Call number
FIC BER
Collection
Genres
Publication
Crown (2014), 272 pages
Description
"Madeleine Altimari is a smart-mouthed, rebellious nine-year-old who also happens to be an aspiring jazz singer. Still mourning the recent death of her mother, and caring for her grief-stricken father, she doesn't realize that on the eve of Christmas Eve she is about to have the most extraordinary day--and night--of her life. After bravely facing down mean-spirited classmates and rejection at school, Madeleine doggedly searches for Philadelphia's legendary jazz club The Cat's Pajamas, where she's determined to make her on-stage debut. On the same day, her fifth grade teacher Sarina Greene, who's just moved back to Philly after a divorce, is nervously looking forward to a dinner party that will reunite her with an old high school crush, afraid to hope that sparks might fly again. And across town at The Cat's Pajamas, club owner Lorca discovers that his beloved haunt may have to close forever, unless someone can find a way to quickly raise the $30,000 that would save it. As these three lost souls search for love, music and hope on the snow-covered streets of Philadelphia, together they will discover life's endless possibilities over the course of one magical night. A vivacious, charming and moving debut, 2 A.M. at The Cat's Pajamas will capture your heart and have you laughing out loud" --… (more)
Media reviews
One of the crucial events of “2 A.M. at the Cat’s Pajamas” involves singing, and this seems highly appropriate. After all, one of the most basic tasks facing any writer is making the words you’ve written work together; we say this is making them sing, a cliche, but in the case of
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Marie-Helene Bertino’s novel, the term fits. The story of a lonely 9-year-old girl’s quest to perform at a Philadelphia jazz club on Christmas Eve rolls along much like a piece of music — different story lines wind and unwind like musical themes, and these stories are all threaded together with a consistently energized brio like one of the tunes played at the club giving the book its title. Each sentence, as well, is composed with a poetic ear; no line is wasted. That’s rare. Show Less
The Riveter
Nine-year-old Madeline Altimari stars in this tale of French-braided lives that are snarled inside-out one eventful Christmas Eve Eve. Madeline lives in a roach-infested apartment in Philadelphia with her dad, the former proprietor of a cheese shop before his wife’s death. Though Mr. Altimari was
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once a loving husband and father, his grief keeps him in bed, where he’s surrounded by old jazz books (his wife was a chanteuse) and pain pills. Now, motherless Madeline is the ward of Philly’s Fishtown neighborhood, where she’s fed by Mrs. Santiago, cafe-owner and recent-widower; nuzzled and licked by irascible pup Pedro; coiffed by the gum-smacking Vince Sherry; and heartlessly expelled by Principal Randles. And in the great tradition of nurturing educators like Roald Dahl’s Miss Honey, Madeline is understood by her teacher, Sarina Greene. With Madeline, Sarina is not afraid to cross boundaries,in the interest of protecting Madeline. Show Less
Fifth-grader Madeleine Altimari is pretty much raising herself; her father has retreated into his bedroom in a drug-induced stupor to numb his grief since the death of Madeleine’s mother—a strip-club dancer and free spirit beloved by all who knew her. Madeleine is lonely, precocious and sassy,
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her tough exterior hiding her own heartache. Mrs. Santiago, the warmhearted widow who runs the neighborhood cafe, provides breakfast, lunch and grandmotherly affection, but Madeleine has no friends at her Catholic elementary school. Her solace is singing—she’s a natural who yearns to be a jazz singer. Madeleine’s day begins badly when Principal Randles, who resented Madeleine’s mother even when they were kids, first deprives Madeleine of a solo at the school’s morning Mass and later unfairly expels her. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member msf59
Madeleine Altimari is obsessed with old time jazz and she wants to be a jazz singer, like her beloved Blossom Dearie. She is nine years old...going on ten. Madeline is smart, a loner, a smoker and cusses like a dockworker. Her mother recently died and her father has vanished into his own
The Cat's Pajamas is a legendary NYC jazz club, but it has fallen on hard times. Barely held together, with spit and duct tape, it is owned and operated by Jack Lorca, who is on the verge of bankruptcy.
This story is how Madeline and the jazz bar, come together, on one long, serpentine, Christmas Eve Eve. There is a patchwork of engaging characters, weaving in and out of this tale, some touching upon the girl and others on Lorca. It is bright and funny and the author seems to have a genuine feel for music, which only enhances the narrative. What a pleasant surprise this turned out to be. I hope this novel finds a wide audience.
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despair.The Cat's Pajamas is a legendary NYC jazz club, but it has fallen on hard times. Barely held together, with spit and duct tape, it is owned and operated by Jack Lorca, who is on the verge of bankruptcy.
This story is how Madeline and the jazz bar, come together, on one long, serpentine, Christmas Eve Eve. There is a patchwork of engaging characters, weaving in and out of this tale, some touching upon the girl and others on Lorca. It is bright and funny and the author seems to have a genuine feel for music, which only enhances the narrative. What a pleasant surprise this turned out to be. I hope this novel finds a wide audience.
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LibraryThing member BooksCooksLooks
This book defies category and description. I don't even know how to begin to review it. It's rather amusing - I've mentioned before that I take my books for review as they come to me and some have been in my calendar for months and some have only been listed for a couple of weeks and yet they still
Madeline is a 9 year old girl living with a father so overcome with grief at the loss of his wife that he does not leave his bed not caring that Madeline has also lost her mother. She is left to live in a house full of roaches and only thanks to the care of the neighbors does she survive. Her mother was a jazz singer and Madeline longs to follow in her footsteps and she is determined to sing!
