How to Find Your Way in the Dark
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- Create Date：2021-08-20 11:20:58
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Derek B. Miller
- ISBN：0358450330
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Summary
A coming-of-age story set during the rising tide of World War II， How to Find Your Way in the Dark follows Sheldon Horowitz from his humble start in a cabin in rural Massachusetts， through the trauma of his father’s murder and the murky experience of assimilation in Hartford， Connecticut， to the birth of stand-up comedy in the Catskills—all while he and his friends are beset by anti-Semitic neighbors， employers， and criminals。
With the wit and scope of Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay， Derek B。 Miller tackles his most ambitious epic yet。 At its heart is the return of Sheldon Horowitz， the protagonist from Miller’s award-winning first novel， Norwegian by Night， who was lauded by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Richard Russo as “one of the most memorable characters 。 。 。 that I’ve encountered in years。”
The story begins with young Sheldon recovering from the loss of his mother， who died in a fire in 1937， only to lose his father in a suspicious car accident the following year。 Sheldon was in the truck with his beloved dad， and he emerges from the crash an orphan hell-bent on revenge。 Embarking on a new life in Hartford under the roof of his uncle， Sheldon， his teenage cousins Abe and Mirabelle， and his best friend， Lenny， contend with tradition and orthodoxy， appeasement and patriotism， mafia hitmen and angry accordion players， all while World War II takes center stage alongside comedians in the Catskills。 With his eye always on vengeance for his father’s murder， Sheldon comes to understand the world is comprised largely of crimes， both big and small， leaving him to wonder whether any act is right or wrong， but knowing the answer matters。
With the wit and scope of Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay， Derek B。 Miller tackles his most ambitious epic yet。 At its heart is the return of Sheldon Horowitz， the protagonist from Miller’s award-winning first novel， Norwegian by Night， who was lauded by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Richard Russo as “one of the most memorable characters 。 。 。 that I’ve encountered in years。”
The story begins with young Sheldon recovering from the loss of his mother， who died in a fire in 1937， only to lose his father in a suspicious car accident the following year。 Sheldon was in the truck with his beloved dad， and he emerges from the crash an orphan hell-bent on revenge。 Embarking on a new life in Hartford under the roof of his uncle， Sheldon， his teenage cousins Abe and Mirabelle， and his best friend， Lenny， contend with tradition and orthodoxy， appeasement and patriotism， mafia hitmen and angry accordion players， all while World War II takes center stage alongside comedians in the Catskills。 With his eye always on vengeance for his father’s murder， Sheldon comes to understand the world is comprised largely of crimes， both big and small， leaving him to wonder whether any act is right or wrong， but knowing the answer matters。
Reviews
Madeleine
，
I was given this book is it as an advanced copy and didn’t know what to expect。 From page 1 was intrigued and couldn’t put the book down。 The author was new to me but I’m so glad I found him。 That’s all I was a Jewish boy and his quest to avenge his father‘s death and make sense of prejudice。 The author has an excellent way of taking a very dark subject of hatred and bigotry and making it comfortable to talk about with humor。 I recommended This spoke to many of my friends and even loaned my copy I was given this book is it as an advanced copy and didn’t know what to expect。 From page 1 was intrigued and couldn’t put the book down。 The author was new to me but I’m so glad I found him。 That’s all I was a Jewish boy and his quest to avenge his father‘s death and make sense of prejudice。 The author has an excellent way of taking a very dark subject of hatred and bigotry and making it comfortable to talk about with humor。 I recommended This spoke to many of my friends and even loaned my copy to one。 I highly recommend！ 。。。more
David
，
A coming-of-age story in WW II New York City。 The focus of the story is the life of Sheldon Horowitz， a pre-teen with a devious mind。 Lots of fun following Sheldon and his friend working at Grossinger’s in The Catskills。 Lots of tragedy here， too， for Sheldon， his family and for the world。
Moirad
，
So hard to categorize。 This is a coming of age story， a multiple crime novel， a tragedy full of humour and unforgettable characters， and a historical novel covering the 1930s and 40s。 a great read。
