Second Hand Smoke

I was surprised by the book in its very sad long ago beginnings. I was born after WWII as was Thane or at least Duncan Katz. What I found most interesting was how much a person's emotions were twisted and yet the person lived sucessfully. I look forward to the next two.

This is an extremely well-written novel about the child of Holocaust survivors. It is extremely suspenseful, and although parts of it are painful to read, it is difficult to put down. One of the main issues the book addresses is coping in a world that can be evil. It is also a book about families, reconciliation, and understanding.

Thane Rosenbaum was my professor at Fordham Law School. If you cannot spare three years and $80,000 for a legal education to get a full semester-long exposure to the unique viewpoint of this gifted iconoclast - this book may be the next best thing. His voice resonates with a deep understanding of the evil that men can do but a great hope for the power of redemption and love. The book reveals - in a story which blends humor, anguish and elloquent prose (in perfect proportions) the depths of human and emotional complexity - and the amazing perspective that Thane represents. Read this book.

I often find Holocaust material very painful and I feel like I know "enough." Like most Jews, the Holocaust is too engraved in my psyche. Still, in "Second Hand Smoke," - which I only bought and read because I saw Thane speak at a book talk and I was truly impressed - Rosenbaum defines the Holocaust's impact on the next generation - the children of survivors. Like Frazier's "Cold Mountain" which paints the Civil War without a single battle, "Second Hand Smoke" avoids the camps but captures the horror. This is a brilliant novel. It is structually perfect, it swims in metaphor, it dances through time, it's funny, and it hurts. I am grateful that Rosenbaum took me to a place that I didn't necessarily want to be. I feel wiser."Second Hand Smoke" moves. No preaching. No indulging. Just raw, honest story telling. A great read!

If you never read another book, you must read this novel. No, it's not about the tobacco industry; it's a post-Holocaust story, funny and gut-wrenching. It addresses the question: is it possible for survivors to have any kind of "normal" life?For Rosenbaum's characters, the answer is a resounding "no." Told from the son's point of view, the story begins with Duncan Katz's bris in Miami Beach, where his parents--the survivors-- have settled. You will love Morty the Mohel who never misses an opportunity to rail against the god he doesn't believe in. Mother Mila, who becomes the mascot/mentor of the Jewish mafia,cajoles her son to move faster, as he grows up, through all the karate colors. Then it's taekwondo and kickboxing. To hon his skills, she drops him off in rough neighborhoods, a move which even her mob friends question.The Katz mindset & lifestyle make perfect sense if you are a Holocaust survivor, but you wouldn't want to grow up in their home. You will want to read this book again.