My Grandmother's Candlesticks

Spanning seven generations, three continents, as well as cultural, political, and technological revolutions, this captivating multigenerational memoir tells the story of one family’s struggle to maintain its faith and to retain its traditions. Assimilation, women’s equality, and resurgence of antisemitism are interwoven major themes.

Vivid scenes retrace important moments and revisit places—a small, picturesque shtetl in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the bustling Lower East Side of Manhattan at the turn of the twentieth century, Brooklyn in the 1930s, Long Island in the 1940s and 50s, the Upper East Side in the 1970s and 80s, and Jerusalem throughout, each playing a significant role in the lives of family members over the generations.

In this book that will appeal to people of many backgrounds, the author manages to seamlessly weave all these elements together in presenting the journey that is this family’s history, while placing at its center the woman who sets the story in motion, her grandmother Rose (Rochel) Schulder, strong, confident yet humble, respected by those who knew her.

Diane Schulder Abrams has given us a richly rewarding book that satisfies both heart and mind.