The story opens on Christmas Eve eve and Madeline might just get her chance to sing thanks to a horrible accident but it does not come to pass. Her teacher tries to nurture her a bit but she is newly divorced and back in her hometown and feeling a bit insecure.
Madeline learns of a jazz club, The Cat's Pajamas and she also finds out that her mother once sang there! She is determined that she will sing on its stage - no matter that she is 9, no matter that she has to cross the city. She doesn't care - she is going to sing!
There is more. A LOT more but it's better you find it out for yourself. This is probably the strangest book I've ever read. I think that much of it went right over my head, the ending included (no pun intended.) It's a book that needs a second or even third reading I suspect to fully and completely understand what is going on. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy it because I did. It was a refreshing change from the ordinary.
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manage to align in a weird order of similar books in a row! This is one of three back to back that defy genre.Madeline is a 9 year old girl living with a father so overcome with grief at the loss of his wife that he does not leave his bed not caring that Madeline has also lost her mother. She is left to live in a house full of roaches and only thanks to the care of the neighbors does she survive. Her mother was a jazz singer and Madeline longs to follow in her footsteps and she is determined to sing!
The story opens on Christmas Eve eve and Madeline might just get her chance to sing thanks to a horrible accident but it does not come to pass. Her teacher tries to nurture her a bit but she is newly divorced and back in her hometown and feeling a bit insecure.
Madeline learns of a jazz club, The Cat's Pajamas and she also finds out that her mother once sang there! She is determined that she will sing on its stage - no matter that she is 9, no matter that she has to cross the city. She doesn't care - she is going to sing!
There is more. A LOT more but it's better you find it out for yourself. This is probably the strangest book I've ever read. I think that much of it went right over my head, the ending included (no pun intended.) It's a book that needs a second or even third reading I suspect to fully and completely understand what is going on. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy it because I did. It was a refreshing change from the ordinary.
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LibraryThing member Neftzger
This was an enjoyable read that centers on a segment of time on Christmas Eve from several different character's points of view and life experiences. Let me preface this by stating that I do enjoy jazz and that aspect of the book appealed to me immensely, almost as much as the hope embodied in the
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event at 2:00 AM (no spoilers here!). The book is nicely constructed by labeling the segments of time as the plot builds and the background stories becomes more clear. Overall, this was a fun romp that shows hope for all of us in achieving our dreams at any age or circumstance. Things may not always be exactly what we want in life, but life can still be packed with great moments and turn out well. Show Less
LibraryThing member Draak
To be honest I was not a fan of this book. The characters were not interesting and I did not care for the writing which to me was all over the place. I got halfway through and just gave up.
LibraryThing member Beamis12
For me this novel was a very mixed read. I quickly fell in love with nine year old Madeleine, a motherless child whose father is sunk into himself with grief. Madeleine is used to taking care of herself, she is foul mouthed, very determined and her only wish is to sing in public. Strange things
The secondary stories and characters I did not find as compelling with the exception of the dog, whose thoughts and antics made me smile. All stories and characters are joined together on Christmas Eve.
Although set in the present day, this reminded me a bit of the old jazz novels, the discussions of music and an old guitar and a jazz club, holding on by a thread.
There is much to like in story, the prose is solid, although there were things that I felt confusing and could have safely been left out of the plot. Madeleine though, was such a vivid character she alone was worth the full price of admission. The title is brilliant and is what drew me, initially to this book. The ending was a little strange and I am not sure exactly what it is supposed to mean.
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happen when she sings and I really wish this concept would have been more fully explored.The secondary stories and characters I did not find as compelling with the exception of the dog, whose thoughts and antics made me smile. All stories and characters are joined together on Christmas Eve.
Although set in the present day, this reminded me a bit of the old jazz novels, the discussions of music and an old guitar and a jazz club, holding on by a thread.
There is much to like in story, the prose is solid, although there were things that I felt confusing and could have safely been left out of the plot. Madeleine though, was such a vivid character she alone was worth the full price of admission. The title is brilliant and is what drew me, initially to this book. The ending was a little strange and I am not sure exactly what it is supposed to mean.
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LibraryThing member kaulsu
I could never decide whether I was enjoying it or not, until the end, when I decided it was, at least to some degree, thought provoking.
Bertino managed to pull off tying a wide range of disparate characters together. Sometimes it worked well, but some of the relationships seemed a bit forced.
The book was a fast read, which helped. Had I needed to put it down for long, I'm not sure I would have taken it up again.
Bertino managed to pull off tying a wide range of disparate characters together. Sometimes it worked well, but some of the relationships seemed a bit forced.
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Without going back and rereading, one of the vignettes wasn't clear until the end, but I was not that interested in rereading to see if it was just me (probably) or unclear writing on Bertino's part. As in any book, I cared about some characters more than others, but in this book some of the circumstances seemed extraordinarily unlikely. Well, there's fiction for you. The book was a fast read, which helped. Had I needed to put it down for long, I'm not sure I would have taken it up again.
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LibraryThing member Aubreyisnthere
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
9-year-old chain smoking, foul mouthed, jazz obsessed Madeleine recently lost her mother. All she wants to do is sing.
Sarina, Madeleine’s teacher, moves back to Philadelphia after a divorce and is soon to be reunited with her high school love.
Lorca, the owner of The Cat’s Pajamas, tough and tender as his legendary jazz club slips away from him.
