A writer goes deep into the heart of italy to unravel a centuryold family mystery in this spellbinding memoir that blends the suspenseful twists of making a murderer and the emotional insight of elena. Fivefinger discount by helene stapinski overdrive rakuten. Listen to thousands of best sellers and new releases on your iphone, ipad, or android. As stapinski writes, jersey city was a tough place to grow up, except i didnt know any better. A crooked family history by helene stapinski random house 2001 biography. In an earlier memoir, fivefinger discount, stapinski recreated the terrifying world of swindlers, embezzlers, burglars and mobster wannabes who made up her. Praise for fivefinger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinskis book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain and disillusion. A crooked family history by helene stapinski 255 pages published by random house in 2002 this book counts for the following reading challenges. A crooked family history, which was made into a documentary. Now a documentary, read the national bestselling book. Click download or read online button to get five finger discount book now. Based on the bestselling memoir by helene stapinski. Check out the website for the five finger discount documentary.
Now a pbs documentary, this astonishing memoir of growing up in roughandtumble jersey city will steal your heart peoplewith deadpan humor and obvious affection, fivefinger. Stapinskis debut invokes sensitive questions about class, domesticity, and the tolerance of corruption essential to machine politics. A crooked family history mines her immigrant familys roots to write a part memoir, part murder mystery that is. May 20, 2002 the night my grandfather tried to kill us, i was five years old, the age i stopped believing in santa claus helene stapinski had been playing in the familys apartment above the majestic tavern in jersey city when, in the bar downstairs, grandpa an excon and armed robber pointed his loaded gun and bragged he had a bullet for each of them. Click on highlighted areas of the map to hear excerpts from helenes audio book of murder in matera. Stapinski uses her familybased narrative to portray an urban political culture that encouraged theft, election. This is long before jersey citys recent revitalization efforts. A crooked family history, which is about her life growing up in jersey city. A love affair, with music, which chronicles her years.
Stapinski is an exciting writer, unabashedly candid, and at the same time unashamedly selfcontained. The night my grandfather tried to kill us, i was five years old, the age i stopped believing in santa claus helene stapinski had been playing in the familys apartment above the majestic tavern in. A trip to southern italy to shed light on a family scandal. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app.
Five finger discount with deadpan humor and obvious affection, helene stapinski recounts the story of her growing up in a family as thoroughly corrupt as the hudson county political machine that whirs behind the scenes the village voice. Italianamerican author stapinski fivefinger discount. Helene stapinski is the author of murder in matera 3. Helene stapinski grew up in jersey city, nj, captured in her best selling memoir, five finger discount.
Helene stapinski began her career at her hometown newspaper, the jersey journal, and since then has written for the new york times, new york magazine, and people, among other publications. With deadpan humor and obvious affection, fivefinger discoun. By turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinskis book reads on the. A crooked family history mines her immigrant familys roots to write a part memoir, part murder mystery that is entertaining in its plot. In an earlier memoir, fivefinger discount, stapinski recreated the terrifying world of swindlers, embezzlers, burglars and mobster wannabes who made up. With deadpan humor and obvious affection, five finger discount recounts the story of an unforgettable new jersey family of swindlers, bookies, embezzlers, and mobsterwannabes. A crooked family history audiobook by helene stapinski. A crooked family history by helene stapinski, the author details her life growing up in tough jersey city, new jersey. A journalist and the author of the engaging 2002 memoir fivefinger discount. The headline in the local newspaper the next day read man seized on way to kill 5 children. All these stories are part of helenes unbelievable heritage and of five finger discount, a raucous and heartbreaking tale.
A crooked family history by helene stapinski 2001, hardcover at the best online prices at ebay. With deadpan humor and obvious affection, fivefinger discount recounts the. Five finger discount by helene stapinski paperback book for. A crooked family history mines her immigrant familys roots to write a part memoir, part murder mystery that is entertaining in its plot if not elevating in its prose ma would tell me about vita as we sat in our bright yellow kitchen in jersey city, new jersey, circa 1969. Mar 06, 2017 fivefinger discount, tale of jersey city, hits tv. Fivefinger discount by helene stapinski books on tape. Fivefinger discount isbn 9780679463061 pdf epub helene. Michiko kakutani, the new york times its a brilliant book, a darling book. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. A crooked family history and millions of other books are. Behind the myriad tales of criminals, petty and not so petty, in helene stapinski s book, five finger discount, is a precocious girl who grows up with a keen awareness of family and of place. Soon to be a pbs documentary, this astonishing memoir of growing up in roughandtumble jersey city.
