Notes From the Author to the Bookclub

This is a memoir about finding my grandmother, Regina’s, secret journal 40 years after her suicide that occurred when I was ten years old. The journal describes Regina's tumultuous life—surviving World War I, being orphaned, and the pandemonium of immigrating from Poland to Vienna to Paris and the U.S. I drew strength from my grandmother’s story, which sustained me after receiving some shattering news of my own. The book is a braided narrative which includes my grandmother’s journal excerpts, interwoven with my own life experiences; a collaboration of grandmother and granddaughter, our — loves, losses, and the discovery of our shared legacy.

A portion of the proceeds from the book benefit The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Inspiration for writing book

My inspiration for writing this book was two fold. Forty years after losing my grandmother I had a deep need to reconnect with her and I thought writing about her life would do that. I hoped that by rereading her journal and examining her life, I would gather strength to carry me through some of my own health issues. I believe that we are often obsessed by incidents, which occurred during our childhood, and as we get older we try to understand them. I wanted to understand why my grandmother ended her life a the age of sixty-one, when she had so much going for her.

What do you want readers to take away with them after reading the book?

I want readers to understand the turbulence of the times of World War I and also what one person can endure during their lifetime. I want to encourage them to share stories for the benefit of future generations, the importance of journaling and the significance of linking the present to the past. I also want to share the stories of two strong women.