Lori Maxey
，
Simply astounding！ This is probably one of the best books I have read in a very long time。 Congratulations to the author， you should be very proud of your work！
Mimi
，
In How to Find Your Way in the Dark we get to meet 12-year-old Sheldon Horowitz [the memorable 82-year-old protagonist of Norwegian by Night] and learn of his experiences as he grows to adulthood and the events that shape his character， from the death of his parents， life with his Uncle Nate and his cousins; antisemitism， and WWII。 While there is plenty of humor （much of it told by Sheldon’s friend Lenny when he is performing as a comedian in the Catskills）， actual history plays an important rol In How to Find Your Way in the Dark we get to meet 12-year-old Sheldon Horowitz [the memorable 82-year-old protagonist of Norwegian by Night] and learn of his experiences as he grows to adulthood and the events that shape his character， from the death of his parents， life with his Uncle Nate and his cousins; antisemitism， and WWII。 While there is plenty of humor （much of it told by Sheldon’s friend Lenny when he is performing as a comedian in the Catskills）， actual history plays an important role in this novel。 How to Find Your Way in the Dark touches upon the fate of the town of Neversink; Americans who joined the RCAF to go fight in Europe; the prevalence of antisemitism; the government’s isolationist attitude; its antipathy towards allowing Europe’s Jews fleeing Nazis to immigrate to the US; and the growth of the Borscht Belt comedy circuit in the Catskills。 And front-and-center amidst it all， there is Sheldon！ All-in-all， another great novel by Derek B。 Miller。 。。。more
Michael
，
I had heard that this book was similar the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay which I had read and enjoyed。 After starting it， I was not sure it was as worthy a comparison， from a writing stand point。 It felt more like The Hardy Boys transported into the lives of the young boys in Philip Roth's Plot against America， but in a more juvenile way。 Both concern the adventures of young Jewish boys growing up in America leading up to WW II。I was ready to dismiss it after noticing some parts that d I had heard that this book was similar the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay which I had read and enjoyed。 After starting it， I was not sure it was as worthy a comparison， from a writing stand point。 It felt more like The Hardy Boys transported into the lives of the young boys in Philip Roth's Plot against America， but in a more juvenile way。 Both concern the adventures of young Jewish boys growing up in America leading up to WW II。I was ready to dismiss it after noticing some parts that didn't seem quite authentic about the time period or American Jewish culture。 I grew up during that period and had a Jewish wife so my experience is different than the author's。 The author grew up in the 1970s and lives outside the country so he probably has a different experience in those areas。 But I kept going to discover that I actually was enjoying the story once I ignored those details。 The plot is a little （a lot :-））unbelievable， but the humor and interaction of the main characters is very entertaining， especially the parts where Sheldon's friend Lenny is working his way towards becoming a stand up comedian in the Catskills。 。。。more
Peg （Marianna） DeMott
，
Once again， the ending saves a somewhat confusing and unrealistic book。 And yes I think I would be the sequel。 Can't wait to watch the Gregory Peck movie Gentlemen's Preference。 Once again， the ending saves a somewhat confusing and unrealistic book。 And yes I think I would be the sequel。 Can't wait to watch the Gregory Peck movie Gentlemen's Preference。 。。。more
Bri Childs
，
A gut-wrenching and yet charming historical fiction story that highlights the hazy inactivity of America in the early 1940’s。 Right out of the gate， 12 year old Sheldon Horowitz faces tragedy。 His mother recently dead， we see another truly life changing experience for him as a suspicious man drives his father off the road， leaving him an orphan。 What follows is well-sectioned years that mark him: moving in with his uncle and cousins， spending a summer working in the Catskills and facing his past A gut-wrenching and yet charming historical fiction story that highlights the hazy inactivity of America in the early 1940’s。 Right out of the gate， 12 year old Sheldon Horowitz faces tragedy。 His mother recently dead， we see another truly life changing experience for him as a suspicious man drives his father off the road， leaving him an orphan。 