Five Years in Two Minutes

Four years spent researching and writing Tutti’s Promise One year spent editing and preparing the book for publication Two minutes to pitch it to the Jewish Book Council Yesterday afternoon I left my house and took a plane to Westchester, NY. It was one of Cape Air’s cozy Cessna 402s with room for nine passengersContinue reading “Five Years in Two Minutes”

Needles in the Haystack

We arrived in Bad Arolsen after dark. Only one other person got off the train with us at the small station and we followed him to the one taxi parked at the curb across the street. The taxi driver was happy to take both fares. As we drove through town, I noticed that everything wasContinue reading “Needles in the Haystack”

On to Osnabrück

I would like to apologize to my readers for the break from the blog this past month. I needed to do some revisions on my manuscript of Scraps of Hope. Last week, for the first time, I sent it off to be reviewed by a potential publisher. Hopefully, it will be accepted – but I’llContinue reading “On to Osnabrück”

Feeling the Bern*

One of the mysteries of my family’s Holocaust survival is their passport from Paraguay. According to my mother, that passport saved her father from a transport to Auschwitz. We have a copy of the document along with a letter of notarization stating that it is real. The mystery here isn’t that the passport exists, butContinue reading “Feeling the Bern*”

Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague

I just returned home after spending two weeks in Europe digging through the last bits of unearthed archives for “Scraps of Hope” research. Over the next several weeks I will share some of what I did and didn’t find. Our first stop was Prague. My husband and I spent the first day as tourists exploringContinue reading “Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague”

Lost But Not Forgotten

I recently lost two of my sources. Henny’s husband sent me an email notifying me of her passing in November, and then Edith’s son sent an email of her death in January. I did not know either of these women personally, but they both have been instrumental in my research. Through the wonder of theContinue reading “Lost But Not Forgotten”

Stories Behind the Old Photos

I have written before about Lloyd Miller. He is the US Army sergeant that helped my family when they were Displaced Persons in Pilsen/Plzen Czechoslovakia in June 1945. I have two pictures of him. I asked my mother how she got them, and she remembers that he gave them to her. She also told meContinue reading “Stories Behind the Old Photos”

48 Amazing Hours

Two days ago I heard from the granddaughter of the man who helped to save my family. Here is what she sent.: Hello, the man who arranged the (false) passports was my grandfather. As I met Margret and Heinz several times … I remember several related stories. Here and there the facts are a bitContinue reading “48 Amazing Hours”

Well Here’s Another Fine Mess I’ve Gotten Into*

I have been trying to edit my manuscript and get it in the best shape possible. There are typos and redundancies and places that need a bit more pep. And then there are the more important issues – like historical accuracy and avoiding plagiarism. I have one chapter that begins with my grandfather listening toContinue reading “Well Here’s Another Fine Mess I’ve Gotten Into*”