‘Castle on Hester Street’ fills a Gertel’s-size hole.
Gertel's bakery shuttered earlier this year, but at least this book celebrating Jewish life on Hester Street is being reissued. This 25th-anniversary edition comes with colorful new illustrations, but the story remains the same: Julie's grandparents describe the move from the Old Country to the Lower East Side. Her grandpa's exaggerated version includes a welcome from President Roosevelt; her grandma provides a reality check. It’s a historic history lesson, and charming as ever.
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