What follows is well-sectioned years that mark him: moving in with his uncle and cousins， spending a summer working in the Catskills and facing his past again， America’s entrance into the war， and then his early 20’s striking out on his own in New York。 Tragedy never ceases for Sheldon， and yet his contemplative and intelligent character help him to find revenge， closure and peace。 THOUGHTS- Sheldon is a wonderful and VERY likable character。 He has a perfect mix of calm sweetness paired with a sharp and brutal mind that only thinks in black and white。 - The tone of the book was well done to reflect the ignorance and inactivity of America during the start of WWII。 We see Sheldon and surrounding characters’ innocuous， every day experiences that seem oddly normal around the tragedy of the world at the time。 And yet tragedy keeps casually slipping in when you’re not expecting it。 - The storyline felt a bit slow at times。 There was a lot of backstory to create， so it dragged a bit at the beginning and picked up in the Catskills section。 - Overall， a well-done and much needed voice looking at Jewish Americans - and young， idealistic ones at that - stuck in a frozen country pre-Pearl Harbor。 Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Mariner Books for the review copy！ 。。。more
Pat
，
Not sure how I feel about the whole story， but I enjoyed Sheldon’s endeavors to find the guy who drove his family car off the road killing his father。 Oh， and his and Lenny’s stint as bellhops at the lodge in the Catskills where Lenny performs as a stand up comedian at 15 were highlights forme。
Alan M。 Blanchard
，
My God， what a great bookTragedy and crime and love and honor and 。 。 。 。 beauty。 In a page-turner。 Unforgettable。 So read it。
Nancy
，
Genre: Historical Fiction。 A book so good I didn't want it to end， which is saying a lot because I'm not a voracious reader。 Since I'm also not a creative writer， here are phrases from others' reviews that captured my take: "searing and funny，" "a genuine literary event，" "succeeded admirably" [in taking on a dark subject with humor。"I grabbed this book off my library's new books' shelf。 As typical， I don't research what I want。 I just go to the new books' shelf， scan for "Historical Fiction" st Genre: Historical Fiction。 A book so good I didn't want it to end， which is saying a lot because I'm not a voracious reader。 Since I'm also not a creative writer， here are phrases from others' reviews that captured my take: "searing and funny，" "a genuine literary event，" "succeeded admirably" [in taking on a dark subject with humor。"I grabbed this book off my library's new books' shelf。 As typical， I don't research what I want。 I just go to the new books' shelf， scan for "Historical Fiction" stickers on the spine， peruse book for about 5 seconds， and then if it peaks my interest， I check it out。 I only read the first sentence of a book's description because I don't want to know about the plot before I read it。 I had no idea about the book or the author。 Can't wait to read his other books。 。。。more
Andrea
，
I am sorry it's over。 I will probably read everything else Miller wrote。 I am sorry it's over。 I will probably read everything else Miller wrote。 。。。more
Susan
，
I loved “Norwegian by Night” and I loved this story even more。
Maine Colonial
，
Some are calling this a prequel to Miller’s Norwegian By Night， a brilliant and unusual crime fiction novel featuring Sheldon Horowitz， an 82-year-old American Jewish widower recently transplanted to live with his daughter in Oslo because she’s worried that his mind is starting to go， as he confuses today with his past life， especially his life as a soldier in the Korean War。 Sheldon’s a man of action， so when somebody murders the woman upstairs and he thinks her young son is in danger， he grabs Some are calling this a prequel to Miller’s Norwegian By Night， a brilliant and unusual crime fiction novel featuring Sheldon Horowitz， an 82-year-old American Jewish widower recently transplanted to live with his daughter in Oslo because she’s worried that his mind is starting to go， as he confuses today with his past life， especially his life as a soldier in the Korean War。 Sheldon’s a man of action， so when somebody murders the woman upstairs and he thinks her young son is in danger， he grabs the boy and runs， despite the fact that he doesn’t speak Norwegian， the kid doesn’t speak English， Sheldon knows very little about Norway， and there’s that brain confusion thing he has going on。It feels a little weird to me to think of How to Find Your Way in the Dark as a prequel to Norwegian By Night。 In HTFYWITD， Sheldon’s life runs from 1938， when Sheldon is 12， through 1947， so there’s that giant gap of pretty much his entire adulthood between it and Norwegian by Night。 I think of this book as more of an origin story。 