Phylis

About Phylis: Tales of a Jewish Child during the Great Depression 

Phylis: Tales of a Jewish Child during the Great Depression is a collection of charming short stories written by 90-year-old Phylis Goldberg, told entirely from the perspective of her precocious childhood self. Growing up on Long Island, the cherished youngest daughter of two Orthodox Jewish immigrants, Phylis’s clear-eyed recollections of her family life are fun and funny, unsparingly truthful, and sparkle like fresh paint. From the sacred celebrations of High Holy Days to the glittering thrill of the Woolworth’s counter, from the connections of a close-knit family to the loneliness of a quirky outsider, from times of plenty to the financial heartbreak of the Depression—Phylis spins an engaging, all-American tale that is instantly recognizable to everyone, Jew and Gentile, whether we are a first-generation immigrant or count as our ancestors earlier pioneers.

Phylis: Tales of a Jewish Child during the Great Depression will leave readers with the sense of having been there, right alongside Phylis, sharing her childhood adventures at a pivotal point in America’s history.