"Swede" is a memoir to a great father who happened to be a humble, legendary New Jersey athlete. It is also a visit back to a storied time and place, Newark's historic Weequahic section. "Swede" covers the life of Seymour "Swede" Masin: his growing up in Newark, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants; his marrying out of the faith, temporarily breaking his parents' hearts; his fascinating competitors and contemporaries; numerous anecdotes that best define him; the saga of Newark's Weequahic High School, past and present; and Swede's final years battling Alzheimer's Disease. Of special note is the attention he received after serving as an inspiration for Philip Roth's main character, Seymour "Swede" Levov, in the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, American Pastoral.
There was something very special about him, especially some of his fascinating contradictions: strong yet gentle; frugal yet generous; individualistic yet a great team player; a worry wart yet with a great sense of humor.
For Robert Masin, this was the father he was so fortunate to have known, admired, and loved. This memoir will allow people a glimpse of the Seymour "Swede" Masin he idolized.