My Father's Compass: A Memoir

By Howard Goldenberg

My Father's Compass is a poignant, moving and at times hilarious memoir celebrating the long life of a man with many roles: country doctor, gardener, seaman, carpenter, welder, French polisher, shipwright, cook, religious Jew and mohel (performer of ritual circumcisions). This book will evoke tears and laughter, grief and joy as it paints an unforgettable portrait of the man who continues to guide and inspire his descendants.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1876462485
• ISBN13: 9781876462482
• Release Date: January 2007
• Publisher: Hybrid Publishers
• Length: 236 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

great read

I picked this up with a degree of cynicism, not being a fan of memoirs, and wary of first time authors. Fifteen pages in, I was hooked. My Father's Compass is a memoir in parts, and it surprised me how well the parts hung together. I give a lot of the credit to the author's ability to create richly detailed characters for the reader - they are vivid and fascinating. Goldenberg's pieces of narrative are held together by the strength of the people he describes, and above all by the appeal of the narration. Goldenberg's narratorial voice is wry, solemn, thoughtful and absolutely delightful. In fact, I have a strong suspicion that if he'd managed to read a grocery list in that voice, I would have happily read on. But no, he offers instead a series of linked narratives that work to tell the story of an unusual father....and a good bit about his son, the author. What a pleasure to read! I'll be looking for Goldenberg's next book...

my review of my book, my father's compass

I wrote My Father's Compass, the story of a remarkable but unsung Jewish Australian, prompted initially by filial love. I imagined that the book would sell a few dozen copies, mainly to people who knew and admired my father. In the event, this story of an unknown person, written by an unknown writer sold out. A second edition is in press. I came to see that this was more than an intimate memoir - it told the story of a man for our times, a man who successfully married his devout Jewishness to his life as a 100% dinkum (authentic) Aussie. Myer Goldenberg raised an observant family in the small Aussie bush town where he practised Medicine. There he created a modern Australian olive and olive oil industry, before moving to Melbourne, where he became the doyen Mohel of the Jewish community, trading the harvesting of olives for the harvesting of foreskins. Media reviews of "Compass" were warm and favourable, both in Australia and in The Jerusalem Post. Critics liked the "verve and humour and deep compassion" of the book, describing it as "poignant, entertaining, hilarious". Critics and readers like the book, the author himself declares: It's a ripper! I think you'll enjoy it too.