You also peek in on lesser characters as they are woven together in this charming and magical story.
Christmas Eve Eve, told in a day between minutes and hours. The story is gray and silver, reality with a splash of dream and lots of heart.
The Cat’s Pajamas isn’t heavy; it’s honest and enchanting with lots of great one-liners and musical references. I highly recommend it.
9-year-old chain smoking, foul mouthed, jazz obsessed Madeleine recently lost her mother. All she wants to do is sing.
Sarina, Madeleine’s teacher, moves back to Philadelphia after a divorce and is soon to be reunited with her high school love.
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Lorca, the owner of The Cat’s Pajamas, tough and tender as his legendary jazz club slips away from him.
You also peek in on lesser characters as they are woven together in this charming and magical story.
Christmas Eve Eve, told in a day between minutes and hours. The story is gray and silver, reality with a splash of dream and lots of heart.
The Cat’s Pajamas isn’t heavy; it’s honest and enchanting with lots of great one-liners and musical references. I highly recommend it.
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LibraryThing member AudrieClifford
I read the book, but only because I felt an obligation to write a review as requested. Had I received it under other conditions, I would have abandoned it less than halfway through, I found it to be disjointed, skipping from one group of characters to another. I didn't think any of it was actually
Despite all the praises, I think this is a really crummy book.
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funny, maybe mildly amusing, but not more than that. There are several places where words are jammed together with no space in between --- at first I thought "typo" but there are too many of them for that to ring true. I think it's a gimmick to try to attract attention. Here's another one (the book is divided into time sections): Page 182 list in this order, 12:42 A.M.,12:41 A.M., 12:40 A.M.. At the top of page 183, we have 12:39 A.M. Charming, huh? And for no purpose. Finally we have this phrase repeated at least three times at different places, "the way you know on a flight, even with your eyes closed, that a plane is banking."Despite all the praises, I think this is a really crummy book.
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LibraryThing member plumcover3
Amazing ! Madeleine will linger like a long sassy jazz note long after
9 year old girls or their elementary school teachers should have been tucked in their own homes in this pre Christmas Eve tale. Memorable, striking characters and longing and loss playing in the background with a tiny wail.Would
9 year old girls or their elementary school teachers should have been tucked in their own homes in this pre Christmas Eve tale. Memorable, striking characters and longing and loss playing in the background with a tiny wail.Would
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read again, happily. Show Less
LibraryThing member jfe16
Madeleine Altimari, nine years old and determined to be a jazz singer, is the undisputed star of this tale. She is spunky and precocious, a target for bullying at school; a child who seems to be constantly thwarted in her quest to sing anywhere other than in front of her bedroom mirror.
As the
Unfortunately, there are several missteps in the school scenes that could have been avoided by a bit of research. Did Madeleine skip a grade in order to be a nine-year-old in fifth grade? And why is she even in school on Christmas Eve Eve? Elementary schools don’t have classes on December 23rd; nor do their nurses check children’s hair in front of other students. And even in Catholic schools, expulsion merits a parent conference prior to a student’s exclusion from class.
At times, the telling of this tale is like "Hey there, you with the stars in your eyes," drifting through the still night, but the gratuitous expletives and graphic sexual references mar the landscape and quickly become tiresome screens that hide the lyrical music of this story. Alternately lilting, quirky, and occasionally brilliant, “2 A.M. at The Cat’s Pajamas” is, unfortunately, ultimately disappointing.
As the
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narrative progresses, Madeleine learns of The Cat’s Pajamas, a local, once-prominent jazz club, and immediately decides she needs to go there. A plethora of other characters weave in and out of Madeleine’s adventure as they tell their own stories and interact with each other. Sometimes lyrical, sometimes almost magical, it’s a charming story of searching, of dreaming, and of hope. Unfortunately, there are several missteps in the school scenes that could have been avoided by a bit of research. Did Madeleine skip a grade in order to be a nine-year-old in fifth grade? And why is she even in school on Christmas Eve Eve? Elementary schools don’t have classes on December 23rd; nor do their nurses check children’s hair in front of other students. And even in Catholic schools, expulsion merits a parent conference prior to a student’s exclusion from class.
At times, the telling of this tale is like "Hey there, you with the stars in your eyes," drifting through the still night, but the gratuitous expletives and graphic sexual references mar the landscape and quickly become tiresome screens that hide the lyrical music of this story. Alternately lilting, quirky, and occasionally brilliant, “2 A.M. at The Cat’s Pajamas” is, unfortunately, ultimately disappointing.
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LibraryThing member voracious
Nine-year old Madeline is a child who is basically raising herself and caring for her deeply depressed father in the year after her mother died from cancer. Coping as best she can, Madeline smokes her mother's cigarettes, tries to teach herself to shimmy, and longs for the day when she can sing
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jazz with a real band. Over the course of 24 hours, Madeline is passed over (yet again) to sing in a school program, is told she has lice in front of the class, is sent home from school without a caramel apple, and is expelled from Catholic school two days before Christmas. Soon after, a series of events occur in town, involving numerous other characters, all of which which ultimately culminate at 2 am the next morning at the Cat's Pajamas nightclub, where Madeline may finally have the opportunity to bring down the house. The story is cleverly told through different characters and storylines, which intersect in minor ways. With a touch of magical realism, Madeline's story races to the suspenseful conclusion, which is both exciting and very confusing. I would have preferred a more solid ending, but the story was entertaining and quick. Apart from the ending, my other problems with the story were the unrealistic actions by characters (i.e. Madeline told in front of the class she has lice, etc.) and the focus on every character smoking throughout the whole story. As a non-smoker, it was both distracting and unpleasant to read about. Trivial overall, but still an element that wasn't needed to tell the story. Show Less
LibraryThing member seeword
A whimsical day in the life of a Philadelphia neighborhood begins at 7am on Christmas Eve eve. The main character, precocious nine-year-old Madeline, wants to be a jazz singer. Her mother has recently died, her father has retreated to his room in grief, and she is pretty much a latch-key child. But
Some distance away, the owner of a jazz club, The Cat’s Pajamas, has his own set of problems which may cause him to lose his club. His cast of characters includes musicians, an ex, a somewhat reluctant cop, and a teenage son.
