Dumbfounded : : a Memoir

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Why I don't believe in Santa Claus -- China girl -- All in the D's -- The petty thieves -- In my grandmother's closet -- Jude the obscure -- Visiting Mother -- Call me pathological -- Greta Garbo lives next door -- The wandering Jew -- Damn static -- Intrafamily feud -- It's nothing personal -- Howard's end -- Judaism for dummies -- Driving Miss Sophie -- 100 percent, grade-A Hebrews -- Can I call you Daddy?
The only Jewish family in a luxury Fifth Avenue building of WASPs, the senior Rothschilds took over the responsibility of raising their grandson, Matt, after his mother left him for Italy and a fourth husband.

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Funny and Captivating Memoir submitted by Sara W on June 21, 2011, 1:18am I finished this book in one evening - because I quickly came to adore Matt Rothschild and his somehow light-hearted retelling of his confused upbringing. Overall, this book was a well-written, sweetly deprecating and hilariously honest account of the young life of a misfit rich boy.

I couldn't help but compare this book with Sean Wilsey's "Oh, the Glory of It All". I enjoyed them both, but I found that every time I set down "Dumbfounded," I picked it up again, eager to get back to the manic mind of Matt. The author's note bluntly states that he has changed events, combined characters and altered actions for better storytelling. It nicely correlates with the way his beloved grandfather tells partly-true stories, and makes for a glossier, more cohesive read.

Funny, captivating and well-paced with a healthy dose of adolescent humiliation and family heartbreak.