Why Sinatra Matters

Why Sinatra Matters by Pete Hamill   208 pages

I was sad to hear that, on August 5, 2020, American journalist, novelist, essayist and editor Pete Hamill passed away at the age of 85.  To be honest, I thought he had already left Earth years ago.  Pete captured the heartbeat of New York City like no other writer.  He was described as "the author of columns that sought to capture the particular flavors of New York City's politics and sports and the particular pathos of its crime.

I always liked Pete’s writing style. Therefore, in honor of his memory, I decide to peruse the list of his fiction and nonfiction books.  I was happy to find one I hadn’t read…this little gem about Ol’ Blue Eyes. This book delves into Sinatra’s essence; it looks at why he was the “troubadour of urban loneliness.”

Sinatra was the son of Italian immigrants and grew up on Hoboken, New Jersey.  As an only child, he was extremely lonely, especially in a time and place of large families.  That loneliness seemed to be at his core, as it was something he could never shake.  In my opinion, that loneliness is the main reason he came out of retirement way back when---he needed the crowds’ adulation. That loneliness echoed the feelings of millions of immigrants who came to this country without a penny to their name, no family, and unable to speak the language.

Frank wasn’t a great student, dropping out of high school. He had earned a few bucks singing along with the player piano in his parents’ bar.  He had a good voice, and eventually headed across the river to Manhattan. Interesting fact, Sinatra could not read a note of music; he memorized the words and the music.  I’m not sure he tried.

 Hamill also looks at the way the Depression influenced the man and well as World War II.  Frank was 4F due to a punctured eardrum. What I found fascinating what how he learned to his signature phrasing and breath control.

A short book, it centers on how Sinatra got where he was, but doesn’t dwell on his shortcomings or his generosity. It looks at those four great influencers---the immigration experience, his innate loneliness, the Great Depression and World War II.

Hamill does go into how Frank was a scraper, clawing his way to the top, then the Great Fall (when he lost his voice), and his remarkable Comeback. Sprinkled with anecdotes (Like when Harry James wanted him to change his name to Frankie Satin---can you imagine?), this is  a fascinating look at the Man who is considered the greatest entertainer of the 20^th century.  “Why Sinatra Matters receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 Rest in peace, Pete.

 

Dominicana

Dominicana by Angie Cruz    336 pages  I read a galley 

This is a thoughtful, heartfelt portrait of immigration, family, and self-resilience. It's also a glimpse into the social upheaval of the 1960s in America, through the eyes of an immigrant and new resident of New York City.  Great for readers who enjoy historical fiction, as well as stories of immigration told from a first-person point of view.
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Ana Cancion is 15 and has never dreamed of moving away from the Dominican countryside. When Juan Ruiz proposes, promising to take her to New York City and set her up in a new life, she is reluctant. After all, Juan is twice her age and she doesn't even like him very much. However, under pressure from her family, she accepts. So, Ana leaves everything she knows behind and becomes Ana Ruiz, moving to New York City in 1965, in the midst of social and political upheaval in both the United States and the Dominican Republic. Trapped in her cold apartment, Ana recklessly plans to escape. However, Juan's brother Cesar convinces her to stay, pointing out that when Juan returns to the Dominican Republic for a business trip, Ana can finally leave the apartment on her own and even take some lessons to learn English. Soon, Ana is imagining a different kind of life in America, where she can be free to make her own money, and do as she pleases.  However, when Juan returns, Ana is forced to choose between her dreams and her duty to her family.

This book is a bit of a slow start and at first, I wasn't sure if I liked it enough to continue. However, I was curious about Ana and what was going to happen. And, as I kept reading, I started to enjoy her first-person account of what was happening, and what her life in New York City was like. Before I knew it, I was wrapped up in this story. There are parts of this story that are heartbreaking, but other parts that are uplifting, where I found I truly had hope that Ana would have a better life. It's hard to imagine leaving everything and everyone you know behind to move to a new country, with a man you don't like very much, and where you don't know the language. Ana's perseverance was inspiring, and I found the story very compelling.

The Edge of Lost

The Edge of Lost by Kristine McMorris  352 pages

I picked up this book based on the cover. In the background is Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, the island prison in San Francisco Bay. I had just returned from the Bay area and was eager to hold onto its sights and sounds as long as I could.

The story opens on Alcatraz in 1937. Inmate 257 tends his greenhouse at the warden’s home.  He strains to hear the sounds of a search for a prison guard’s missing ten-year-old daughter. Alcatraz inmates were only known by their number. On the outside, Inmate 257 was known as Tommy Capello. However, that was not his real name.

The story shifts to Dublin in 1919. Shanley Keagan (Shan) is a twelve-year-old orphan living with an abusive uncle. Shan can sing, do impressions, and tell jokes. He becomes a regular in his uncle’s pub and other pubs around the city. When he discovers a letter from his departed mother, he realizes that his father is not dead. He is an American; Shan is elated. He’s also eager to find him and a make a new home. With his uncle forced out of business and failing health, the two decide to go to America.

The ship-ride over is harrowing. When the boat finally docks in New York, Shan is alone. He meets an Italian-American family returning from a protracted visit to Italy. The family adopts you Shan and he grows up as any young Italian-American boy would. The story follows Shan-now-Tommy over the next twenty years. Tommy and his new family become close. In an effort to help his brother Nick , when they are both adults, Tommy ends up convicted of murder and is transferred to Alcatraz.

I was disappointed that two-thirds of the story took place in New York. I was really looking forward to reading about Alcatraz during its heyday and feeling the cold Bay breeze gently brush against my cheeks as I immersed myself in the tale.

I enjoyed the story a lot; it was a quick and easy read, not one that I found easy to put down once I started.  But my disappointment in the story’s locale forces me to give it 4 out of 5 stars.