Rating: 
Summary: This is A Good Story About Predjudice
Review: Snow in August is a good example about predjudice and racism in the 1940's. The story is set in Brooklyn New York, where Michael and his widowed mom live. Michael is a sweet kid, and one day on the way to catholic mass, the Rabbi Hirsch calls out to Micael to come in and do him a favor. Michael walks in the building with the rabbi Hirsch, and then an instant friendship is formed.
The rabbi teaches Michael all about jewish history and yiddish, while Michael teaches the rabbi to speak better english. Their friendship deepens, but Michael's friends turn against him for befriending a Jew. There is a big bully in town, Frankie McCarthy, who starts a lot of trouble as he HATES the jews and black people. Frankie is a big troublemaker and has a killing temper. He and a group of people start a lot of fights and hurt Michael pretty badly in one scene. They continue making problems until the get their 'dues' later in the book.
The language was just a bit too rough at times, especially with Michael's friends. The author has them swearing just a little bit too much, I felt. But other than that, the story is well-written.
Rating:
Summary: A page turning phenomenom
Review: At the end of every chapter, the author leaves a carrot dangling infront of the readear so they want to read more of the book.The book is about a young irish boy whose father passed away in World War II. The young boy's name is Michael. Michael has to deal with many moral dilema's dealing with religion and racism/prejudice. Michael has a major conflict dealing with a local gang. Michael witnesses a crime and has a major decision wheather to tell the cops or not. So basically this book was very exciting, and if there was a sequel I would pick it up.
Rating: 
Summary: A rollercoaster of ups and downs.
Review: "Snow in August" seems divided into three parts (at least to me). They are: 1.) First 100 pages found me wondering where it all was going and whether it was worth my time to find out. These pages are quite slow and seem to be somewhat aimless (with little hints of a coming story line here and there). 2.) The midsection of the book takes these bland pages and 'clicks' them into place, revealing ever-better characters and a nice forward moving tale. This is the rewarding section 3.) The last forty pages were filled with utter confusion about why in the world the author decided to end what was a great 'earthly' story in such an 'unearthly' way. (those that have read it know what I'm talking about). The ending was compoletely unsatisfying and left an ever-promising book (that escalates the whole way) with a sharp decline and a 'flicker' rather than a 'bang' for an ending. It is not that I wanted the book to end differently and was disappointed that it didn't. Rather it is literally like Pete Hamill stopped writing only to have a completely new writer pick it up and write the ending after the manuscript sat in a desk for 6 years. That's how drastic the change is! All in all, I give it three stars because the characters and scenery are so vivid ('40's New York) and some of the moments so touching (a catholic priest helping a rabbi scrub a spray-painted swastika off his synagogue). I am rarely one who likes over-detailed descriptions of scenery or a character's inner life(don't tell me; show me) but for this book, I gladly made an exceptin as the prose is so well done and the pictures, utterly delightful. But the last 40 pages - I can't emphasise this enough - were so strange as to be...well...inappropriate-feeling. I figured that maybe it was just me - maybe a religious person would've gotten more from this ending than I (as it is very religio-mystical). But all of the devout religionists I know who read this were as troubled by the ending as I was (and a few reviewers, too, from the looks of it). So there you have it: a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Get the book, don't give up before page 100 (where things really start to fly) but if you don't 'get' the ending, know that not many other people did either.
Rating:
Summary: A transcendent tale of faith and friendship
Review: If you have a pulse, you will love this book. Whether you are from Brooklyn, Boston or Bangladesh, you will love this book. Whether you are Jewish, Catholic or Athiest, you will love this book! Pete Hamill does a fabulous job of harkoning us back to a simpler time (Brooklyn, circa 1947) without making us think that it was Utopia. The lead characters, Michael Devlin and Rabbi Hirsch, both are longing for acceptance and companionship. The Rabbi lost his wife in the Holocaust. Michael, the 11-year old protagonist of the story, lost his Father in the Battle of the Bulge. An unlikely meeting leads to a mutually beneficial relationship. The Rabbi fine tunes his English and learns the magical appeal of the game of baseball through the boy's teachings. Michael is equally enriched by falling under the spell of the Rabbi's stories and the Yiddish language. As outsiders, both revel in the exploits of Jackie Robinson, who breaks baseball's color line with his combination of skill and grace. Unfortunately, the duo learns that all is not wonderful and safe in postwar Brooklyn. A gang called the Falcons and their leader, Frankie McCarthy, intervenes with menacing intent. The gang inflicts serious beatings on the Rabbi and the boy and with threats of worse consequences lingering, Michael has to turn to his belief in one of the Rabbi's parables to save the day. It is a beautiful tale of friendship. Both lead characters are extremely likeable. The theme of overcoming all odds is exhilirating. Take the leap of faith and enjoy this wonderful novel.
