Man of the Family

by Kathleen Karr

Book Overview

A moving father-son story. At ten, Istvan Csere is learning from his father all about running the family's chicken farm in South Jersey. The father, a flamboyant, proud character who fled Hungary with... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374347646
• ISBN13: 9780374347642
• Release Date: September 1999
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 178 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

karen 's book review

Well i like ny book because it talks about a boy at youn age has to rean how to be the msn of the family. He had to learn how to run the chicken farm and he also had to take care of his little baby brothers ans sisters.There was nothing i didn't like about this book every thing was good.The most thing i like about this book it was that they explain every thing detail by detail. I would tell all my friends to read this book becouse is a great book to read. My questions would be is this book base on a true story.My stongest reason i would recommending that this book is so good and maight even make you want to cry.my favorite characteris Istvan becouse he is the boy who had to run the house and the chicken same time. I like this line becouse it remains me of my auncle that said something like that There is no picninc with out a proper bottle of fine bear.(on pg. 132)

Man of the Family

Man of the Family by Kathleen Karr is an historical fiction that is somewhat based on the experiences of Karr's father when he was a young boy. The story takes place in South Jersey in the year 1924. Here, an Hungarian immigrant couple are raising their five children on a chicken farm. Once a school teacher in Hungary, the father of this family, named Mihaly, is now forced to rely on farming for support since teaching in the United States requires a better knowledge of the English language than he has. Even though he can't teach in a classroom, Mihaly still spends his time teaching life's lessons to his children, especially to his eldest son Istvan. Istvan at 10 years old takes on many of the responsibilities of the chicken farm as he works alongside his father to make improvements on the farm. Even though Istvan thinks he is only helping his father, he is actually learning a lot about himself. All of these lessons will be recalled for Istvan in the face of a sudden tragedy. This is a very heart-warming, well-written book. It is nice to read a book that emphasizes family values and the influence of a good father on a family. Karr brings her father's life to this book in an eloquent, inspiring way. This book is worth the read for not only children, but for people of all ages!