A small, ironic story told without much attempt at depth of characterization.

Joan Micklin Silvers Hester Street is a distinctly 70s-era mix of stylistic sparseness and thematic revisionism.

The story is well paced to hold one's interest...

Silver pulls off something of a miracle with "Hester Street," managing to capture a time and place without the benefit of a budget or major stars, putting her faith in the power of the conflicts provided here.