Hands of Gold - (New Jewish Fiction) by Roni Robbins (Paperback)

About the Book

Hands of Gold, loosely based on real events, follows Jewish Sam on a journey that takes him from war-torn Europe at the turn of the 20^th century, through the Great Depression and labor union reforms in America.

Book Synopsis

Will Sam purge his guilty conscience before it's too late? Will he atone for his offenses and find solace in the final countdown?

Sam Fox spent his whole life running against the hands of time. He is now racing to set the record straight about secrets he and Hannah, his wife of 65 years, have been harboring from their children and each other.

Hands of Gold, loosely based on real events, follows Sam on a journey that takes him from war-torn Europe at the turn of the 20^th century, through the Great Depression and labor union reforms in America. Determined to make a lasting mark in his new homeland, Sam faces many hardships, not he least of which includes contracting tuberculosis, but he refuses to let this deter him from his ambitions. During a seemingly mundane workday, he shields 200 coworkers from a disgruntled gun-wielding employee. His actions saved the lives of many, making his escape from the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp - wherein his family suffered a deadly fate - a destined event.

As Sam comes to grips with his past, a gold watch from his grandmother, lost and buried during the Holocaust, will find its way back to him. Through this and other blessings, Sam learns to find the silver lining in his everyday struggles by holding onto his loved ones, along with a little self-reliance and even a few miracles.

Review Quotes

The author carries us through the lifetime of a fascinating Jewish man who used his wonderful hands to survive. They also were filled with romance as he and his wife spent 6 decades together. The reader will look at his own hands and wonder out loud if they have been as energized as those of the hero. I, too, ask myself - how many special traits do my ten fingers possess? Robbins' book offers each of us our own personal answer.

David Geffen is an American-born historian, author and rabbi living in Jerusalem. His writing has appeared in such publications as The Jerusalem Post.

Author Roni Robbins weaves together a historic novel inspired by true events that is a page-turning credit to her literary talents. Her book Hands of Gold is a testament to her storytelling ability, a timeless treasure lost in the horrific tragedies of war, with a spirited main character who lived through one challenge after another. Robbins portrays the spirit of a man, though broken, who is memorable as he holds onto life, time and what truly matters most. An amazing book about resilience, worthy of your immediate attention.

Robyn Spizman is a media personality and an award-winning New York Times bestselling author who has written more than 50 books.

"Where are all your great miracles now?" the story begins, in the hoarse, wry, honest voice of the much-travelled, much-aggrieved Sam Fox, a Zelig of a fictional spinoff of the author's grandfather. An Eastern European immigrant, born at the start of the new century - "My birth was not the greatest timing, I know. But who was I to question such a thing?" - he managed to taste, and to suffer, much of what midcentury America had to offer, from the golden age of TV & radio to a mass shooting at a workplace. A natural-born survivor, skipping across borders, changing identities, harboring secrets, Sam always made time to relish moments of happiness, always displaying - even when on the run, even when grieving his loved ones - a tremendous love of life.

Melissa Fay Greene, a two-time National Book Award finalist, is the author of Praying for Sheetrock and The Temple Bombing.

Based on the lives of her immigrant forebears from Hungary and their American-born children, Roni Robbins has written an absorbing and richly detailed novel about the struggles and triumphs of people who made their way in the promised land of America during the last century. The novel traces the lives of the many members of the Fox family. The characters are vividly drawn and the novel contains many moving stories and episodes. One, in particular, that stands out in the mind of the reviewer involves the journey of Mo Fox to Europe in the wake of the Holocaust to retrieve a family heirloom that represents the title of the novel. Readers interested in learning much about the story of the Jewish immigrant experience in America will find Ms. Robbins' novel a richly rewarding experience.

Sheldon Neuringer is a retired history professor and published author of stories about history and Jewish life, including two novels about Jewish youths growing up in New York. He recently wrote a short story, For the Love of Yiddish.