At 96, Author Debuts With Acclaimed Memoir

Writer Praised For Recreating A Childhood Marred By Religious Bigotry And Intolerance

(AP)  His mother always dreamed of moving to America and a better life, but many of the problems that plagued them in England, such as poverty and her husband's drinking and abuse, followed them to Chicago and eventually New York City.

"The first 25 years of my life were very sad," Bernstein says. "But the years that followed made up for it, after I got married. They were wonderful years."

Bernstein's two-bedroom house near the Jersey shore is covered with reminders of his life with his wife, including pictures of the two in Mexico where they vacationed every winter and the artwork they collected.

Harry and Ruby Bernstein met at a dance in New York City, and after dating for a year, got married. While Ruby Bernstein was also Jewish and the two were married by a rabbi, Harry Bernstein hasn't been to synagogue since he was about 12 and doesn't consider himself a practicing Jew.

Since the two were married during the Great Depression and money was scarce, their honeymoon consisted of a weekend walking through Central Park before Ruby Bernstein had to be back at work the following Monday.

The Bernsteins had two children, Adraenne and Charles. His daughter, who lives in Brooklyn, said she had the sense that her father had a story inside him that he needed to get out.

"For people who don't know him, I think it would it would be surprising," she said, referring to the fact that he wrote his first book so late in life. "For me as his daughter, knowing how disciplined, and hardworking, and talented he is, it was not a surprise."

"The Invisible Wall" has already been published in England and Sweden and will also be released in Germany, Italy, Finland and Norway this year. Due to the age at which he wrote the book and his challenging childhood, "The Invisible Wall" has led to inevitable comparisons with Frank McCourt's memoir, "Angela's Ashes," a book about McCourt's Irish upbringing.

Now that he's got the hang of book writing, Bernstein says he could probably write a few more and is considering writing about his marriage. His second book, "The Dream," is almost finished and centers on the family's move to the United States; Ballantine has already signed on as the American publisher.

Bernstein cranks out his pages on a typewriter in his bedroom, saying that the computer nearby is too complicated for anything more than checking his e-mail. And at his age, he allows himself a certain latitude in the writing process, meaning that instead of worrying about deadlines he just writes until he doesn't feel like writing anymore.

"I've been trained to finish something you start, don't leave anything undone," he says. "I just feel I'm not satisfied until I finish what I start. And I will not be satisfied until I start something new."

[ajaxrose1]

How awesome is this? I hope it gets released in the U.S. so we can read it. Just goes to show you, you're never too old.

[mgpm-2009]

I can't wait to read it! I adore biographies of interesting lives, and Mr. Bernstein's sounds very interesting. Congratulations to him for getting it down and his success in getting published!

[adian1-2009]

This is a wonderful story that moves fibers of joy out of a life turned sad!!! I feel good about the success of Mr. Bernstein. My congratulations go to Ms. Kate Elton, though. Her sensibility!!!