There is also a dog that helps tie them all together.
It’s no real spoiler to say that many of these folks end up at the jazz club during this strange twenty-four romp. This is a lot of fun, with some silliness and a bit of seriousness too.
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she has people who look out for her. A teacher, a hairdresser, and the motherly owner of the Café Santiago.Some distance away, the owner of a jazz club, The Cat’s Pajamas, has his own set of problems which may cause him to lose his club. His cast of characters includes musicians, an ex, a somewhat reluctant cop, and a teenage son.
There is also a dog that helps tie them all together.
It’s no real spoiler to say that many of these folks end up at the jazz club during this strange twenty-four romp. This is a lot of fun, with some silliness and a bit of seriousness too.
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LibraryThing member writestuff
Madeleine Altimari is only nine years old, but don’t let that fool you…this is one brave, independent-minded kid who doesn’t let reality get in the way of her dreams. Madeleine has been practicing singing all her life. She just needs the chance to prove her voice to others.
Sarina Greene is
Lorca is dealing with an estranged girlfriend and a teenage son (who only wants to play guitar) when suddenly he is faced with the possibility of losing his business unless he can come up with $30,000.
All three of these characters come together on the Eve of Christmas Eve at The Cat’s Pajama’s, an aging jazz club whose history seeps out into the smokey atmosphere and captivates its audience. Coincidence and maybe a little magic unite to open up a world of possibility and joy for this novel’s protagonists.
Marie-Helene Bertino has written a charming story about bad luck, human kindness, and the dazzling lure of possibility. Witty and surprising, the novel celebrates the little things in life which can lead us to inner change and happiness. Madeleine is the star of the novel, a kid who has lost her mother and is forced to care for her grieving father, but never gives up her dream of singing. She’s tough, has a mouth like a sailor and has a way of always coming out on top no matter what life throws her way.
Mixing literary fiction with a bit of magical realism, Bertino has crafted a fine first novel that will captivate readers.
Highly recommended.
Sarina Greene is
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the kind of teacher most fifth grade kids wish they had, and she’s back in Philadelphia after a divorce wondering what it will be like to meet up with her old high school crush again. Insecure and disappointed by what life has so far dished her way, Sarina wonders if everything could change if she just took a chance.Lorca is dealing with an estranged girlfriend and a teenage son (who only wants to play guitar) when suddenly he is faced with the possibility of losing his business unless he can come up with $30,000.
All three of these characters come together on the Eve of Christmas Eve at The Cat’s Pajama’s, an aging jazz club whose history seeps out into the smokey atmosphere and captivates its audience. Coincidence and maybe a little magic unite to open up a world of possibility and joy for this novel’s protagonists.
Marie-Helene Bertino has written a charming story about bad luck, human kindness, and the dazzling lure of possibility. Witty and surprising, the novel celebrates the little things in life which can lead us to inner change and happiness. Madeleine is the star of the novel, a kid who has lost her mother and is forced to care for her grieving father, but never gives up her dream of singing. She’s tough, has a mouth like a sailor and has a way of always coming out on top no matter what life throws her way.
Mixing literary fiction with a bit of magical realism, Bertino has crafted a fine first novel that will captivate readers.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member MsNick
My favorite character in Marie-Helene Bertino's novel is undoubtedly 9-year-old Madeleine, a foul-mouthed, precocious aspiring jazz singer. Her pluck captured my heart. Although the author's prose was lovely, at the end of the book I felt a slight disconnection with the various story lines. I liked
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2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas, but I didn't love it. Show Less
LibraryThing member elzbthp
What a fun romp this story is! There's nowhere I'd rather spend my Christmas Eve Eve than in Philadelphia, trailing 9 year-old Madeleine Altimari as she cusses and elbows her way through the city to find the jazz club The Cat's Pajamas, where she plans to prove herself as a singer. I loved
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Madeleine, with her cigarettes and her shimmies and her little-girl-lost core that's not so far under the surface. I also loved Bertino's prose, which is precise but playful, and sometimes even takes on a hint of jazzy rhythm of its own. Show Less
LibraryThing member Alexander19
Foul mouthed nine year old Madeleine Allimari is one of the most original characters that I have had the pleasure to read about in a very long time. Her dream is to sing in at the Cat's Pajamas, Philadelphia's legendary jazz club. This is a wonderful book that I had so much fun reading. This is one
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that leaves you with a good feeling in your heart and soul. Show Less
LibraryThing member tammychristine
Madeleine Altimari is one of the most original characters I have run across. She is a smart-mouthed nine year old mother has died and her father isn't much help. It is a short amount of time just before Christmas but there are so many colorful characters it manages to fill up a whole book. I really
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liked the way the seemingly unconnected people all end up affecting the story. Like the other reviews say this book doesn't fit into any specific slot but I found it a perfectly enjoyable read. Thank you. Show Less
LibraryThing member whitreidtan
Composed like a song with a central melody and harmonies weaving in and out plus solo spotlight moments for each of the members in the band, 2 a. m. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino mimics the jazz that is so central to its story. Nine year old Madeleine Altimari is the central melody.
