Page 8 - Jewish News_February-2021

8A February 2021 FEDERATION NEWS

People of the Book...continued from page 7A
addition, growing up around my grand- uplifting. The risks people took to bring supposed to. Once I’ve done enough thought a lot about how the way par-
parents and great-aunts gave me a these children to safety – often putting research for a book to begin thinking ents treat their children shapes not only
sense of some of the nuances I want- their own lives at risk for the sake of about writing, I take a stack of them the parents’ individual relationship n a year that was challenging for so
ed to add, like the split in the Jewish strangers – we need more of that in this and just brainstorm ideas for scenes or with an individual child, but also the many, the Sarasota-Manatee Jew-
community between those who wanted world we live in today. I hope readers story turns or whatever – one idea for relationships siblings have with each Iish community provided financial
to assimilate and those who didn’t, and each card, which I then literally toss on other. Writing about the different ways resources, support and hope for those
the constant fear of the czar’s men. But the floor. It’s a way to turn off my ed- parents treat their children made me in need. The Covid-19 pandemic in-
all of that only gave me a base, a gen- itor, as any idea can look stupid in the think about the way I treat my own spired many people in our community
eral feeling I could incorporate into the wrong light. Over the process of writ- children now, the way my parents to open their hearts in support of the
novel. To truly write scenes, I need to ing a book, they form an outline, even- treated me and my brother when I was causes that were most important to
see them in my head, and so the bulk tually color-coded for point of view. young, and the little I remember of the them, especially in the area of human
of my research involved finding pho- Lynda Cohen Loigman / services.
tographs. The best trove I found was The Wartime Sisters Not surprisingly, one of the stron-
in an old National Geographic that I Lynda Cohen Loigman received her gest areas of philanthropic giving
purchased on eBay, published in 1914 degree in English and American Lit- in 2020 was around providing aid
right before the war started. The issue erature from Harvard, and her J.D. to those infected with or affected by
was devoted entirely to a survey of life from Columbia Law School. Her debut Covid-19. More than 900 people sup-
in Russia and featured dozens of stun- novel, The Two-Family House, was a ported the STRONGER TOGETHER
ning photographs of Russians from all USA Today bestseller and a nominee campaign at The Jewish Federation
walks of life. Meg Waite Clayton for the Goodreads 2016 Choice Awards of Sarasota-Manatee, which raised
Meg Waite Clayton / will feel – not just understand intellec- in Historical Fiction. Her second novel, money to support health and wellness
The Last Train to London tually, but feel – both the devastation The Wartime Sisters, was selected as a programming, food insecurity and op-
Meg Waite Clayton is a New York that happens when we close borders Woman’s World Book Club pick and erational deficits for our local Jewish
Times bestselling author of six novels. and turn our backs on people in need, a Best Book of 2019 by Real Simple organizations. As of this writing, more
Her previous works include Beautiful and the truly uplifting and life-affirm- magazine. The Wartime Sisters is the than $285,000 has been distributed
Exiles, the Langum Prize-honored The ing feeling of acting courageously and story of two estranged sisters who are
Race for Paris, and The Language of helping others. reunited in the early days of World War Lynda Cohen Loigman
Light, a finalist for the Bellwether Prize What did you learn about your- II. It’s a stirring tale of loyalty, betrayal (photo credit: Randy Matusow)
for Socially Engaged Fiction. She has self by writing this book? and the consequences of long-buried way my grandmother treated her three
written for various publications includ- So very much, starting with how secrets. daughters. Of course, I try to treat my
ing The New York Times, The Washing- much more courage I need to have What is it that you hope people son and daughter equally, but “equal”
ton Post and Forbes. The Last Train myself. who read it glean from this book? is an impossible goal to achieve be-
to London centers on the Kindertrans- Tell us a bit about your writing Although I am not lucky enough to cause they are different people with
ports that carried thousands of children process. have a sister of my own, I’ve always completely different personalities. I’m
out of Nazi-occupied Europe – and one I write any way I can! I journal keenly observed my mother and aunts. not sure I had any real revelations or
brave woman who helped them escape ideas. I do tons of research both before Their interactions were complicated – discoveries about myself or my fami-
to safety. and during the writing process. I out- full of ebbs and flows, high points and ly as I worked through these themes,
What is it that you hope people line. I write a billion drafts. And I do low. Watching them together taught but exploring them on paper made me
who read it glean from this book? this thing I call my card outline, using me about loyalty and love, and it is my much more aware of potential dispar-
The real story behind The Last the 3x5 note cards that those of my gen- great hope to offer readers an intimate ities. No parent is perfect and no two
Train to London is truly inspiring and eration used for term papers, or were story of both the comfort and the chaos children are the same, but I do think it
that sisterhood can be: messy misun- is important to keep parental influence
derstandings, arguments and grudges, in mind when we think about the rela-
tionships our children have with each
but also forgiveness and acceptance of
2020-2021
TORCH each other’s flaws. By setting my story other.
TO
H
C
R
at the Springfield Armory in the ear-
Tell us a bit about your writing
ly 1940s, I hope also to highlight the
process.
O
S
N
S
R
O
P
S
SPONSORS home front who worked to further our my characters before I ever put them
strength and tenacity of women on the
I take a lot of time thinking about
down on paper. I need to spend time
country’s cause – the “soldiers of pro-
duction” who gave their time and ener-
with them in order to figure out their
gy as women’s ordnance workers. With
tions. I need to sit with their backsto-
any luck, The Wartime Sisters will pro- strengths, their flaws and their motiva-
vide both a satisfying story of family ries until I feel like I know them. It’s
secrets and sisterhood, and a glimpse really only when I have that intimate
into what life was like for women liv- relationship with my characters that I
ing and working at the Armory in the can begin to write about them.
early days of the second World War. To register for People of the
e
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Edie and David Chaifetz What did you learn about your- Book events, visit jfedsrq.org/books.
die and David Chaif
gar
t M. Ellin
L
eon R. and M
Leon R. and Margaret M. Ellin self by writing this book? For more information, contact Jere-
ar
e
As I was writing the early Kap-
my Lisitza at jlisitza@jfedsrq.org or
aspel
H
Debbie and Larry Haspel lan family scenes set in Brooklyn, I 941.343.2113.
arry
Debbie and L
R
oundation
ts F
thal R
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F
Rosenthal Roots Family Foundation
amily
Sylvia and Norman Samet
S
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ylvia and N
Bunny and Mort Skirboll
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and M
Skirboll
ort
Bunn
(
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(z”l)
adassah and M
tr
artin S
obel
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Hadassah and Martin Strobel
ois S
tulber
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Lois Stulberg
( and help fund crucial services for people in need here (
We offer our very deep appreciation
to our 2020-21 Season Torch Sponsors!
They support our Federation’s efforts to bring
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*As of 10/11/20