Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Joe was the son of a mobster. He grew up in Brooklyn during the Great depression, a time where discrimination against Italians was rampant. The youngest of four, he suffered abuse from his father and older brothers. Eventually, he cut ties with his family and moved to Long Island where he pursued a career in politics. Riding high on his charisma and charm, they called him Gemini Joe. Torn between his creative talents and the demons he inherited from his family, his roots were hard to ignore and the political pressure caused him to struggle with alcohol. Joe walked away from his wife and children. Estranged from his oldest daughter, years went by until he wrote her in a letter. It included a poem that triggered her curiosity. Although Janet grew up with him, she didn't know about his childhood and asked if he would tell her his story.
Synopsis
"Crying isn't bad because it is God's way of washing away the pain. That's why we have teardrops." - Gemini Joe
The runt of the litter, Gemini Joe is no stranger to tears. His life is a story--following the Great Depression and his parents struggle to provide for his family. Survival in his powerful, sometimes cruel family was not easy. Although he remembers with affection and occasional humor the holidays, his childhood friends, his mother and grandmother, his tough, bullying brothers and indifferent sister, his family was too much for him. He found acceptance in a bottle of scotch. Health issues beginning at birth and compounded by an addiction to cigarettes from the age of seven. At the end, he managed to conquer his addictions, but was it too late?
Gemini Joe's childhood memories inspire sorrow, anger, sympathy, horror, and amusement. As an adult, he inspires forgiveness for the mistakes he made in life and redeemed himself through his considerable talents as an artist, poet, and thinker.
Synopsis
The runt of the litter, Gemini Joe is no stranger to tears. His life is a story--following the Great Depression and his parents struggle to provide for his family. Survival in his powerful, sometimes cruel family was not easy. Although he remembers with affection and occasional humor the holidays, his childhood friends, his mother and grandmother, his tough, bullying brothers and indifferent sister, his family was too much for him. He found acceptance in a bottle of scotch. Health issues beginning at birth and compounded by an addiction to cigarettes from the age of seven. In the end, he managed to conquer his addictions, but was it too late?
A very emotional story that will bring tears to the reader's eyes and occasional laughter. The way Joe reconnects with his daughter is beautiful, and rediscovering her real father seems to have been a beautiful journey in itself. The story is told from the perspective of Gemini Joe, a man with sensitivity, a party man who'd always succeeded in making people laugh and have a good time, but who was never easy to deal with at home. I also enjoyed the moving, very inspiring poems that open the chapters, poems by the protagonist. This is a story that compels me to revisit my story with my own father. My relationship with my father has never been a great one and, after reading this book, I begin to wonder if he's been deeply hurt as well? Janet Sierzant tells a story of hurt, addiction, and redemption, and makes readers understand that those who hurt others are themselves hurting deeply, and that behind the ugliness we may notice in some people that there is a wellspring of beauty waiting to burst forth. At times, it needs only a little attention to draw from that wellspring. This memoir is deeply human and intensely satisfying.
Gemini Joe's childhood memories inspire sorrow, anger, sympathy, horror, and amusement. As an adult, he inspires forgiveness for the mistakes he made in life and redeemed himself through his considerable talents as an artist, poet, and thinker.
Gisela Dixon from Readers Favorite says, "I loved reading Gemini Joe: Memoirs of Brooklyn and it had my attention right from the beginning to the end. It is a simple story of an ordinary life, but that is precisely what makes it special. I enjoyed reading about all of the day-to-day life in their household with the big Italian dinners, fishing, sports, daily life, their connection with what is known as "the Mafia," and so much more. Janet is able to write as a silent observer and this to her credit because the narrative genuinely feels like Joe talking to the reader and, at times, to his daughter. It's a very engaging and well-written book and probably one of my favorite memoirs I have read in a long time "
Synopsis
A very emotional story that will bring tears to the reader's eyes and occasional laughter. The way Joe reconnects with his daughter is beautiful, and rediscovering her real father seems to have been a beautiful journey in itself. The story is told from the perspective of Gemini Joe, a man with sensitivity, a party man who'd always succeeded in making people laugh and have a good time, but who was never easy to deal with at home. I also enjoyed the moving, very inspiring poems that open the chapters, poems by the protagonist. This is a story that compels me to revisit my story with my own father. My relationship with my father has never been a great one and, after reading this book, I begin to wonder if he's been deeply hurt as well? Janet Sierzant tells a story of hurt, addiction, and redemption, and makes readers understand that those who hurt others are themselves hurting deeply, and that behind the ugliness we may notice in some people that there is a wellspring of beauty waiting to burst forth. At times, it needs only a little attention to draw from that wellspring. This memoir is deeply human and intensely satisfying.
Gemini Joe's childhood memories inspire sorrow, anger, sympathy, horror, and amusement. As an adult, he inspires forgiveness for the mistakes he made in life and redeemed himself through his considerable talents as an artist, poet, and thinker.
Gisela Dixon from Readers Favorite says, "I loved reading Gemini Joe: Memoirs of Brooklyn and it had my attention right from the beginning to the end. It is a simple story of an ordinary life, but that is precisely what makes it special. I enjoyed reading about all of the day-to-day life in their household with the big Italian dinners, fishing, sports, daily life, their connection with what is known as "the Mafia," and so much more. Janet is able to write as a silent observer and this to her credit because the narrative genuinely feels like Joe talking to the reader and, at times, to his daughter. It's a very engaging and well-written book and probably one of my favorite memoirs I have read in a long time "
Synopsis
Based on a true story, Gemini Joe follows the life of a New York family through four generations. This is the story of a man torn between his creative talents, and the demons he inherited from his family.