That’s apt too， because the concept of the origin story belongs to the comic book world and this book has some of the flavor of a comic book。 In fact， in the author’s note， Miller writes that he feels like this book is in a conversation with Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay， about a couple of immigrants who become comic book creators。 The books take place in a similar time period， before and during World War II， and are rich with details of the time， especially growing anti-Semitism in America as the Nazis rise in Europe and the threat of war grows ever closer。I suppose if I had to give a capsule description of this book， I’d say it’s a tragicomic coming of age story。 So many horrific things happen to Sheldon。 He loses his mother to a movie theater fire， his father dies in front of him in a car accident that Sheldon is convinced was murder， and Sheldon has to leave his only friend， Lenny， to go live with his uncle and two cousins who are also motherless because their mother， Sheldon’s mother’s sister， died with her in the fire。 Yikes！Sheldon is determined to avenge his father’s death， but he’s just a kid so he knows it will take time， patience and a plan。 He take a strong ends-justify-the-means approach to his revenge plan， which fits in well with his older cousins’ attitudes to life。 Cousin Abe performs several acts of revenge on anti-Semites and heads for Canada as soon as he graduates from high school so he can fight Nazis ASAP， since the Americans haven’t yet joined the war。 Once cousin Mirabelle leaves too， Sheldon falls in with Lenny’s plan for them to go to the Jewish resorts in the Catskills and con their way into bellhop jobs so that Lenny can spend nights trying to break into showbiz as a comic。Not surprisingly for this picaresque story， Sheldon gets involved in a lot more dangerous activities than carrying bags and collecting tips， as his past collides with his present。 Miller takes Sheldon’s story beyond that summer through to his just beginning his adulthood， and it continues to be full of tumult， heartbreak， hilarity， and life learning。Whew， what a ride this story is。 I read it in two big gulps， sometimes feeling like I was experiencing the print version of a Quentin Tarantino movie and other times on the verge of tears or laughing out loud。 I don’t want to tell Derek B。 Miller what to do with his life， but I bet I’m not the only one who wants to know about Sheldon Horowitz’s life over the half century that passes from the end of this book until the beginning of Norwegian By Night。 。。。more
Marsha Valance
，
This coming-of-age novel follows orphaned Sheldon Horowitz from his 12th thru his 22nd year in the northeastern US。 Beginning with his father's murder by anti-Semitic gangsters， Sheldon charts his own course toward revenge/finding his place in the world， relying on his father's teachings and his own reading to guide him thru adolescence。 A beautifully crafted work which brings the time period vividly to life。 This coming-of-age novel follows orphaned Sheldon Horowitz from his 12th thru his 22nd year in the northeastern US。 Beginning with his father's murder by anti-Semitic gangsters， Sheldon charts his own course toward revenge/finding his place in the world， relying on his father's teachings and his own reading to guide him thru adolescence。 A beautifully crafted work which brings the time period vividly to life。 。。。more
Robin Rieke
，
It's a wonderful story。。。so glad to get back into Sheldon's mind。 I pre-order any book Derek B Miller writes so I can read it the day it comes out。 Why put off the pleasures in life？ I read over 150 books a year and "Norwegian by Night" is still my all-time favorite。 Read it。。。give yourself a treat。 You deserve it。:） Robin It's a wonderful story。。。so glad to get back into Sheldon's mind。 I pre-order any book Derek B Miller writes so I can read it the day it comes out。 Why put off the pleasures in life？ I read over 150 books a year and "Norwegian by Night" is still my all-time favorite。 Read it。。。give yourself a treat。 You deserve it。:） Robin 。。。more
Vickie
，
I did not read Norwegian by Night， for which this novel is a prequel。 A tender historical fiction， coming of age novel， this is well written， character driven， and introspective。 There are a few different story lines， but they are woven together well。 I was a bit surprised by the emphasis on the gangster side of life and felt in a way it took something from what was the more important aspect of the story…the world wide anti Semitism and horror it brought prior to and during World War II。 There w I did not read Norwegian by Night， for which this novel is a prequel。 A tender historical fiction， coming of age novel， this is well written， character driven， and introspective。 There are a few different story lines， but they are woven together well。 I was a bit surprised by the emphasis on the gangster side of life and felt in a way it took something from what was the more important aspect of the story…the world wide anti Semitism and horror it brought prior to and during World War II。 There were a few misses in this novel but， overall， a recommended read。 。。。more
