Discover what readers are saying about In the Shadow of the El. This heartfelt memoir resonates deeply, capturing the essence of Brooklyn life and unforgettable childhood memories. See why readers love it.
-I just finished your book. I found it very entertaining and at the same time quite emotional. I had a compulsion to keep reading. Very few books leave me with that kind of yearning. Thank you!
-It was fun reading your book. I grew up in the Boro Park-Bay Ridge area. My grandmother’s apartment was on New Utrecht Ave. and my window on the second floor was even with the El! It was a nostalgic jump back in time to read your book.
-I just finished reading your book and found it quite amusing and interesting. Reading your book brought back lots of memories of Kent Ave. and Taaffee Place. Also, I know that the cheese cake restaurant is Juniors in downtown Brooklyn . . . the best strawberry cheese cake! John, it’s a wonderful book. You certainly brought me back to the early years . . . a lot of sweet and endearing memories.
-Just finished reading your book and does it bring back memories. In past years there have been a number of neighborhood reunions and it was great talking about the old places. One thing we all agreed with, it was a GREAT place to grow up. I do go back at times to see if my grandfather’s barber shop is still there, but sadly it’s not. Thanks for the ride back.
-I just heard about your book and that you referenced my brother in it. In your email back to me, I could sense the love and affection you had for Joe as a friend. Thank you! My brother lived on top of the Rainbow Knights Club on Skillman Street, which was a little town in itself. I am looking forward to finishing your book and reliving a part of history my children will never know.
-You were right about our neighborhood not being as popular as the other sections of Brooklyn. I hate to say this, but Skillman Street has reminded me of a bombed out war zone since I moved out in 1971. It just breaks my heart that I can’t go back to anything identifiable. As Thomas Wolfe wrote, “You can’t go home again.”
By chance, I just came across your book and just purchased a copy. I recall the last time we ran into each other was in the mid to late ‘60s around Pace University one night. I have fond memories of your dad and how he managed our PAL team each Saturday, and recall he took me and the gang to my only trip to Yankee Stadium. I recall you and he were New York Giants baseball fans and the only ones I knew. All the best with the book, people will really enjoy it, take care and regards.
-I just wanted to tell you that I loved the book “In the Shadow of the El”. My wife told me that I had a smile on my face whenever she saw me reading it. And I enjoyed some paragraphs so much that I would often read them to her. She was always equally moved and commented that you were a great writer. I hope you do more writing in the future. I’m looking forward to reading it.
-Thank you for sharing your memories of my beloved home! And, for doing it so well, and thereby preserving the history of not only a place but an era. I loved to sit down and enjoy your stories. Some of mine are quite similar and some different, but the place is sure the same! And it is right what you said at the end-“they are who I am. And I am made right here in Brooklyn”. Thank you for your fine book. Congratulations on it. All the best.
-I just received your book and started reading it immediately. You have an excellent writing style and, being from Brooklyn, I’m attracted to the subject matter like a moth to a flame. Can’t wait to continue reading it. Congratulations and I hope you sell many copies. I know a few people who I’ll contact to recommend it to.
-I amazoned the book. I did not read it. I absorbed it. There is a difference. It was absolutely great what I read. Every time I was in to it, I made sure no one could get to me to interrupt. I was a bit disappointed that you did not go deeply into your toy chest. I just found my father’s chest and the things I found were not to be believed. It’s Golden! He fought as a heavy weight for the Police Department in Madison Square Garden. I had his posters from the twenties framed. He never told me about it, unbelievable! I hated your book to end, but it led me to a lot of good thoughts. How about writing another book so I can just keep reading?
-I just picked up your book at B&N and started to read it. I like your easy, casual style of writing. Like you, I grew up in New York (Queens/Long Island) and share many of the same memories. Your book is making them come alive.
-I really enjoyed reading about Ralphie’s “special ingredient” that he put in his sundaes. Made me reminisce about our corner candy store. Thanks for bringing back wonderful childhood memories and whoever says, “You can’t go home again,” obviously never grew up in Brooklyn in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Take care.
-Well, I finally remembered Aunt Julia (Gina). She lived in the Catalano house and worked for a potato chip company. I remember that on occasion she would give us large tins of the chips. God Bless her! Ernie’s oldest sister, Rosina, is now reading your book. I spoke with her last night and she just LOVES the way you write, and your book is bringing back so many memories for her. Love to you and your family.
-I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I liked the descriptions of your mom and dad and the neighborhood. My memories went back to my visits to my grandmother in a similar Brooklyn neighborhood, not far from where your stories took place. The big baseball game was the best part of the book and kept me reading until the game was over. I hope you write a sequel to this book with more memories of growing up in Brooklyn.
I clicked on the excerpt about the sponge bath and laughed heartily on the inside . . .hmmm. I lived too, as you put it, in the shadow of the el. I will continue to travel back in time through your eyes and mind. Thanks.
-You must know I am a sucker for Brooklyn books. I loved my years in Brooklyn, John. You and I, we are members of a very special club. You can’t get out and you can’t get in. All you had to do is grow up in Brooklyn. All the best with your book.
-So proud of my dad and his beautiful book. Every story feels like I am sitting at the kitchen table, listening to him bring the past to life. It is full of humor, heart and the spirit of a neighborhood that shaped him for his entire life. My dad’s book taught me not only about my father, but more specifically, my grandfather, a World War II hero I never got to meet. Through his memoirs, my dad did not just share his childhood, he brought our family’s past to life and gave me a chance to know the people I never met. Thanks, Dad.
-I was born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens. All my neighbors were ex-Brooklynites. My mother and the other parents taught us kids their street games. Our Spaulding was never far from our hands. Early on, I was designated as the sewer ball retriever armed with a bent metal hanger. You were lucky to have a park nearby to play in.
I loved reading about your escapades with your friends. My mouth watered while reading about when King Stan made his sandwiches. I was touched by you and your father sharing moments while cleaning the crumbs before your mom came home. Overall, I laughed and was choked up while reading, especially the way you respectfully described your mom’s decline into dementia. I hope there is a sequel
-Growing up in Brooklyn has never felt more vivid or magical than in John Fabrizio’s beautifully written memoir. What I liked most about the book was the author’s descriptive writing style. He truly paints a colorful picture for the reader. All the neighborhood places: the park, the softball field, the classroom, the confessional, Ralphie’s candy store, King Stan’s deli, the bakery, Bilby’s dreaded bridge, the El train station, the parking meters, etc. all became “mini theatrical stages,” where the myriad number of life’s, very personal emotions were played out. Great work, Pops!
John’s book takes you back to the time when the Baby Boomer kids were venturing to a coming of age era. Where sticks and balls ruled rather than electric video games and hand-held phones. Where culture was thought of as more important than fly by night pop trends!
Take a walk through Brooklyn’s streets, where the memories, stories, and moments that inspired the book come to life, shaping the author’s journey along the way.
