Managing Bubbie

Managing Bubbie is a delightful, charming story of the life and times of Russel Lazega's Bubbie (grandmother). He tells the frightening story of her courageous efforts to keep one step ahead of the Nazis as they marched across Europe, and her strong faith and vision for a better life in America.

While the word "Bubbie" is Yiddish for "grandmother," and indeed this book is about a Jewish family, I think that every culture and every family has a grandmother like Mr. Lazega's Bubbie: sometimes complaining, always "kvelling" (bragging or taking pride in one's descendants accomplishments), always telling stories, and, always one who can be gently and lovingly made fun of. You don't have to be Jewish to live this book. An intimate look into the trials of one small family as they finally reached their goal, Managing Bubbie provides a retrospective and present day insight into the life of a woman who by no stretch of the imagination would ever consider herself remarkable, but remarkable, indeed, she is. Highly recommended.

I have read many books about WWII, but none of them have been like this one. While reading, the same word kept popping up in my head courageous and that is the fundamental of this story how one woman's courageousness never succumbed no matter how atrocious her life became. Russel Lazega the author is her grandson, he calls her Bubbie which is Jewish for grandmother yet her given name is Lea. This is a woman who was born with a great inner strength she fought off the Nazi’s and at 80 is still going strong doing anything she pleases by taking buses and trains all over town.

They say, "a picture is worth a thousand words." Maybe when you've lived such a horrific and wonderful life it's worth a lot more-like the marvel of knowing that one glimpse can make you cry when you need to remember or make you smile while you need to forget.

The book jumps back and forth between the summer of 1987 during holiday brunch with the whole family attending the other half of the story begins in 1911 with the birth of a baby girl named Lea. Her strife started early in life she but Lea always pushed onward always confident and assertive. The prose is nicely written. Therefore, you never get confused jumping around through different eras. During the holiday brunch, I laughed so hard at times my sides started to hurt. It is a blast to listen in to someone else's family gathering, especially with the elderly Jewish ladies arguing over game shows. Managing Bubbie is a captivating book. You will laugh, you will cry, most of all you will cheer on Lea as she and her children fight for safety. In addition to this, I realized that if Lea could do all that she did in those horrid conditions why am I not out doing more for this world? Yes, I do have multiple health conditions that make everyday life very hard to get through, but if Lea can beat the Nazis I can be able to do something admirable with my life.

Then, it suddenly hits me-this is the world she left behind-a place where killing was an art, and people prayed to be rescued by Bolsheviks. But though she recalls those days with sadness, strangely there's really not a hint of bitterness. It's more like a glowing sense of accomplishment-like deep down she's quelled by the knowledge that survival is sweet satisfaction.

What I took away from this book is that being courageous can inspire others like this book inspired me. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Thank you, Lea, for giving me a new outlook on life. Who needs a therapist when you have a book like this.

I absolutely loved this book. Even though the subject matter is serious (running from the Nazi War Machine) the book is often hilarious.
I would have loved to have a grandmother like Bubbie.
I cannot rate this book highly enough. It deserves every single one of the 5 out of 5 stars I am rating MANAGING BUBBIE.

An ordinary woman who led anything but an ordinary life. This was a captivating read that I would recommend to anyone. You will laugh and cry in turns, but will not be bored, and the end of the book will come too soon. I only wish I had known Bubbie.

This is an honest review given in exchange for a free ARC from NetGalley.

Managing Bubbie was a fast and very enjoyable read. It’s got two layers – the story is told in alternating chapters of Bubbie Lea’s old age in the United States and her impossibly hard youth, navigating nazi Europe and looking for a way to keep her family alive. The story is masterfully written – I couldn’t pry myself away. And despite dealing with real hardships, it’s not told in a sad way at all. On the contrary, its full of humor – especially so with the chapters about the present, but there’s still plenty of it even in the chapters about war hardship. It’s told in a very sober, light tone, so its an exceptional read.

I was really mesmerized with Bubbie Lea’s personality, with her willpower, her direction and her incredible resourcefulness while getting her family out of what looked like truly imbossible disasters. Lea is someone truly worthy of awe and respect. She’s someone that truly owns her life – and no nazis, no poverty or mean bureaucratic paper pushers were ever going to take – it away from her. And it seems, neither can old age.

I love reading stories of people who braved impossible hardship and made it – its easy to understand why. They’re incredibly motivating. But this one was more than that – I’m not sure I’ve ever read a story, a real story, in which the people got so much help at just the right time, just the right moment. Not to downplay Lea’s ability to fend for herself and her family – more than once, it was only her cunning that saved them, but it seems the right choice or a helping hand would always appear in the worst times. It’s as if Lea was truly led by a higher power, and it’s always incredible to read stories like that. Make no mistake – the author doesn’t draw any such conclusions or make allusions about any higher powers at all – it’s just that as the story goes on, you start wondering, just how much luck is luck?

I also really loved the way Jewish family and home culture was opened up, shown to the reader – its as if it’s an open window, or even like you’re a guest in the house. A people’s culture at large is one thing and we can learn about it in many ways, but learning of the “inner” home culture – all the little things that make up the day to day lines of a people – now that is harder to learn about just like that. And that’s what I also loved about this book. It’s truly unique to read about family culture from up this close.

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook through NetGalley in exchange to my honest opinion. Receiving the book for free does not affect my opinion.