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Paper Children,
by Marcia Fine
- Chapter One
October, 1920
Gustav loved me more than I loved him when we became engaged. My
family thought it was the right thing to do; after all, I was twenty
with few suitors. My friend, Yula, a gifted violinist whom I met
through our piano teacher, Madame Selinski, introduced me to him.
Yula, a few years older than me, was engaged to a man of
twenty-nine. Her fiancé, Solomon, from a privileged family like
ours, had ten people sewing for him--fine silk, wool, gabardine
suits, all in his own shop. He introduced me to Gustav, a friend of
his, and we began to keep company. Gustav said he fell in love with
me because of my pale eyes, the color of lilacs.
The engagement party held in our home made the society pages. In a
gown of blueberry taffeta and sapphire earrings, a present from my
father, Gustav and his family showered me with gifts--a silver
evening bag for the opera, a ruby ring, Belgium lace. For the first
six months Gustav came on Sundays with his family.
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Finalist in the Historical Category for
Foreward magazine
Book of the Year |
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1920s Poland.
1940s New York City 1960s Miami
Driven by cataclysmic events, Paper Children encompasses
three generations of women, their passion for life and the secret
history of pain that follows them. Paulina, a privileged young woman
who is part of Warsaw society, finds herself faced with the dilemma
of family or marital loyalty. From a distance she finds herself torn
as the Nazis tighten their grip on Poland. Driven by anger, her
daughter, Sarah, a photographer, makes critical choices after
witnessing the Displaced Person's camps in Europe in the wake of
WWII. She forges a life of independence. Mimi, Sarah's daughter, a
vulnerable young woman, uses her curiosity about the Holocaust to
create a truth for herself. This exquisitely researched novel based
on personal family history and treasured letters reflects post-war
life for people forced to begin again. More... |
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In
parallel stories set in 15th century Portugal and the 1990s, two
women search for their identities. Set against historical events
of persecution, The Blind Eye, a reference to a
prejudiced prophet, creates a narrative about a family expelled
from Spain in 1492 and a woman in Miami of Cuban descent.
Funny, smart and dissatisfied with her life, Alegra Cardoza
endures her sisters' criticisms about her looks and lifestyle.
When she impulsively accepts a job with a cranky professor, it
catapults her into the world of Sephardim, Jews of Spanish
descent.
A parallel story focuses on Grazia and her niece, Bellina, who
are forced to live duplicitous lives. Based on true events at
Rossio Square and the forced mass conversions at Os Estaos in
Portugal, the saga takes us from the shores of Europe to South
America.
A thrilling novel that spans centuries, The Blind Eye
tells the story of perseverance, discovery and commitment.
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Published
in 2003, Boomerang
takes up where Gossip.com leaves off, finding Jean Rubin coping
with a challenge to academic freedom and a "boomerang" son who
returns home with his pregnant girlfriend. Add to the mix a
couple of slick scam artists reaching into the wallets of
Scottsdale's finest and you have a recipe for a cleverly woven
and very funny send-up of a place where people take themselves
way too seriously. More...
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Published
in 2000, Gossip.com was a success in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area
of Arizona where the story is located. Though fictional, the
story is a biting, comical satire of the sometimes
cruel and oftimes frivolous lifestyle where people with too much
money living in a place that is too hot develop a community
obsession with one-upping each other.
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