Mackay
，
3。5 stars， maybe？ Or maybe not。。。A book that made me say， "Hmm。"I *loved* Norwegian By Night--so much， I recommended it to everybody， including my book club， so I had to reread it （oh， too bad）， and they all loved it， too。 So I was keen to read this one， and learn how Sheldon Horowitz became the old man Sheldon I adored from Norwegian。 I read this one right down， in a day and a half despite other things I had to do， and there were parts of it I deeply enjoyed。 But （even though life is random and 3。5 stars， maybe？ Or maybe not。。。A book that made me say， "Hmm。"I *loved* Norwegian By Night--so much， I recommended it to everybody， including my book club， so I had to reread it （oh， too bad）， and they all loved it， too。 So I was keen to read this one， and learn how Sheldon Horowitz became the old man Sheldon I adored from Norwegian。 I read this one right down， in a day and a half despite other things I had to do， and there were parts of it I deeply enjoyed。 But （even though life is random and full of unexpected tragedies one can't plan for）， the whole felt a little too random， and the second half felt a little too rushed and less satisfying （Mabel， e。g。， and the culmination with Lorenzo）。 Anyway。 Entertaining and it is Derek Miller - there are many less satisfying books out there。 But still， "Hmm。" 。。。more
TC
，
Recommended。Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 Recommended。Review posted at Tzer Island book blog:https://www。tzerisland。com/bookblog/2。。。 。。。more
Patricia
，
There are many ways to describe this wonderful book beginning with a coming of age tale。 But it is much more and very relevant today。 It is one of the few books I have rated 5*: beautiful prose，a well-crafted story line with more twists than the country roads in the Berkshires， characters you would want to meet。 'Twi-light Crime': 1。 Crimes of a lesser degree 2。 Crimes of a questionable moral nature 3。 Crimes of a possible moral virtueSheldon is only 12 years old when his father is driven off th There are many ways to describe this wonderful book beginning with a coming of age tale。 But it is much more and very relevant today。 It is one of the few books I have rated 5*: beautiful prose，a well-crafted story line with more twists than the country roads in the Berkshires， characters you would want to meet。 'Twi-light Crime': 1。 Crimes of a lesser degree 2。 Crimes of a questionable moral nature 3。 Crimes of a possible moral virtueSheldon is only 12 years old when his father is driven off the road and subsequently dies。 But Sheldon did get a good look at the other driver。 Yet， he is only a youth and no one else believes it was more than a tragic accident。 From here， we follow Sheldon through the next 9 years as World War II erupts in Europe and finally ends before Sheldon can enlist。 I would like to thank Goodreads and Houghton-Mifflin's Mariner Books for this copy。 。。。more
Lou
，
How to Find Your Way in the Dark is a coming-of-age story set during the rising tide of World War II， it follows Sheldon Horowitz from his humble start in a cabin in rural Massachusetts， through the trauma of his father's murder and the murky experience of assimilation in Hartford， Connecticut， to the birth of stand-up comedy in the Catskills all while he and his friends are beset by anti-Semitic neighbours， employers， and criminals。 Twelve-year-old Sheldon Horowitz is still recovering from the How to Find Your Way in the Dark is a coming-of-age story set during the rising tide of World War II， it follows Sheldon Horowitz from his humble start in a cabin in rural Massachusetts， through the trauma of his father's murder and the murky experience of assimilation in Hartford， Connecticut， to the birth of stand-up comedy in the Catskills all while he and his friends are beset by anti-Semitic neighbours， employers， and criminals。 Twelve-year-old Sheldon Horowitz is still recovering from the tragic loss of his mother only a year ago when a suspicious traffic accident steals the life of his father near their home in rural Massachusetts。 It is 1938， and Sheldon， who was in the truck， emerges from the crash an orphan hell-bent on revenge。 He takes that fire with him to Hartford， where he embarks on a new life under the roof of his buttoned-up Uncle Nate。 