It's a shame that Malamud is rarely brought up in literary circles anymore. This novel isn't exactly breaking any new ground: a slice of life about a hardworking immigrant family always on the edges of financial precariousness. The book has an ominous atmosphere, making the string of bad luck the family suffers feel inevitable, yet all the more painful. At the same time, the circumstances are handled with humor and delicately avoids becoming slapstick. I loved everyone in the book and these characters will remain with me for a long time.