Madeleine's teacher, Sarina Green, is one of the harmonies weaving in and out of Madeleine's story. Sarina is newly returned to Philly after her divorce. She feels great sympathy for Madeleine and offers her kindness not out of a loyalty to Madeleine's mother but because Madeleine is an underdog, a child who needs someone in her corner. Sarina is floundering in her own life, reeling in the aftermath of the divorce, and when she meets an old acquaintance from school who invites her to a dinner party, she finds herself saying yes despite misgivings. And when she hears that her old high school crush is also going to be at the party, she must face her long-held feelings for him and her secret hope for the future.
Then there's Jack Francis Lorca. He's the owner of The Cat's Pajamas and this Christmas Eve Eve day is not turning out at all the way he'd want. He wakes to a police officer knocking on the club's door and handing him a ticket for city ordinance violations to the tune of $30,000, a sum of money there's little chance he can find in the 30 days given to him. His girlfriend, an exotic dancer, has left him and he can't seem to connect with his sixteen year old son, getting it wrong every time and missing the signs that his son is on the verge of choosing the wrong life.
The novel is broken down in time increments, seguing through Madeleine's, Sarina's, and Lorca's day and on into the night, ticking slowly down to 2 a. m. at the Cat's Pajamas and beyond. There are occasional other narrators as well when they are needed to flesh out happenings that the main three wouldn't otherwise be able to share with the reader. And as disparate as the three plot threads seem to be, as with any good melody and harmonies, they weave in and out of each other, making connections throughout the novel instead of just coming together in the end. Each character in this tightly knit story is completely believable, from independent and prickly Madeleine's childlike grading of her own singing practice to Sarina's insecurities to Lorca's tough exterior. With the novel occurring over a span of 24 hours, it is much like a song or the daily life cycle of a bar: a slow introduction or lull before bursting into hopping action. There are not entirely necessary flashes of magical realism, like what happens to people when Madeleine sings and a character literally drifting away. The pacing is a little slow before the convergence at The Cat's Pajamas and the multiple narrators and the rapidity with which their point of view ends and another narrator takes the reins can be a bit tricky. But it's an interesting novel and the individual riffs do ultimately come together to make a satisfying whole.
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Her jazz singer mother recently died of cancer, leaving her father so wrapped in his own grief that he not only completely retreats to his room and withdraws from life as entirely as possible while still living but he needs Madeleine to take care of him rather than the other way around. So Madeleine is left to her own devices with only the help of the extensive cast of neighborhood friends who promised her mother to look out for her. Madeleine is a smart and precocious child with a passion for jazz. She wants nothing more than to sing and she works every day to perfect her voice. But being only 9, she must also go to school, in her case the local Catholic school where she's not well liked. Madeleine is not a perfect and innocent lamb though. She's as intolerant of those around her as they are of her. She curses like a sailor and she is busily smoking through the cigarettes her mother left behind. When Madeleine is abruptly expelled from school, she turns her attention to finding out where in Philadelphia the once renowned jazz bar The Cat's Pajamas is located and how she'll get herself there. Madeleine's teacher, Sarina Green, is one of the harmonies weaving in and out of Madeleine's story. Sarina is newly returned to Philly after her divorce. She feels great sympathy for Madeleine and offers her kindness not out of a loyalty to Madeleine's mother but because Madeleine is an underdog, a child who needs someone in her corner. Sarina is floundering in her own life, reeling in the aftermath of the divorce, and when she meets an old acquaintance from school who invites her to a dinner party, she finds herself saying yes despite misgivings. And when she hears that her old high school crush is also going to be at the party, she must face her long-held feelings for him and her secret hope for the future.
Then there's Jack Francis Lorca. He's the owner of The Cat's Pajamas and this Christmas Eve Eve day is not turning out at all the way he'd want. He wakes to a police officer knocking on the club's door and handing him a ticket for city ordinance violations to the tune of $30,000, a sum of money there's little chance he can find in the 30 days given to him. His girlfriend, an exotic dancer, has left him and he can't seem to connect with his sixteen year old son, getting it wrong every time and missing the signs that his son is on the verge of choosing the wrong life.
The novel is broken down in time increments, seguing through Madeleine's, Sarina's, and Lorca's day and on into the night, ticking slowly down to 2 a. m. at the Cat's Pajamas and beyond. There are occasional other narrators as well when they are needed to flesh out happenings that the main three wouldn't otherwise be able to share with the reader. And as disparate as the three plot threads seem to be, as with any good melody and harmonies, they weave in and out of each other, making connections throughout the novel instead of just coming together in the end. Each character in this tightly knit story is completely believable, from independent and prickly Madeleine's childlike grading of her own singing practice to Sarina's insecurities to Lorca's tough exterior. With the novel occurring over a span of 24 hours, it is much like a song or the daily life cycle of a bar: a slow introduction or lull before bursting into hopping action. There are not entirely necessary flashes of magical realism, like what happens to people when Madeleine sings and a character literally drifting away. The pacing is a little slow before the convergence at The Cat's Pajamas and the multiple narrators and the rapidity with which their point of view ends and another narrator takes the reins can be a bit tricky. But it's an interesting novel and the individual riffs do ultimately come together to make a satisfying whole.