Sheldon， his teenage cousins Abe and Mirabelle， and his best friend， Lenny， will contend with tradition and orthodoxy， appeasement and patriotism， mafia hitmen and angry accordion players， all while World War II takes centre stage alongside a hurricane in New England and comedians in the Catskills。 With his eye always on vengeance for his father’s murder， Sheldon stakes out his place in a world he now understands is comprised largely of crimes: right and wrong， big and small。 This is a compelling and thought-proving read highlighting the power of human connection and does so not only with rich insight but humour， too。 It's a terrific bildungsroman and a darkly entertaining tale in which you cannot help championing survivor Sheldon as he continues through his life。 A searing， touching and absorbing exploration of Jewish discrimination in WWII America。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
，
I suspect I'm going to be the odd one out on this novel others will likely greatly enjoy。 It's WWII and Sheldon， whose mother died in a movie theater fire， is with his father when they are forced off the road。 HIs father is killed and Sheldon begins to take revenge on those he believes might be responsible。 His uncle Nate， an accountant for Colt， takes him in and Sheldon's world changes。 He engages in capers along with his cousins Mirabelle and Abe and then reconnects with his friend Lenny。 All I suspect I'm going to be the odd one out on this novel others will likely greatly enjoy。 It's WWII and Sheldon， whose mother died in a movie theater fire， is with his father when they are forced off the road。 HIs father is killed and Sheldon begins to take revenge on those he believes might be responsible。 His uncle Nate， an accountant for Colt， takes him in and Sheldon's world changes。 He engages in capers along with his cousins Mirabelle and Abe and then reconnects with his friend Lenny。 All along the way， he looks for the man with the mustache who rammed the car。 There's a segue to the Catskills and Abe also engages in revenge。 There's an underlying theme of anti-semitism。 Sheldon meant to be 12 at the start of this， conveys as much older （especially for the time period）。 It's well written but it also flagged in spots for me， perhaps because it felt more like a series of Boys Own Adventures。 Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC。 Fans of Norwegian By Night will find this a must read but as a prequel， it's fine as a standalone。 。。。more
Laura
，
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to review！I’ve never read any other book by the author， but I think if I had read Norwegian by Night first， this book may have hit differently。 That being said， it’s easily understood on its own。I liked how we got to jump to other characters inner lives every once in awhile， but it felt a little too choppy for me to ever enjoy each of those parts completely。 I knew we would eventually leave。Lenny！！！！！ God how I love Lenny。 Everyone needs a friend like Lenny。Als Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to review！I’ve never read any other book by the author， but I think if I had read Norwegian by Night first， this book may have hit differently。 That being said， it’s easily understood on its own。I liked how we got to jump to other characters inner lives every once in awhile， but it felt a little too choppy for me to ever enjoy each of those parts completely。 I knew we would eventually leave。Lenny！！！！！ God how I love Lenny。 Everyone needs a friend like Lenny。Also， I liked the balance of humor and tragedy。 It’s a bit of theme/motif as the book considers Jewish culture and history。 I just wish that this book had flowed better - sometimes we spend chapters on the same day， and then other chapters years pass。 。。。more
Mark Myers
，
I’m a big Derek Miller fan。 His writing is precise and intelligent。 I absolutely loved Norwegian by Night and the character of Sheldon Horowitz that he built。 That said， I didn’t love this book。 The construction of Sheldon’s character felt bitter and forced。 This is a hard read and completely devoid of the humor and charm of the other two books I loved。 Poor Sheldon has to deal with too much in his life。 It’s like blow after blow for him at a young age。 I honestly couldn’t like him that much。 On I’m a big Derek Miller fan。 His writing is precise and intelligent。 I absolutely loved Norwegian by Night and the character of Sheldon Horowitz that he built。 That said， I didn’t love this book。 The construction of Sheldon’s character felt bitter and forced。 This is a hard read and completely devoid of the humor and charm of the other two books I loved。 Poor Sheldon has to deal with too much in his life。 It’s like blow after blow for him at a young age。 I honestly couldn’t like him that much。 On the positive side， I enjoyed the historical accuracy of the book。 The 30’s and 40’s came alive for me。 His father， uncle， and cousins were great characters - not to mention Lenny， who stole the show。 This is worth the read， and I will continue to buy Miller’s books。 But I wanted more from this offering。 I wanted to know the Sheldon who saved a boy in NBN， but I only got a one-dimensional character full of anger and spite。 Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kathleen Steward
