Hands of Gold by Roni Robbins is an amazing Jewish historical fiction. According to Roni, the story is loosely based on her Hungarian grandfather, but rather than write a family memoir, she chose to write a historical fiction about Sam Fox.
We meet Sam, first at his dying wife’s side, and then travel back to see him as a young boy in Hungary at the turn of the 20th century. Sam’s life is never easy. From Jewish hardships in the old country, to fleeing from Hungarian conscription, to stealing into first Canada, and then the US, to illness and poverty, Sam figures out how to find joy in a life that continuously throws him lemons.
And now, after 65 years of marriage, his dying wife, Hannah, tasks him with telling their children their parents’ real history – with all the secrets – even secrets they have kept from one another.
This story is a wonderful family saga, filled with Jewish history and culture, determination, and religion. I found the details fascinating and often wondered which parts were true family history and which were merely the figment of Roni’s imagination. I loved the book and believe you will, too!
Purchase a copy of Hands of Gold on Amazon:
Paperback: https://amzn.to/436tjq9
Kindle: https://amzn.to/4j0y3Uo