A six-story red brick building sits proudly on the cover of this book, surrounded by a bustling New York City that is filled with a vibrant mix of cultures. The five stories above the ground floor each represent a family and culture that made the Lower East Side their home over the course of the twentieth century. It is a cross-section of life in a city that became a haven for immigrants who moved to New York for a better life, starting with the Great Migration in the early 1900s and continuing to this day. This book beautifully and ingeniously layers these lives together, one family overlapping the other over the course of a century. It is a tribute to the triumph of spirit and work ethic all great cultures share. This book comes full circle, a circle of life, a story that never ends.

This vibrancy of life is portrayed in detailed illustrations that includes rooftops where people gather for fresh air, to hang their clothes out to dry, and to enjoy uninterrupted views of Manhattan skyscrapers. Down below on the streets, children jump rope, skateboard, and practice handstands. Adults sell ice cream, fruit, and clothing from pushcarts. A pickle store, "Four Generations of Quality," proudly inhabits the ground floor. Shops in surrounding buildings sell goods such as groceries, dairy, books, produce, and ethnic foods. The infamous Katz's Delicatessen makes an appearance. It is as if everything one needs to sustain life is right there in one remarkable neighborhood. It brings to mind my early New York City days. My first apartment was on the fifth floor in a walkup building in Soho, with a bathtub in the kitchen. It was in an Italian neighborhood, and my one block had a fresh produce store, bakery, butcher, fresh-made mozzarella store, deli, stationery store, cappuccino store, laundromat, and house of worship. I loved living there. It was a wondrous life that exposed me to experiences and cultures I did not encounter in the conservative suburban neighborhoods that I was raised in. I can imagine Five Stories being made into a wonderful film.

This book is a triumph of the spirit that anyone who has sought a better and more creative life can relate to. It is heartfelt and carefully researched. Ellen reveals in her author's note that she is the granddaughter of the first girl depicted in this book and that her family has lived on the Lower East Side for the past 120 years. Circle of life.

Traci Churchill
Roswell, Georgia
November 11, 2024

Here are some detail images from Five Stories: