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Audiobook16 hours
The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street: A Novel
Written by Susan Jane Gilman
Narrated by Susan Jane Gilman
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
Now in paperback, bestselling author Susan Jane Gilman's IndieNext Pick novel about an immigrant girl's transformation into an indomitable businesswoman in early 20th century New York. As a child in 1913, Malka Treynovsky flees Russia for New York with her family--only to be crippled and abandoned in the streets. Taken in by a tough-loving Italian ices peddler, Malka survives. When she falls in love with Albert, they set off together across America in an ice cream truck to seek their fortune; slowly, she transforms herself into Lillian Dunkle, "The Ice Cream Queen of America"--doyenne of an empire of ice cream franchises and a celebrated television personality. Spanning 70 years, Lillian's rise--fraught with setbacks, triumphs, and tragedies--is inextricably linked to the course of American history itself, from Prohibition to the disco days of Studio 54. And when her past starts catching up with her, her world implodes spectacularly.
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Reviews for The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street
Rating: 4.242063492063492 out of 5 stars
4/5
252 ratings27 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I am sad it isnt true. I loved the book, but feel a little cheated.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Funny and written in an interesting way with a quirky story
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I loved this book!! It kept my attention and was a great book to listen to while I worked my mind-numbing job. Highly recommend.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fantastic delightful story expertly read by the author! Loved it!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5So honest and raw and funny and entertaining and filled with parenting ideas
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It was a long book, but it kept me interested. Lillian was an interesting character full of flaws but still likeable.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was a great book. Very detailed and well written. A great story of misfortunes, triumphs, love, and success.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great book. I loved the details of her life and seeing how she started out from nothing and becoming the queen of ice cream was wonderful. I wish there were more details of what became of her rivals but still satisfying nonetheless. The narrator was fabulous, she made me wish I had a Jewish grandmother! (Don't we all?)
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Entretenido, gracioso y divertido. Una buena opción para pasar un buen rato.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5the author has created a delicious story. Her writing techniques are just as silky and delightful as ice cream. I will definitely revisit this book again because it was informative fun and absurd!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Really good book, listened to the audio version in one weekend because I found the story riveting and couldn't wait to hear what happens next. Have recommended it to several friends, very enjoyable.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Amazing writing, interesting story and a great nostalgic insight into America during the first half of the 20th century.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Unique journey through the last 100 years is American history told by a sassy character. Read it in a few days. It usually takes me a while to get into a book but this one grabbed me right away.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This is what I liked about it: the rich portrayal of New York from the early 1900's through the 1980's; great details about the sights, sounds, even smells. I enjoyed the Yiddish expressions sprinkled throughout, and I also enjoyed that the history of ice cream is woven into the narrative.
This is what I didn't like. The protagonist/narrator is a horrible human being. She takes advantage of everyone, lies, steals, and manipulates. She is vindictive to the point that she will hold a grudge for an entire lifetime; and how she puts her competitors out of business is beyond dastardly, it is heinous. I'm not sure if I, the reader, am supposed to feel sorry for her because of her rough childhood, or admire her for her relentless ambition. I felt neither. She insults, belittles, and manipulates not just people who work for her and the children who love her ice cream, but even her own husband and son, who for some reason remain unwaveringly loyal to her.
The narrative device of calling her readers "darlings" was cute the first and second time. After that it became cloying and obnoxious... as though she were attempting to manipulate the reader the same way she manipulated everyone else in her life. Also, her favorite expression "So sue me" was way overused. I have to wonder if the book was written with Joan Rivers in mind. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It was a good story. A little long. I think the book would have been a little better with a better narrator.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Haagen dais! Books like these may not be entirely true concerning events but is it meant to hold exclusive names and the real values or is it just a glimpse of the reality of a real life event? Still holds a good history of America and Germany and an insightful blend of peoples perception back then. I like all the list of resources given at the end of the book. Maybe stories like these are especially good for younger readers or people who cannot take in every real life event with all the gruesome, hard knock facts history has told us.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I love a good mix of fact and fiction and the characters were so beautifully thought out. I love how it really showed how hard times were and how much hard work had to go into overcoming adversity. I also really enjoyed the narration by the author. Very captivating.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a book of a fighter, of someone with all odds stacked against them and who builds success in less than favorable circumstances.
Refusing to become a victim of her hard luck and learning from a young age about hard work, loss, and injustice Lillian builds an empire around ice cream.
She makes enemies along the way, mainly because she comes across as a not very likeable character. She is not a fragile damsel in distress waiting for her knight in shining armor.
She engages in a life-long war using ice cream as a weapon and in the course of it, even changing history.
Because she is unconventional, refusing to fit the housewife model of the 50s, she is not given credit for her successes and ideas. But she is unapologetic and fights tooth and nail for every bit.
At the top of her throne, she experiences loss that she can’t recover from and instead of the grieving suffering wife she engages on a series of events that alter her course as the Queen of ice cream.
But even in the face of failure, she sees opportunity, ready to get back up again.
Is hard to like her, and is hard not to love her. The characters are so real, surrounded by true events in history that you want every bit of it to be true, to have learned about Lillian Dunkle is history class.1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I really enjoyed seeing a little girl with nothing grow into a woman with riches. She is proof that you can turn anything bad into an excellent opportunity.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I loved this spunky character. Following her life through her trials and tribulations all the while wishing she were my grandmother.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fun, historical and very entertaining! I truly enjoyed this book.
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Since I like cosy mysteries in a series and novels, this book wasn't easy to get into the story. After a few chapters I was impressed about the history of people emmigrating in such tough times and what it meant to be truely hungry. After another few chaptures, I just wanted to find out how the couple actually got together and by the end I'm a bit sad that it's finished...!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I was expecting a light read, but was pleasantly surprised with the complex character and life story of Lillian. One of my best reads this year.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5i think this book is ourstanding! whimsical, sad, funny, a little bit of history and all American!
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5It was interesting to read a book where I didn't particularly like the main character, yet I sympathized with her and wanted her to succeed. I appreciated the way the author gracefully moved back and forth throughout history. While some portions of the book felt a bit drawn out, there were definitely enough parts that captivated my attention. Overall, a good read, if just a bit long.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fascinating history of ice cream. And, nice story of resilience.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5An excellent, funny, well structured, well researched read. Actually I listened to the audiobook, which kept me entertained for hours. Definitely recommend for anyone looking for something light but thought-provoking.