Stories My Father Told Me

5 Star Review

Click HERE to Purchase Your Copy Today!

Editorial Book Review:

By Michael Beas

Stories My Father Told Me by Seymour Ubell is a multigenerational narrative that is delivered with deep reverence and storytelling finesse, illuminating the immigrant experience with tenderness, insight, and unflinching honesty.   This extraordinary work offers a vivid representation of a family's journey from Eastern Europe to the heart of New York City, as well as a more comprehensive contemplation of the enduring strength of familial bonds, perseverance, and identity.

Ubell's prose is replete with emotional nuance and texture, and his writing is characterized by an effortless rhythm that creates a narrative that is both intimate and epic in scope. He skillfully integrates personal memory with historical detail, creating scenes that are infused with authenticity and heart. Whether he is capturing the chaotic energy of mid-century Manhattan or the hardship of shtetl life, his voice remains steady, observant, and profoundly human.

The book's central character is Haskell Brodsky, a patriarch who is resilient and whose journey from Poland to America exemplifies the courage and ingenuity of countless individuals who have attempted to improve their lives by crossing distant shores. Through the eyes of his children and himself, we explore the fundamental themes of displacement, generational tension, ambition, and the unbreakable bonds of love and loyalty. Ubell never hesitates to confront the emotional risks of reinvention or the intricacies of family, instead encouraging the reader to observe them with empathy.

The resonance of Stories My Father Told Me across time is what renders them particularly impactful.  This book is a timeless reflection on the concept of constructing a life from the ground up while bearing the weight of the past, in an era that is still grappling with questions of belonging, cultural heritage, and the pursuit of the American Dream.

Ubell’s storytelling is not only a tribute to his father’s legacy but a powerful affirmation of the stories we inherit and the ones we create. The emotional impact lingers—quiet, profound, and ultimately uplifting.