POOR MATZA Selected Stories of Avrom Reisen

Thirty-eight stories of life in the Old Country and in the new are read in their newest translation into English. Born in Russia, Reisen wrote Yiddish tales of shtetl life in Eastern Europe and immigrant life in the teeming city of New York before WWII. David Skulski narrates the introductory biographical sketch and the 38 stories in a gravelly voice that draws listeners in. Skulski’s deep voice skillfully delivers the smatterings of Yiddish and Hebrew words, mostly untranslated, switching accents and languages seamlessly. The volume rises and falls with bursts of loud words without being distracting. The voices of women are mostly undifferentiated while the male characters stand out. POOR MATZA is the perfect way to relive life at the turn of the century. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2013]