There have recently been several requests for books suitable for youngsters
on the holocaust and on Jewish immigrants. I would like to suggest my
book, "JUST ONE: Connecting With a Grandmother's Life", published last
year. It is a novelization of the true stories of my maternal grandmother,
my mother, and myself. The book encompasses the joys and pains of life in
a small village in Poland, death and survival in the holocaust, and the
struggle to start anew in the U.S. Although I did not consciously intend to
write for children, Just One has received favorable response of readers of
all ages, from eleven to ninety-three.
Here are three reviews:
"At a time when there are increasingly fewer witnesses to tell the youngest
generation about the Shoah, it is important that there be ways of conveying
the facts without either sugarcoating them or making them impossible for
the young to assimilate. In retelling the story through the eyes of a
growing child, Esther Erman brings the past to life in an accessible
way... She brings to life the relationship between three generations of
women who are familiar to all of us... This is a story that rings true,
especially to those who grew up with or near survivors... This is a novel
that would...be welcome in any library to give insight into the Holocaust
and survivor generation."
-- Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter, Nov/Dec, 2003
"With her gifts as a storyteller and as a terrific writer, Esther Erman has
transformed the experiences and tales of her family into a compelling,
moving, life-filled novel. Through the struggles, joys and sorrows of one
family, she has given us a novel that captures the experience of European
Jewry in the last century. This book is a remarkable achievement."
--Arthur Kurzweil, author of From Generation to Generation: How to
Trace Your Jewish Genealogy & Family History
"This isn't the type of book I would normally pick off a shelf because I
don't like historicals. I like science fiction mostly. I liked it so much
that I made time to read it. I'm glad I read it. I would tell my friends
to read this book."
-- S.F., 13 years old, California (non-Jewish)
My website -- http://EstherErman.com -- has more information, including
some excerpts and ordering information (available in trade paperback and
electronic formats). It also has photos of the real people whose stories
are told in the novel.
..Esther
--
Esther Erman -- [EMAIL PROTECTED]
- JUST ONE: Connecting with a Grandmother's Life -- Zumaya Publications
See http://www.EstherErman.com for excerpts, photos, & ordering
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