Tag: Jewish

The Power of Water – Michelle Brafman’s Washing the Dead

Water is essential to life. Calming, cleansing, purifying, devastating – from a cup of tea, to a hot bath, to a torrential downpour – it all starts with water.  Michelle Brafman naturally weaves water in all its forms throughout her debut novel, Washing the Dead.

IMG_2940The story revolves around Barbara Pupnick Blumfield, a member of the sandwich generation. Mother to Lili, a teenager facing stresses and challenges common today, and daughter of June, her mother, whose new health challenges threaten the emotional distance Barbara has fought hard to maintain. Washing the Dead is a story about keeping secrets from those you love and baring secrets to be able to share love. Continue reading The Power of Water – Michelle Brafman’s Washing the Dead

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Paris 2015 | Paris 1943

This week my book group was immersed in Paris. We planned it back in June. While it isn’t uncommon to have current events creep into the discussion, it is rare to have the past and present echo so strongly. Our book was The Paris Architect, Charles Belfoure’s first novel about a French architect in occupied Paris in 1943 – 1944 who is persuaded to use his talents to create extraordinary hiding places for Jews. The book is not a conventional Holocaust novel. First, it takes place entirely in Paris, after the round-up and barely references the trains or camps. None of the major characters in the story are Jewish.

Screen Shot 2015-01-16 at 9.19.21 AM  An overriding theme of the book discussion was the importance of empathy and the recognition of shared human interests despite differences. Continue reading Paris 2015 | Paris 1943

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