，
This is a coming of age story that spans many places and many years leading up to， during， and after WW2。 The plot is filled with events， but not much ties all the pieces together， and I had trouble empathizing with Sheldon， his family and friends。 I prefer stories that go more in-depth， either with the characters or with a location or an event。 Though the history here is important and the author has a witty writing style， this particular book isn't for me。 I received this book as a free copy fr This is a coming of age story that spans many places and many years leading up to， during， and after WW2。 The plot is filled with events， but not much ties all the pieces together， and I had trouble empathizing with Sheldon， his family and friends。 I prefer stories that go more in-depth， either with the characters or with a location or an event。 Though the history here is important and the author has a witty writing style， this particular book isn't for me。 I received this book as a free copy from my friend （who received it directly from the publisher）。 。。。more
Phrynne
，
I love that Derek B。 Miller has taken an important character from his book Norwegian by Night and taken him back in time to show us his childhood and how he became the unusual man that he did。And what a childhood it was for Sheldon Horowitz growing up Jewish， in America， in the 1930's when society's view of Jews was not good and opportunities for them were limited。 After Sheldon's parents both die he goes to live with his uncle and two cousins， Abe and Mirabelle， both of whom he admires greatly。 I love that Derek B。 Miller has taken an important character from his book Norwegian by Night and taken him back in time to show us his childhood and how he became the unusual man that he did。And what a childhood it was for Sheldon Horowitz growing up Jewish， in America， in the 1930's when society's view of Jews was not good and opportunities for them were limited。 After Sheldon's parents both die he goes to live with his uncle and two cousins， Abe and Mirabelle， both of whom he admires greatly。 WW11 begins but America remains neutral， much to the distress of Jewish Americans who are watching the situation of their compatriots overseas。 Abe in particular is determined to play his part and this of course influences Sheldon。Not that Sheldon needs much influencing。 He has his own causes to deal with， chiefly the fact that he believes his father was murdered。 Revenge is always on his mind and when he gets his opportunity his planning and execution have to be seen to be believed。 Sheldon Horowitz is smart， cunning and single minded in his pursuit of his aim， all characteristics he carries into his old age。Some of the best parts of this book are the scenes with Sheldon's boyhood friend Lenny who tries to develop a career as a comedian。 To achieve this the friends take jobs as bellhops in a large hotel。 This leads to some very funny chapters and also some very dramatic ones involving the Mob， stolen jewels， large sums of cash and a certain hitman。Reading this book I found myself one moment unimaginably sad for the poor boy growing up with so much tragedy， and the next I would be laughing out loud at some funny dialogue or entertaining comment。 There were moments of stress - I always hate it when people are searching hotel rooms and you just know that any moment the key will turn in the door as the occupant returns。 There was also lots and lots of historical fact and social commentary included in the best way as this author always does。 This is an excellent book in all ways。 My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more
Brad
