I was excited to wake this morning and get an early review of my book Leaving Cleveland on GoodReads from London, England:

The author is a highly respected and accomplished professional photographer and I went to High School with him. The book is based on a fictitious character but it feels as if many of Steve’s life experiences are used to make this novel feel as real as a biography.

The story is about a naive and mostly innocent boy maturing through the daily grind of trying to establish himself in a time when everyone was seeking a better life.

Besides my personal associations with Cleveland and NYC, his struggles as a young man are something we can all relate to. Life is never predictable and these life lessons, hard-earned, can not be taught in school! One must be brave and take risks, make a few stupid mistakes and decisions and of course, be lucky or resilient to survive it all.

Begleiter’s book is hard to put down, feels real and often surprises, delights and intrigues one. The value of personal relationships and discipline, integrity and values are woven into his decision-making process. You feel as if you are in the room discussing the merits or not of his choices.

The mystique of fame is a key theme. There are those we meet who are simply superbly talented and often completely crazed, making this a tale that many would benefit from. How a kid from Cleveland handles the insanity.

Some of us had to leave Cleveland, not easy but one must seek their path in life. Where you come from is a big part of who you are and what you become. The people, friends, family and acquaintances in your life that influenced you, trusted you, loved you and gave you a change which changed your life forever. Leaving Cleveland is that journey of life.

Budd Margolis 5 stars ( out of 5)

According to my publisher, Bookbaby to book as a hardback and paperback can be purchased on April 12,2023. Preorder will begin March 1st. 2023. If you can not wait until then order an E-Book today at :

clevelandhttps://store.bookbaby.com/book/leaving-cleveland

or :

Leaving Cleveland

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