Gemini Joe:
Memoirs of Brooklyn
The The runt of the litter, Gemini Joe is no stranger to tears. His life is a story—following the Great Depression and his parents struggle to provide for his family. Survival in his powerful, sometimes cruel family was not easy. Although he remembers with affection and occasional humor the holidays, his childhood friends, his mother and grandmother, his tough, bullying brothers and indifferent sister, his family was too much for him. He found acceptance in a bottle of scotch. Health issues beginning at birth and compounded by an addiction to cigarettes from the age of seven. In the end, he managed to conquer his addictions, but was it too late?
A very emotional story that will bring tears to the reader’s eyes and occasional laughter. The way Joe reconnects with his daughter is beautiful, and rediscovering her real father seems to have been a beautiful journey in itself. The story is told from the perspective of Gemini Joe, a man with sensitivity, a party man who’d always succeeded in making people laugh and have a good time, but who was never easy to deal with at home. I also enjoyed the moving, very inspiring poems that open the chapters, poems by the protagonist. This is a story that compels me to revisit my story with my own father. My relationship with my father has never been a great one and, after reading this book, I begin to wonder if he’s been deeply hurt as well? Janet Sierzant tells a story of hurt, addiction, and redemption, and makes readers understand that those who hurt others are themselves hurting deeply, and that behind the ugliness we may notice in some people that there is a wellspring of beauty waiting to burst forth. At times, it needs only a little attention to draw from that wellspring. This memoir is deeply human and intensely satisfying.
Gemini Joe’s childhood memories inspire sorrow, anger, sympathy, horror, and amusement. As an adult, he inspires forgiveness for the mistakes he made in life and redeemed himself through his considerable talents as an artist, poet, and thinker.
Readers Favorite says, "I loved reading Gemini Joe: Memoirs of Brooklyn and it had my attention right from the beginning to the end. It is a simple story of an ordinary life, but that is precisely what makes it special. I enjoyed reading about all of the day-to-day life in their household with the big Italian dinners, fishing, sports, daily life, their connection with what is known as “the Mafia,” and so much more. Janet is able to write as a silent observer and this to her credit because the narrative genuinely feels like Joe talking to the reader and, at times, to his daughter. It’s a very engaging and well-written book and probably one of my favorite memoirs I have read in a long time!"
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