Rating:
Summary: A rollercoaster of ups and downs.
Review: "Snow in August" seems divided into three parts (at least to me). They are: 1.) First 100 pages found me wondering where it all was going and whether it was worth my time to find out. These pages are quite slow and seem to be somewhat aimless (with little hints of a coming story line here and there). 2.) The midsection of the book takes these bland pages and 'clicks' them into place, revealing ever-better characters and a nice forward moving tale. This is the rewarding section 3.) The last forty pages were filled with utter confusion about why in the world the author decided to end what was a great 'earthly' story in such an 'unearthly' way. (those that have read it know what I'm talking about). The ending was compoletely unsatisfying and left an ever-promising book (that escalates the whole way) with a sharp decline and a 'flicker' rather than a 'bang' for an ending. It is not that I wanted the book to end differently and was disappointed that it didn't. Rather it is literally like Pete Hamill stopped writing only to have a completely new writer pick it up and write the ending after the manuscript sat in a desk for 6 years. That's how drastic the change is! All in all, I give it three stars because the characters and scenery are so vivid ('40's New York) and some of the moments so touching (a catholic priest helping a rabbi scrub a spray-painted swastika off his synagogue). I am rarely one who likes over-detailed descriptions of scenery or a character's inner life(don't tell me; show me) but for this book, I gladly made an exceptin as the prose is so well done and the pictures, utterly delightful. But the last 40 pages - I can't emphasise this enough - were so strange as to be...well...inappropriate-feeling. I figured that maybe it was just me - maybe a religious person would've gotten more from this ending than I (as it is very religio-mystical). But all of the devout religionists I know who read this were as troubled by the ending as I was (and a few reviewers, too, from the looks of it). So there you have it: a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Get the book, don't give up before page 100 (where things really start to fly) but if you don't 'get' the ending, know that not many other people did either.
Rating: 
Summary: cute but tedious
Review: On and on it goes about race, religion and, of course good and evil. Forget this and spend your money on anything by Steinbeck.
Rating: 
Summary: A Book to Get Lost In
Review: I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get lost in Brooklyn, circa 1947. There is some fantasy involved towards the end that perhaps might not seem plausable at all--however, if you take the whole of the book it just works. Well worth the effort.
Rating:
Summary: Super Read
Review: An enjoyable and sweet story. There are few storytellers as engaging and talented as Pete Hamill. This book harkens back to an earlier time where people of different backgrounds learned about their neighors' cultures without the forced and sanctimonious multiculturalism we see today. It reminded me of the stories that Colin Powell tells of learning to speak Yiddish in the South Bronx. The book also contains an interesting treatment of Jewish mysticism woven into the narrative. One of the best stories that I have read in awhile.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Story--Strange Ending!
Review: I agree with other reviewers concerning this book in that it is wonderfully written and the friendship between the main character and the rabbi is quite special, poignant and charming. I also agree with the others in that the 'supernatural' twist at the end seemed out of place and definitely unexpected. However, if one enters this book with the knowledge that it ends like a fable or child's tale, perhaps the reader can enjoy it more when knowing what to expect (but I will not ruin the ending for anyone!)I stumbled accidentally across this book and when I started to read it, I was quite happy with the selection I had made!
Rating:
Summary: GREAT book - until the end
Review: I agree with the reviewer above who thought the book was great except for the last 40 pages. Pete Hamill is a great writer and writes vividly about a young Catholic boy who befriends a rabbi. They learn from each other - and the reader, in turn, learns quite a bit about religion, struggle, and friendship. The book is intense and you will not want to put it down! It is unfortunate in the way it ends, however. It just is not a believable or even possible ending, in my opinion. I thought I might have missed a detail when I was reading the events that unfurl at the end, so I even re-read the last 2 chapters - but it still was unsettling, and I didn't miss any details. It's a great book until the ending. This high quality story deserves a much better ending than the one Pete Hamill chose to give it. Read this book for the learning experience and 90% of the book - the last 10% is just not the way it should have ended.
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