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How to Find Your Way in the Dark is the great new book from Derek B。 Miller。"Sheldon Horowitz is still grieving over the loss of his mother when his father is killed in a suspicious accident。 Sheldon is determined to avenge his father's death。 He goes to live with his Uncle Nate and cousins， Abe and Mirabelle。 in Hartford。 It is 1938 and Sheldon must face a hurricane， mafia hitmen and the specter of WW II。This is a coming-of-age story for Sheldon。 We first met Sheldon in Norwegian by Night as a How to Find Your Way in the Dark is the great new book from Derek B。 Miller。"Sheldon Horowitz is still grieving over the loss of his mother when his father is killed in a suspicious accident。 Sheldon is determined to avenge his father's death。 He goes to live with his Uncle Nate and cousins， Abe and Mirabelle。 in Hartford。 It is 1938 and Sheldon must face a hurricane， mafia hitmen and the specter of WW II。This is a coming-of-age story for Sheldon。 We first met Sheldon in Norwegian by Night as a widower。 In this book we find out the things that make Sheldon who he is。 His determination - his willingness to do whatever it takes to avenge his father - and his love for family。 Miller makes some great observations about society and people especially in light of what was going on in 1938。Another great read from Miller。 You'll want to add this to your list。 。。。more
Morgan Marie
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#MarinerBooksPartner “You ever feel like the pieces are all lying around you， but you just can’t figure out how they fit together？” Thank you @marinerbooks for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review！ 📚💕 （publication date: July 27， 2021） A coming of age， historical fiction story that burns slowly across different timelines， characters， and settings。 I really enjoyed the narration of Sheldon， beginning with his life as a recently orphaned 12-year-old boy。 His thoughts and experiences ar #MarinerBooksPartner “You ever feel like the pieces are all lying around you， but you just can’t figure out how they fit together？” Thank you @marinerbooks for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review！ 📚💕 （publication date: July 27， 2021） A coming of age， historical fiction story that burns slowly across different timelines， characters， and settings。 I really enjoyed the narration of Sheldon， beginning with his life as a recently orphaned 12-year-old boy。 His thoughts and experiences are blatantly shared， contrasting between his character being too naive and too mature as a result of his experiences。 His wit and humor allow the reader to feel deeply connected。Derek B。 Miller is clearly an expert at grasping attention， researching， and writing。 The historical information from World War II is factually woven into the story， informing but not boring the reader。If you like historical fiction， specifically surrounding World War II， definitely check this one out！Synopsis:In 1938， Sheldon Horowitz is a 12-year-old orphan。 His mother was killed in a movie theater fire， and one year later his father died in a supposed car accident。 However， Sheldon knows his father’s death was no accident and he is determined to get revenge on the man who killed his father。 When Sheldon moves to live with his uncle， he brings this thirst for vengeance with him。 Sheldon continues to grow up in a world of chaos， injustice， and cruelty in his own life and in the world， specifically during World War II。 。。。more
Linda Galella
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Well done coming of age story that crosses genres and timelines。Derek。 P。 Miller is a seasoned author， evidenced by the character development in this mystery that borders on historical。 Sheldon is a young boy who witnessed the death/murder of his father。 Figuring this out is the crux of the book。 Motivation includes anti-Semitism， ageism， sexism， family ties and righting wrongs to the point of plotted out revenge。WW2， （and the horrors inflicted on the Jewish people）， is a character in this book。 Well done coming of age story that crosses genres and timelines。Derek。 P。 Miller is a seasoned author， evidenced by the character development in this mystery that borders on historical。 Sheldon is a young boy who witnessed the death/murder of his father。 Figuring this out is the crux of the book。 Motivation includes anti-Semitism， ageism， sexism， family ties and righting wrongs to the point of plotted out revenge。WW2， （and the horrors inflicted on the Jewish people）， is a character in this book。 It becomes the motivation for Sheldon; he’s driven by it。 All his relationships are developed around or because of it。 There are moments of humor between Sheldon and his cousin Abe， growing up trying to “be” Jewish in a decidedly non-Jewish environment ， but mostly， I felt an air of desperation， to fix things and make them right for his father and family。The character of Sheldon appears in other books as an octogenarian watchmaker。 “How to Find Your Way In the Dark” is his story from 12 thru early adulting， until he’s able to resolve his father’s death。 Altho’ there’s synergy and crossover， this is absolutely a standalone novel。All things considered， a bit different than the usual fare; well written， if somewhat singleminded 📚 。。。more
Kaye
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