Review of The Carny Kid

By Midwest Book Review January 2006

The Carny Kid: Survival of a Young Thief is the true-life memoir of a young Jewish boy forced to grow up in a multi-ethnic ghetto with parents who are drug users and drug dealers. One summer, the father leads the family on a vagabond life as thieves traveling the carnival circuit. Yet in spite of adversity, young Kenneth Kahn develops his people skills, befriends black and Hispanic ghetto residents, uses the library as his safe haven and draws upon the advice of teachers and coaches to excel, eventually becoming a successful Los Angeles criminal defense attorney.

Kahn sees no need to condemn or moralize about most facets of the gang life he grew up around; he just tells his experiences as they happened and lets the reader judge for himself or herself.

A handful of black-and-white photographs illustrate the author's tenacious and amazing journey from struggling to survive to penthouse prosperity.