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To Have Not Frances Lefkowitz 9781596923546 Books

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To Have Not Frances Lefkowitz 9781596923546 Books

To Have Not
By Frances Lefkowitz

Intelligent. Well crafted. Honest. These are the words that come to mind when I think of Frances Lefkowitz's memoir, To Have Not. The book chronicles her years growing up in poverty in San Francisco, her experiences as a scholarship student at Brown University and her subsequent journey into adulthood. This is a tough story. It's not one of those this-is-what-happened-and-this-is-how-I-overcame-it-and-everything's-just-peachy-now stories. But neither is it one that wallows in pain. Lefkowitz was resourceful from an early age and was never inclined to act like a victim.

For example, when Lefkowitz was nine years old, her family was evicted because the building where they'd lived for several years was sold and the new owner wanted to move into the flat they'd been calling home. On moving day, her father was becoming increasingly impatient double parked outside, and her timid mother was flummoxed. "When Dad gets mad, Mom gets flustered," Lefkowitz wrote. "She moves faster, but she accomplishes less. To preserve some sort of peace, I've got to get boxes packed and down the stairs. 'Just shove that stuff in there, Mom,' I say, piling plates into a box." So, while still in grammar school, Lefkowitz was taking charge, doing what her mother was incapable of doing.

I moved to San Francisco as a young adult in the mid-1970s, when Lefkowitz was in middle school, and I didn't interact much with parents and children until I became a parent myself about a decade later. I recall in one rag-tag household I joined for a while, my roommates and I would cringe every evening just after dinner because the father of a family living nearby beat his children, and their screams permeated the evening fog. I had come to San Francisco, in part, to leave a painful childhood far behind, yet there right on the block was the painful present of another family. I hadn't a clue what to do. Lefkowitz wasn't beaten by her parents, but they were too immersed in their own struggles and pursuits to provide a stable home with food on the table, clean clothes, guidance--all of the things responsible parents should provide.

That Lefkowitz made the very most of what she had and became an accomplished and wise adult is a testament to her fighting and winning spirit. And now, whenever I visit San Francisco and pass a place where I once lived, I will recall some the experiences I had there, but I'll also be acutely aware of the children in need who lived just beyond my reach. And this, I believe, is a good thing. I highly recommend this book.


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To Have Not Frances Lefkowitz 9781596923546 Books Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Frances has lived an extraordinary life and she doesn't hold anything back.
Lefkowitz's tales of her colorful, rough-around-the-edges childhood pulls you right in like you've been school chums for decades. Whether you grew up as a "have" or a "have not," you will find the descriptions of her poverty is palpable, a character in its own right. But in a very matter-of-fact kind of way. Not a highfalutin cell in her body, this girl is the real deal. I read the first half in one sitting, and had to force myself to put off reading the rest until the next day. An entertaining, emotionally-charged memoir that doesn't ask for pity.
I loved this book! Not only because it's very well-written, but also because it felt like Frances and I were living parallel lives growing up in San Francisco in the 60s and 70s. Because her descriptions of the sights, sounds & smells of San Francisco are so precise and spot-on, I was transformed back in time to the innocence of my youth, and how our little minds process Real Life -- good and bad. What I also enjoyed was "aging" with Frances through the 300 pages of her book. As readers, we have the opportunity to watch her grow and blossom, admit mistakes, and take pride in achievements. Lastly, I appreciated her honesty. My dad used to say a phrase that has always stuck with me. "I calls it as I sees it," which was his way of saying, "This is my truth." Frances Fefkowitz has written her truth and I would highly recommend this book. FIVE stars!
As I read Frances Lefkowitz's memoir "To Have Not," I was struck by her masterful and poetic use of language, no doubt thanks in part to her poet mother's influence. Lefkowitz explores how growing up poor in San Francisco deeply shaped her. Her work in cinema, her eye for detail, shows in her evocative descriptions of the places she has lived. I loved this memoir and recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading well-wrought writing that delves into how our childhood experiences affect us.
I greatly enjoyed this book. I loved the riveting storytelling -- at times I really felt gripped by it, completely enveloped and at one with it. This book involves not only the telling of stories, the unraveling of certain key moments in a life, but also a voice that injects itself into the stories, commenting, editorializing here and there. Although my general preference is for staying inside of scenes, I grew to really love the voice and the narrator of this memoir, to accept her way of writing memoir, and found myself agreeing with many of the conclusions she draws from her experiences. The writing is really really good -- original, thoughtful and intelligent. I felt I was spending time with someone, getting to know someone, and I feel as if her presence will linger for some time now that I have read the last page. I look forward to following this writer and seeing what else she does.
"To Have Not" is a stunningly written, evocative account of a woman's life. Lefkowitz vividly depicts her years growing up as a "have not" in San Francisco. The author's examination of her formative experiences has a compelling depth. Through lyrical, beautifully wrought prose, Lefkowtiz shares her vulnerabilities and flaws which makes "To Have Not" a fascinating read. Rather than wallow in self-pity for growing up impoverished, she reveals how she transcends the circumstances of her past to move on to help others. I've read a ton of memoirs - memoir has been my favorite genre for over two decades - and this book is among the best I've come across."To Have Not" will stay with me because of its unique, engaging narrative.I loved this book.
To Have Not
By Frances Lefkowitz

Intelligent. Well crafted. Honest. These are the words that come to mind when I think of Frances Lefkowitz's memoir, To Have Not. The book chronicles her years growing up in poverty in San Francisco, her experiences as a scholarship student at Brown University and her subsequent journey into adulthood. This is a tough story. It's not one of those this-is-what-happened-and-this-is-how-I-overcame-it-and-everything's-just-peachy-now stories. But neither is it one that wallows in pain. Lefkowitz was resourceful from an early age and was never inclined to act like a victim.

For example, when Lefkowitz was nine years old, her family was evicted because the building where they'd lived for several years was sold and the new owner wanted to move into the flat they'd been calling home. On moving day, her father was becoming increasingly impatient double parked outside, and her timid mother was flummoxed. "When Dad gets mad, Mom gets flustered," Lefkowitz wrote. "She moves faster, but she accomplishes less. To preserve some sort of peace, I've got to get boxes packed and down the stairs. 'Just shove that stuff in there, Mom,' I say, piling plates into a box." So, while still in grammar school, Lefkowitz was taking charge, doing what her mother was incapable of doing.

I moved to San Francisco as a young adult in the mid-1970s, when Lefkowitz was in middle school, and I didn't interact much with parents and children until I became a parent myself about a decade later. I recall in one rag-tag household I joined for a while, my roommates and I would cringe every evening just after dinner because the father of a family living nearby beat his children, and their screams permeated the evening fog. I had come to San Francisco, in part, to leave a painful childhood far behind, yet there right on the block was the painful present of another family. I hadn't a clue what to do. Lefkowitz wasn't beaten by her parents, but they were too immersed in their own struggles and pursuits to provide a stable home with food on the table, clean clothes, guidance--all of the things responsible parents should provide.

That Lefkowitz made the very most of what she had and became an accomplished and wise adult is a testament to her fighting and winning spirit. And now, whenever I visit San Francisco and pass a place where I once lived, I will recall some the experiences I had there, but I'll also be acutely aware of the children in need who lived just beyond my reach. And this, I believe, is a good thing. I highly recommend this book.