Why I chose to write about women and, in many cases, women in wartime.
Why Maid, Mother, Monster?
I am in!
Earlier this week I received a letter of acceptance from the Master's Degree program I was hoping to get into (Holocaust and Genocide Studies). I called my husband, told some of my students who have already shared with me that they'd gotten offers and acceptance letters from colleges and universities, too, and then I called... Continue Reading →
The Lure of History and Education
I've had to readjust some posts I had scheduled in advance here, which might make some readers wonder if I'm still working on my research, interviews, and writing. I am. I can't help but continue because I feel this is important work. But, as happens in real life, there is often a lot more going... Continue Reading →
International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2018
Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, remembering the liberation of Auschwitz in 1945. Yesterday the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., had a lovely live ceremony to mark the occasion. Particularly striking to me was when one survivor spoke about her experiences as a Jewish child in Poland whose mother was determined to save both her... Continue Reading →
Nonfiction Book Review: Trapped Behind Nazi Lines
Trapped Behind Nazi Lines (written by Eric Braun and published by Capstone) is a narrative nonfiction book about the crash in Albania and escape of the Air Force's 807th Medical Evacuation Squadron. The back cover reads: In the midst of World War II, a group of Army Air Force medical workers found themselves trapped in hostile... Continue Reading →
Fiction Book Review: Salt to the Sea
This is a powerful book by author Ruta Sepetys. It earned a number 1 spot on the NYT bestselling novel list, and it's no surprise. Sepetys took a little-discussed maritime tragedy during a volatile time period and created four different teenagers with very distinct voices and experiences who get thrown together by tragic circumstances. The... Continue Reading →
Fiction Book Review: Prisoner B-3087
This fiction novel, written by Alan Gratz, and recently published by Scholastic, is based on the real-life story by Ruth and Jack Gruener. The back cover of the paperback reads: Survive. At any cost. Ten concentration camps. Ten different places where you are starved, tortured, and worked mercilessly. It's something no one could imagine surviving.... Continue Reading →
Fiction Book Review: All the Light We Cannot See
ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr (Scribner, Pulitzer Prize Winner, 2014, #1 NYT Bestseller) is one of my favorite fiction books, and not just in the historical genre. It paints a beautiful and often heart-breaking image of two very different young people, one a French girl with a father who loves her... Continue Reading →
The Children of Willesden Lane
I just finished reading this book last night and, if you're looking for books for girls or young women who love music (and, in particular, piano) this book should jump to mind as a powerful gift. She is very certainly what I class here as a "maid": an innocent facing the brutality of World War... Continue Reading →
Girl Rising: A Movie Worth Watching
Although not about the World War II period, I'm going to suggest anyone popping by here to read about Maid, Mother, Monster also look at the documentary called Girl Rising. Rated PG-13 and released in 2012, it features the narrative talents of Cate Blanchett, Selena Gomez, Anne Hathaway, Salma Hayek, Alicia Keyes, Meryl Streep and... Continue Reading →
Maid, Mother, Monster 