The Hungarian word for “my little grandmother,” Mamika is now synonymous with being a superhero grandmother of epic proportions. Frederika, Goldberger’s grandmother, stole the hearts of thousands in 2010 in a series of photos where she was quirkily put on display as Super Mamika: “Wonder Woman and Superman’s grandmother, full of superpowers but a little clumsy.” Yes, she is both delightfully clumsy and utterly heartwarming.
Mamika, My Mighty Little Grandmother is an extension of that whirlwind of attention Frederika garnered at that time, and the book doesn’t fail in delivering more deviously fun photos of this comical grandma. From cleaning her sunglasses with a piece of ham to a series of fun photos with a chicken (jury’s still out on whether it was a fake chicken or a dead chicken, we’re hoping fake), Mamika proves that comedivas come in all shapes, sizes and ages.
In all honesty, at first glance, you may worry that these photos are the work of a man taking advantage of his poor old, senile grandmother, but after reading Goldberger’s touching introduction, you can see that this book’s truly a tribute to a woman with a sense of humor untainted by time. In fact, reading about the impetus for these photos might even get you a bit teary-eyed.
A World War II survivor and hero (yes, Mamika saved ten lives in her day), Frederika met her nineties with despair. She fell into a deep depression that made her feel hopeless about her age. But eager to remind his grandmother of how amazing she still was, Goldberger began to photograph her in hopes of sparking a rejuvenation of spirit within his grandmother. The experiment did not fail, obviously. It wasn’t long before Mamika was art directing her own photo ideas.
The social commentary about our culture’s perceptions of age in this book, though very subtle, is an added bonus to an already visually entertaining biography of one woman’s newfound zest for life.
If nothing else, Mamika is a wonderful reminder that life does not end when you retire, it only gets zanier, and apparently, more super.
Mamika, My Mighty Little Grandmother is available for purchase today, April 17, 2012, via Harper Design (Paperback, $10.99).