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LibraryThing member PennyBrainerd
I, too, really wanted to like this book, but it just seemed to meander along until I really didn't care about the people in it. I abandoned it after about 6 or 7 chapters. I'm happy that others liked it, but the book just wasn't my kind of book.
LibraryThing member campingmomma
I have to say I would really give this book 3 1/2 stars. I didn't just like it, I liked it a lot. 2 a.m. at The Cat's Pajamas was really three stories within a story. The first story of young Madeleine Altimari is the story from which all other stories stem. She is a 9 (almost 10) year old whose
The story of Madeleine's fifth-grade teacher Sarina Greene, recently divorced and starting a new life in Philly, is the second intertwining story. And the last story is about Lorca, owner of a failing jazz club, The Cat's Pajamas where Madeleine aspires to sing one day. The book follows the lives of these three characters on Christmas Eve Eve.
The prose was excellent in this book. It was a free flowing and engaging read. I will say while the author did tie in all of the numerous characters in this book well I did find myself having to look back a few times to remember how they fit in as there were so many of them. I am a little sad the jazz references were lost on me as I'm sure they made the book a more enjoyable read. Lastly, I was a little confused with the ending involving one of the secondary characters. I wish someone could explain it to me, but it would result in a spoiler and wasn't necessary for me to understand and enjoy the rest of the book.
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mother has recently died from cancer and is looked out for by several neighbors because her father is too wrapped up in the loss of his wife to care for her properly. Madeleine wants to be a jazz singer and practices her singing daily.The story of Madeleine's fifth-grade teacher Sarina Greene, recently divorced and starting a new life in Philly, is the second intertwining story. And the last story is about Lorca, owner of a failing jazz club, The Cat's Pajamas where Madeleine aspires to sing one day. The book follows the lives of these three characters on Christmas Eve Eve.
The prose was excellent in this book. It was a free flowing and engaging read. I will say while the author did tie in all of the numerous characters in this book well I did find myself having to look back a few times to remember how they fit in as there were so many of them. I am a little sad the jazz references were lost on me as I'm sure they made the book a more enjoyable read. Lastly, I was a little confused with the ending involving one of the secondary characters. I wish someone could explain it to me, but it would result in a spoiler and wasn't necessary for me to understand and enjoy the rest of the book.
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LibraryThing member lmgrim
A night when one person gets what they want is not a bad night, especially when it's Christmas Eve Eve. I loved the characters, the way various ones step up for their solo then seep seamlessly back into the combo. Count me in for Marie-Helene Bertino's next book.
LibraryThing member Tracie.Miller
I tired. I really did. After waiting several week for the book to arrive, I put off all the other books I was reading and dived in. Unfortunately, I was not taken with this book. I was never captured by the characters, and honestly I really did not care what happened to any of them. Maybe it was
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just the wrong time for this genre of reading. Maybe in a few months I will give it another try and re-evaluate my review, but for now this is only a two star read. Show Less
LibraryThing member musichick52
The city of brotherly love is my hometown. Christmas Eve in Philly brings magic together in the lives of 3 lonely people. An offbeat nine year old beats it to The Cat's Pajamas club to pursue her dream of playing jazz. As J.J. Johnson once said, "Jazz is restless. It won't stay put and never will."
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Madeleine has a song in her heart, just like her mom and it will come out. Quirky, hip, and hot is the lingo here, just like a jazz improvisation. Hurrah for Ms. Bertino, I was charmed and taken back to the land of the cheese steak. My thanks to the author and The Reading Room for a complimentary copy. Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
It took less than a day to listen to this well-written novel about a precocious, but badly behaved, fifth grader, Madeleine Altamori, who lives in Philadelphia on 9th Street with her father. She is trying to make the best of her shattered life. Her mother, with whom she had a strong bond, died of
Madeleine is disappointed and frustrated with the direction her life is taking and she exhibits her anger with abhorrent behavior. She uses foul language and shows little respect for her elders. She has no real friends, except for one who taught her every dirty word in her repertoire before she moved away. She depends mostly on the adults who seemed to have respected and loved her mother and who have taken over her care, especially Mrs. Santiago who feeds her at her Café and tries to help in her upbringing, guiding her day by day.
In school, Madeleine is bullied and she bullies others. Which came first, the chicken or the egg, is hard to discern from the book, but it is obvious that she has been picked on and the poverty that is engulfing her more and more as her father remains in bed, neglecting his business, does not enhance or enrich her life. She is terrified of the roaches that are increasingly active in her apartment, her clothes are becoming ragged and she suffers even further when she is humiliated at school when she is found to have head lice.
A shining light in her life is her teacher, Sarina Greene. She is kind to her and Madeleine is looking forward to the caramel apples she is making for the class, to celebrate Xmas, because Madeleine has never had one. Underlying the story of Madeleine is the story of Sarina’s own unhappy childhood and unhappy romantic life.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Principal Randles, an unlikely source of unhappiness for Madeleine. She apparently has her reasons for disliking Madeleine that have little to do with Madeleine herself, one of them being her own troubled childhood memories.
