![]() Wife Claire finally has enough and moves out in 1981-of course, Abe demands joint custody. He never actually hits anyone, but the verbal and psychological abuse are truly scary. He’s an insane perfectionist after Jacob’s bar mitzvah, the boy has to write 20 thank-yous a night, “each note will be individually checked for proper spelling, grammar, syntax, and word choice,” and when the poor kid falls short, Abe throws his usual screaming tantrum. ![]() always top three,” etc.) As Jacob narrates the story from his 10th to 15th years, we see the grim effects of Abe's compulsive personality. (Jacob “reads Hebrew so beautifully it'll make you cry,” Dara “swims like a fish. He’s overbearing, he’s needy, and he flashes his family's accomplishments as if they were credentials. ![]() The ghastly housewarming party he throws when they move to Piedmont, New Jersey, in 1977 tells us almost everything we need to know about Abe Green in the nine opening pages. Scarifyingly funny debut limns a suburban boy's struggle to cope with the Jewish Father from Hell. ![]()
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