Kantinka, Graver - B+

         This extraordinary novel, which is based on a true story, is about the Cohen family. It begins in Constantinople in the opening years of the twentieth century. Rebecca is the middle child and our storyteller. The family is prosperous and happy, but the war brings changes. In post-war Istanbul, the new Turkish state no longer wants the Jews, most of whose families have lived in the city for over four centuries.  The Cohen's go to Barcelona. Rebecca's skill as a dressmaker allows her to get a job, but she has to feign being Christian with the name Maria. She soon saves up enough to quit and start selling her own wares. She marries Luis, who she later learns suffers from being gassed in the war and cannot read or write. With exception of bed, Luis is pretty useless and seldom home. Rebecca returns to her parents' home with two sons and soon learns that Luis is dead. She hears from her sister in New York who suggests Rebecca meet Sam Levy, widower of a girl who had been Rebecca's best friend in Constantinople. She meets him in Havana, marries him and moves to Astoria, NY. Sam's daughter, Luna,  is severely disabled and cared for full-time by Sam's mother. While waiting for her sons to arrive from Spain and her new baby to be born, Rebecca tackles the issues surrounding Luna and teaches her to use a potty, engage her legs to start walking, and convinces her she has a purpose in life. The family moves to Cambria Heights, a small community in southeastern Queens, where they purchase a home and Sam opens a candy store. They work hard, raise their children and look forward to their first grandchild. This book has been positively reviewed, has received awards, and is the first book among the thousands I have read over sixty-five years to feature the corner of Queens where I grew up.