly-pigs figure in the story:
"They were said to be plentiful during ancient times and could grant the pure-hearted their true wish. But then the knights hunted them for sport and the woolly-pigs grew angry and refused to grant any more wishes, pure of heart or not. They hid in the depths of the oldest forests and boared any who tried to find them. As the trees were hacked down and the woodlands became smaller and smaller, they died of sorrow. A few are said to still wander the forests bleating their sadness." [pp. 137-138]

And this recipe reminds me of the story of an older relative unsuccessfully showing my mother how to make knishes (their handfuls of flour were different sizes):
Sadie read out the recipe, "Whip together a batter made of eggs, the right amount of sugar, sufficient flour and the perfect quantity of vanilla." [p. 102] ( )

I read this a couple of years ago. What a story about the desire to fit in. I imagine there are many immigrants around the world right now, asylum seekers too, who are following their own versions of Mr. Rosenblum's list. Reading it makes you realise how hard we make it for others, and yes, I do mean even today, not just when this book was set. Nothing has changed. Beautifully written, but at times painful to read, when you see the struggles they have to try to fit in. This book is on my list of my Top 10 reads ever. ( )