When we meet Madeleine, she is practicing how to shimmy on the morning of Christmas eve, eve. When the story ends, the following day we find her in Café Santiago, confessing her sins to Mrs. Santiago who tells her if she cannot be honest, she doesn’t think their relationship will work out. She asks her to sing and then, Mrs. Santiago, who has always wanted to fly away and travel, gets her opportunity in a highly unusual way that very same morning. Listening to Madeleine sing gave people what they wanted, sometimes.
In the hours in between Madeleine’s shimmying and confessing, there is quite an assortment of events. She gets and loses an opportunity to sing in assembly at school, gets suspended for speaking disrespectfully to the principal, then gets expelled from school for punching a fellow student in the nose, loses Mrs. Santiago’s adorable dog Pedro who is apparently suffering from a broken heart, as do so many of the characters, steals a fruit and is rewarded with a Hoagie, and sneaks into a jazz club. The dog, Pedro, seems to be the catalyst that introduces some of the characters to move the story along, one of whom is Mr. Lorca, the owner of the jazz club, The Cat’s Pajamas, located in Fishtown, but there are others.
Madeleine’s voice is her one source of happiness, but she also has the recipe cards her mother left her which included advice about how to handle singing and life’s challenges. Throughout the book, there is a theme about intuitive moments in life, with a recurring statement concerning airplanes, which is “the way you know with your eyes closed that a plane is banking”. Does it foreshadow the idea that our lives can take flight and we can accomplish our goals if we try hard enough, that Madeleine’s life will get better along with many of the other characters, if they simply feel it or believe it? At the end of the book, the drummer Gus’s model plane finally soars into the air and signifies hope, to me, that all will be well, exactly as Sarina’s parents used to tell her, if only she could relax, stop worrying and believe.
Our emotions rise and fall as the book’s themes develop. We soar when Madeleine achieves success, deflate when she behaves rudely, sadden when she experiences the pain of loss and the bullying of others. From a fifth grader’s perspective, this book unfolds rapidly, unraveling the emotions of both adults and children, complete with the petty jealousies that plague us all. Bullying and the sense of entitlement held by those who are more fortunate, and even those who are less fortunate, is exposed in the behavior of both adults and children as they go about their daily lives as snobs or caregivers.
The dialogue and the thoughts of the characters are “tongue in cheek” and will often make the reader smile or lift their brows in wonder. In this short little novel, every sentence is pithy; and there is not one wasted word. The author has a unique way of expressing things as in describing the refilling of ketchup bottles as “the marriage of two bottles”. Every contrast is perfect, i.e., while Madeleine wears ripped stockings, Claire, another fifth grader has perfect braids and gets to sing at assembly in their school, St. Anthony of the Immaculate Heart, while Madeleine is forbidden because of an “unpleasant” circumstance. These two fifth graders live in opposite worlds.
The story really centers around the happenings in a jazz club, The Cat’s Pajamas” and the relationships between all of the characters seems to be revealed there. Dreams are realized there and destroyed there. The club has been cited for breaking regulations that have been overlooked for years by another police officer who recently retired. The new officer holds the owner accountable for the infractions. Lorca has disregarded the rules, allowed too many patrons, ignored fire laws and served the under-aged. He too, is a single parent of sorts, who has failed, and like Mark Altamori, Madeleine’s father, he has an extremely neglected, but talented child, a son out of wedlock, named Alexander, an expert guitar player.
There is a mixture of characters, kind and cruel, some with malicious intent like Principal Randles and others just doing their duty like Officer Len Thomas. There are many characters and each one serves to express a different kind of person, a different motive for behavior, a different walk of life. The nasty children, the rude adults, all interact and reinforce their own personalities, faults, defects and strengths, when contrasted.
2 A. M. At The Cat’s Pajamas is part love story, part coming of age story and part fairy tale. The real important values in life, like relationships, are stressed while the reliance on the material world is shown to be shallow. The possibility of flying and accomplishing your dreams is the thought that I found to be a happily surprising theme, at the end.
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cancer about a year or so ago, and from that moment on, her father took to his bed and remained there. He ceased to run his business and depends on this almost 10 year old child for his well-being. She dotes on him and takes care of herself as best she can, but she is losing the battle as she watches her apartment and her life slowly decay around her. She was born with a voice that transcends the sound she emits, mesmerizes those who hear it and often causes unexpected reactions and behavior, suggesting the supernatural. She sang before she spoke a word.Madeleine is disappointed and frustrated with the direction her life is taking and she exhibits her anger with abhorrent behavior. She uses foul language and shows little respect for her elders. She has no real friends, except for one who taught her every dirty word in her repertoire before she moved away. She depends mostly on the adults who seemed to have respected and loved her mother and who have taken over her care, especially Mrs. Santiago who feeds her at her Café and tries to help in her upbringing, guiding her day by day.
In school, Madeleine is bullied and she bullies others. Which came first, the chicken or the egg, is hard to discern from the book, but it is obvious that she has been picked on and the poverty that is engulfing her more and more as her father remains in bed, neglecting his business, does not enhance or enrich her life. She is terrified of the roaches that are increasingly active in her apartment, her clothes are becoming ragged and she suffers even further when she is humiliated at school when she is found to have head lice.
A shining light in her life is her teacher, Sarina Greene. She is kind to her and Madeleine is looking forward to the caramel apples she is making for the class, to celebrate Xmas, because Madeleine has never had one. Underlying the story of Madeleine is the story of Sarina’s own unhappy childhood and unhappy romantic life.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Principal Randles, an unlikely source of unhappiness for Madeleine. She apparently has her reasons for disliking Madeleine that have little to do with Madeleine herself, one of them being her own troubled childhood memories.
