A Review By Frances Smith

Jack Rosenblum and his wife Sadie, forced to flee from Nazi Germany, find themselves in England .  Unlike many refugees, Jack decides to assimilate, rather than be like many of his jewish friends who are happy to live in the East End of London where Sadie actually feels more secure.  Jack is a positive character – he looks forwards, not backwards and strives to become as English as possible.  He takes completely to heart the pamphlet they are handed in Harwich when they land, advising them how to make themselves accepted in this new country, and continues to add notes of advice to his ever growing list.  Sadie, by contrast, remains homesick , missing her parents and younger brother, whose fate, sadly, was not as fortunate as her own. 

 As Jack becomes more and more successful , running a burgeoning carpet business, his one remaining frustration is that he is denied membership of a British golf club.  The anti-semitism is subtle but always there, and Jack finally decides that the only way to play golf is to build his own course.

 In many ways this book is reminiscent of Paul Torday’ “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” in that it is about one man’s journey through life as he attempts the impossible.  As Jack builds his course, he moves forward and is gradually accepted by the Dorset villagers, even accepting the possibility of a giant “woolly pig” . He learns to go with the contours of the land rather than trying to recreate St Andrews.  A gently amusing story, but I felt it lacked consistency.