The family Diamond : stories /

The mostly middle class, Jewish Philadelphians of Schwarzschild's adept story collection (following the debut novel Responsible Men) lead clannish, semimarginalized existences. The young boy of "No Rest for the Middleman" finds himself, on the holiest day of the Jewish year, a pawn in a questionable deal between his father and two shady businessmen. In "Reunion," the pregnant Kim exhausts her brother, sister-in-law and dying mother with her irresponsible search for perfect love. The longest and most dramatically satisfying story in the collection, "What to Expect," tells of early widower Claude, who must let go of his adult son, Larry, as the latter marries and expects a child of his own. Several other stories feature Charlie and Milly Diamond, an elderly married couple facing the indignities of old age together. All the stories are told in a naturalistic style, except for the last, "Irreversible," in which Charlie and Milly regain their youth to the puzzlement of the other residents at the Spring Garden Retirement Community. The bonds of love are alternately tenuous and tensile in Schwarzschild's acutely observed and quietly affecting stories. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

The trials and tribulations of relationships are at the heart of this collection of nine tales of modern life; sparkling with wit, compassion, and sometimes whimsy, the vivid characters will not be quickly forgotten. The first of these interrelated stories introduces us to Milly and Charlie Diamond, an aged couple at the hospital. Charlie is about to undergo open-heart surgery for the second time, and Milly is trying to keep her fears under control. In the last story, this same couple discovers a fountain of youth at their assisted-living home and, to the dismay and envy of fellow inmates, improve so much that they can leave on their own two feet. The remaining stories deal with younger couples who are splitting up, coping with the birth of a child, and other life issues. Schwarzschild (Responsible Men) has a hit with his second work; the writing is polished, well paced, and exceptional. Heartily recommended-it will leave the reader with a chuckle and a smile.-Lisa Rohrbaugh, East Palestine Memorial P.L., OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Family bonds--through both blood and marriage--take center stage in this story collection from Schwarzschild (Responsible Men, 2005). In nine stories that reveal the rich inner lives of otherwise average Americans, many living in the Philadelphia area, it is the things that characters don't say to their loved ones that carry weight. In "Drift," a young mom stifled by a dull marriage and dead-end job suddenly steals an unattended truck in hopes of escape, only to make a detour to her ex-lover's restaurant, where her husband easily finds her. The devastating "What to Expect" features a battle of wills between a passive-aggressive, needy cab driver and the pregnant wife of his adored only son, and in "No Rest for the Middleman," a man recalls an unexplained beating his immigrant father took at the hands of some shady business associates after attending synagogue during the High Holidays. Spirited elderly couple Milly and Charlie Diamond appear in three of the stories, offering considerable warmth and humor. In the opener, Milly reflects on her enduring love for Charlie, and her fear of losing him, as he undergoes his second open-heart surgery. In another, Charlie tries to give his broken-hearted grandson romantic advice while being reminded of the losses and gains of his own long life. The final tale takes a somewhat metaphysical turn as Milly and Charlie, now confined to a retirement home, find themselves growing younger. This causes considerable confusion for their friends, who believe they have gone on to their final destination (the Hall for Assisted Living) when in fact they have actually embarked on yet another adventure, resolutely together. If only all the stories had characters as memorable and layered as these two. Yields modest gifts. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.