When we meet Madeleine, she is practicing how to shimmy on the morning of Christmas eve, eve. When the story ends, the following day we find her in Café Santiago, confessing her sins to Mrs. Santiago who tells her if she cannot be honest, she doesn’t think their relationship will work out. She asks her to sing and then, Mrs. Santiago, who has always wanted to fly away and travel, gets her opportunity in a highly unusual way that very same morning. Listening to Madeleine sing gave people what they wanted, sometimes.
In the hours in between Madeleine’s shimmying and confessing, there is quite an assortment of events. She gets and loses an opportunity to sing in assembly at school, gets suspended for speaking disrespectfully to the principal, then gets expelled from school for punching a fellow student in the nose, loses Mrs. Santiago’s adorable dog Pedro who is apparently suffering from a broken heart, as do so many of the characters, steals a fruit and is rewarded with a Hoagie, and sneaks into a jazz club. The dog, Pedro, seems to be the catalyst that introduces some of the characters to move the story along, one of whom is Mr. Lorca, the owner of the jazz club, The Cat’s Pajamas, located in Fishtown, but there are others.
Madeleine’s voice is her one source of happiness, but she also has the recipe cards her mother left her which included advice about how to handle singing and life’s challenges. Throughout the book, there is a theme about intuitive moments in life, with a recurring statement concerning airplanes, which is “the way you know with your eyes closed that a plane is banking”. Does it foreshadow the idea that our lives can take flight and we can accomplish our goals if we try hard enough, that Madeleine’s life will get better along with many of the other characters, if they simply feel it or believe it? At the end of the book, the drummer Gus’s model plane finally soars into the air and signifies hope, to me, that all will be well, exactly as Sarina’s parents used to tell her, if only she could relax, stop worrying and believe.
Our emotions rise and fall as the book’s themes develop. We soar when Madeleine achieves success, deflate when she behaves rudely, sadden when she experiences the pain of loss and the bullying of others. From a fifth grader’s perspective, this book unfolds rapidly, unraveling the emotions of both adults and children, complete with the petty jealousies that plague us all. Bullying and the sense of entitlement held by those who are more fortunate, and even those who are less fortunate, is exposed in the behavior of both adults and children as they go about their daily lives as snobs or caregivers.
The dialogue and the thoughts of the characters are “tongue in cheek” and will often make the reader smile or lift their brows in wonder. In this short little novel, every sentence is pithy; and there is not one wasted word. The author has a unique way of expressing things as in describing the refilling of ketchup bottles as “the marriage of two bottles”. Every contrast is perfect, i.e., while Madeleine wears ripped stockings, Claire, another fifth grader has perfect braids and gets to sing at assembly in their school, St. Anthony of the Immaculate Heart, while Madeleine is forbidden because of an “unpleasant” circumstance. These two fifth graders live in opposite worlds.
The story really centers around the happenings in a jazz club, The Cat’s Pajamas” and the relationships between all of the characters seems to be revealed there. Dreams are realized there and destroyed there. The club has been cited for breaking regulations that have been overlooked for years by another police officer who recently retired. The new officer holds the owner accountable for the infractions. Lorca has disregarded the rules, allowed too many patrons, ignored fire laws and served the under-aged. He too, is a single parent of sorts, who has failed, and like Mark Altamori, Madeleine’s father, he has an extremely neglected, but talented child, a son out of wedlock, named Alexander, an expert guitar player.
There is a mixture of characters, kind and cruel, some with malicious intent like Principal Randles and others just doing their duty like Officer Len Thomas. There are many characters and each one serves to express a different kind of person, a different motive for behavior, a different walk of life. The nasty children, the rude adults, all interact and reinforce their own personalities, faults, defects and strengths, when contrasted.
2 A. M. At The Cat’s Pajamas is part love story, part coming of age story and part fairy tale. The real important values in life, like relationships, are stressed while the reliance on the material world is shown to be shallow. The possibility of flying and accomplishing your dreams is the thought that I found to be a happily surprising theme, at the end.
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LibraryThing member porch_reader
Over the course on one day - the eve of Christmas Eve - three stories intertwine. Nine-year-old Madeleine Altimari, who has recently lost her mother, not only dreams of becoming a jazz singer. She takes action to make her dream a reality. Her teacher, Sarina Greene, is recently divorced and about
The writing in this book is smart and funny, and the characters are the kind that you love to root for. (Madeleine was definitely my favorite.) This book has a slightly different voice than others I've read lately. At first, it seemed like it belonged to another era, although it is set near present day. But eventually, I came to realize that it was the voice of urban Philadelphia that was setting this book apart. The city becomes another character, an integral part of the story. All in all, a very enjoyable read!
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to cross paths with an old high school boyfriend. And the owner of the jazz club, The Cat's Pajamas, is on the brink of losing the club that is the center of his life. The storylines unfold as the day ticks away. The writing in this book is smart and funny, and the characters are the kind that you love to root for. (Madeleine was definitely my favorite.) This book has a slightly different voice than others I've read lately. At first, it seemed like it belonged to another era, although it is set near present day. But eventually, I came to realize that it was the voice of urban Philadelphia that was setting this book apart. The city becomes another character, an integral part of the story. All in all, a very enjoyable read!
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Awards
Brooklyn Public Library Book Prize (Longlist — Fiction — 2015)
NPR: Books We Love (2014)
Pages
272
ISBN
0804140235 / 9780804140232