In the memoir mary karr calls a pageturner, helene stapinski ingeniously. Jun 05, 2018 praise for fivefinger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinskis book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain and disillusion. People by turns hilarious and alarming, uproarious and depressing, stapinski s book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain and disillusion. Now a pbs documentary, this astonishing memoir of growing up in roughandtumble jersey city will steal your heart peoplewith deadpan humor and obvious affection, five finger discount recounts the story of an unforgettable new jersey family of swindlers, bookies, embezzlers, and mobsterwannabes. A love affair with music traces her time playing drums in a rock band on the lower east side. Helene stapinski ingeniously weaves the checkered history of her hometown of jersey city a place known for its political corruption and industrial blight with the. Even on its surface, the book has much to offer it is rich in interesting jersey city lore, filled with eyepopping accounts of political corruption that ensnares even ordinary citizens. Michiko kakutani, the new york times it s a brilliant book, a darling book. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Fans of mary karrs groundbreaking memoir the liars club will relish the similarly funny, toughminded.
Helene grew up in a family that was, shall we say, dysfunctional. Mar 12, 2002 praise for fivefinger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinskis book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain and disillusion. In the memoir mary karr calls a pageturner, helene stapinski ingeniously weaves the. A love affair, with music, which chronicles her years playing drums in a rock band in manhattan. Jun 15, 2017 a journalist and the author of the engaging 2002 memoir fivefinger discount.
Stapinskis book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and. People by turns hilarious and alarming, uproarious and depressing, stapinski s book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore. Search results for helene stapinski sorted by relevance. Praise for fivefinger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinski s book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain. A writer goes deep into the heart of italy to unravel a centuryold family mystery in this spellbinding memoir that blends the suspenseful twists of making a murderer and the emotional insight of elena ferrantes neapolitan novels. A humorous yet unsettling look back at a minorleague grifter family in a majorleague crooked townprereform jersey city. Victoria gotti, the new york observer what frank mccourt did for limerick, ireland, helene stapinski does for jersey city. On a summer night when she was five years old, helene stapinski watched out her kitchen window as her grandpa beansie was carted off to jail for the last time. Praise for fivefinger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinskis book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of. This acclaimed book by helene stapinski is available at in several formats for your ereader. Fivefinger discount by helene stapinski penguin random. Praise for five finger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinski s book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain and disillusion. Five finger discount download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Now a pbs documentary, this astonishing memoir of growing up in roughandtumble jersey city will steal your heart people.
New jersey my thoughts about this book traveling the us through books. On a summer night when she was five years old, helene stapinski watched out her kitchen window as her grandpa beansie was carted off to jail for the last, isbn 9780679463061. With deadpan humor and obvious affection, fivefinger discount. Italianamerican author stapinski five finger discount. Fans of mary karrs groundbreaking memoir the liars club will relish the similarly funny, toughminded tone of helene stapinskis recollections centering on her. Praise for fivefinger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinskis book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain. Helene stapinski audio books, best sellers, author bio. Five finger discount by helene stapinski paperback book. Fivefinger discount with deadpan humor and obvious affection, helene stapinski recounts the story of her growing up in a family as thoroughly corrupt as the hudson county political machine that whirs. Stapinski received her ba in journalism from new york university in 1987 and her mfa from columbia in 1995. Five finger discount 9780747558316 by stapinski, helene and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Mar 12, 2002 now a pbs documentary, this astonishing memoir of growing up in roughandtumble jersey city will steal your heart peoplewith deadpan humor and obvious affection, fivefinger discount recounts the story of an unforgettable new jersey family of swindlers, bookies, embezzlers, and mobsterwannabes.
A crooked family history, which recounts her familys criminal history, and baby plays around. This is a cleverlywritten account of the authors extended and extensive family of origin. Five finger discount a crooked family history powells books. When she was five, her grandfather tried to kill her whole family. Praise for fivefinger discount by turns hilarious and alarming, helene stapinski s book reads on the surface like something by damon runyon and elmore leonard, with a dark undertow of reallife pain and disillusion.
Helene stapinski is the author of fivefinger discount. Soon to be a pbs documentary, this astonishing memoir. Helene stapinski grew up in jersey city, nj, captured in her best selling memoir, fivefinger discount. With deadpan humor and obvious affection, fivefinger discount recounts the story of an unforgettable new jersey family of swindlers, bookies, embezzlers, and mobsterwannabes. May 31, 2002 fivefinger discount by helene stapinski bloomsbury. A crooked family history, about growing up in a family of grifters and other notsopetty criminals, stapinski.