A very emotional story that will bring tears to the reader's eyes and occasional laughter. The way Joe reconnects with his daughter is beautiful, and rediscovering her real father seems to have been a beautiful journey in itself.
Janet Sierzant tells a story of hurt, addiction, and redemption, and makes readers understand that those who hurt others are themselves hurting deeply, and that behind the ugliness we may notice in some people that there is a wellspring of beauty waiting to burst forth.
I enjoyed the moving, very inspiring poems that open the chapters, poems by the protagonist. This is a story that compels me to revisit my story with my own father.... Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite
A simple story of an ordinary life, but that is precisely what makes it special. I enjoyed reading about all of the day-to-day life in their household with the big Italian dinners, fishing, sports, daily life. It's a very engaging and well-written book and probably one of my favorite memoirs I have read in a long time ....Gisela Dixon for Readers' Favorite
Synopsis
Based on a true story, Gemini Joe follows the life of a New York family through four generations.
A very emotional story that will bring tears to the reader's eyes and occasional laughter. The way Joe reconnects with his daughter is beautiful, and rediscovering her real father seems to have been a beautiful journey in itself.
Janet Sierzant tells a story of hurt, addiction, and redemption, and makes readers understand that those who hurt others are themselves hurting deeply, and that behind the ugliness we may notice in some people that there is a wellspring of beauty waiting to burst forth.
I enjoyed the moving, very inspiring poems that open the chapters, poems by the protagonist. This is a story that compels me to revisit my story with my own father.... Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite
A simple story of an ordinary life, but that is precisely what makes it special. I enjoyed reading about all of the day-to-day life in their household with the big Italian dinners, fishing, sports, daily life. It's a very engaging and well-written book and probably one of my favorite memoirs I have read in a long time ....Gisela Dixon for Readers' Favorite
Synopsis
Based on a true story, Gemini Joe follows the life of a New York family through four generations.
Growing up with an alcoholic father was like living in an altered state of reality. My father spent most of his time at the bar, where they knew him as "Gemini Joe," a charismatic, funny man who was the life of any party, but we didn't see this side of him at home. A bottle of scotch on the table was all it took to set him off, causing me and my siblings to hide at the top of the stairs, listening and waiting for the fighting to stop. The undercurrent of tension stayed close to the surface. I was expected to be a normal, frolicking, happy child, but there was a sadness inside me-a loneliness that followed me through my childhood like a stray dog. The teachers thought I was shy because I didn't speak and rarely smiled. They didn't look beyond the fa ade. Somehow, I was made to feel like it was my fault. It wasn't until I was in my thirties with children of my own that I found out the truth. Forgiveness saved me.
A very emotional story that will bring tears to the reader's eyes and occasional laughter. The way Joe reconnects with his daughter is beautiful, and rediscovering her real father seems to have been a beautiful journey in itself.
I enjoyed the moving, very inspiring poems that open the chapters, poems by the protagonist. This is a story that compels me to revisit my story with my own father.... Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite
A simple story of an ordinary life, but that is precisely what makes it special. I enjoyed reading about all of the day-to-day life in their household with the big Italian dinners, fishing, sports, daily life. It's a very engaging and well-written book and probably one of my favorite memoirs I have read in a long time ....Gisela Dixon for Readers' Favorite
Synopsis
A revealing and heart-wrenching archive of the emotional roller coaster Gemini Joe and his family struggled through set in a background of mental abuse, alcoholism, betrayal, and sometimes a hint of what could be possible.
Joe spent most of his time at the bar, where they knew him as "Gemini Joe," a charismatic, funny man who was the life of any party, but his family didn't see this side of him at home. A bottle of scotch on the table was all it took to set him off, causing his children to hide at the top of the stairs, listening and waiting for the fighting to stop. At times, his creative side came out in the form of poetry, drawings, and inventions, including the first design for a toothpaste cap that stayed on the tube. Tragically, he was never to achieve success. The struggle with alcohol caused Joe walked away from his wife and children. Estranged from his oldest daughter, years went by until he wrote her a letter. It included a poem that he had written which triggered her curiosity. She didn't know much about his childhood and asked him to tell her his story.
Synopsis
Joe spent most of his time at the bar, where they knew him as "Gemini Joe," a charismatic, funny man who was the life of any party, but his family didn't see this side of him at home. A bottle of scotch on the table was all it took to set him off, causing his children to hide at the top of the stairs, listening and waiting for the fighting to stop. At times, his creative side came out in the form of poetry, drawings, and inventions, including the first design for a toothpaste cap that stayed on the tube. Tragically, he was never to achieve success. The struggle with alcohol caused Joe to walk away from his wife and children. Estranged from his oldest daughter, years passed until he wrote her a letter. It included a poem that he had written which triggered her curiosity. She didn't know much about his childhood and asked him to tell her his story.
My earliest memory of my father was at a family wedding when I was four years old. I could still see my mother smiling and dancing, happy to be with her family. My father sat at a table, glaring as she glided across the dance floor. He drank one scotch on the rocks after another until jealousy took hold of him, and his rage cut the evening short. I wanted to love him but found it difficult to please him. I wanted to please him but knew it was impossible. When he divorced my mother, I felt obligated to cut him out of my life out of loyalty to her. Until one day, I received a letter along with a poem. I didn't know this side of my father. Impressed by his words, I asked him to tell me about his childhood. As I collected the missing pieces of his life, I had an opportunity to understand the true nature of the man buried deep beneath the alcoholic.