Books coverage is supported by a generous grant from The Milton and Sophie Meyer Fund.
Welcome to J.’s semi-regular column featuring new releases across genres by Jewish authors in Northern California. Writers have been busy creating new works about Jewish culture, parenting, travel, history and more. You can find these books online or at your local bookstore.
“Belonging to the World: A Journey from Grief to Connection in Every Country on Earth”
By Barry Hoffner (344 pages) Part memoir, part travelogue, Hoffner’s book chronicles his journey to visit all 193 countries on the globe following the death of his wife and travel partner, Jackie Hoffner. The trek brings him unexpected human connection and healing amid grief and loss. Hoffner founded Caravan to Class, a nonprofit that expands access to education for youth in West Africa, and the Bourse Jackie program, named for his late wife, which offers university and English-language scholarships to West African young women. He lives in Sausalito.
“Too Much Love: Stories of Mothering”
Edited by Nitza Agam (162 pages) In this anthology, 18 writers explore the complex bonds between mothers and daughters in essays and poems. The collection, edited by Nitza Agam, addresses the highs and lows of motherhood, including adoption and childbirth. It also considers grandmotherhood and daughters’ reflections on their own mothers. Agam lives in San Francisco.
“Restrung: Fatherhood in a Different Key”
By Matt Fogelson (304 pages) This coming-of-age memoir opens in 1980s New York, where as a young man he struggles to cope with his father’s death. Music serves as a throughline as Fogelson grows up and becomes a father himself. Fatherhood ultimately compels him to unpack his grief and emotional constraints in order to connect with his son. Fogelson, a writer and former lawyer, lives in Oakland.
“The Many Lives of Michał K.”
By Martin Carnoy (496 pages) In 1939, 14-year-old Michał and his family must flee their comfortable life following the Nazi invasion of Poland. It’s the first of many turbulent developments in Michał’s life. Over the course of the story, he becomes a resistance fighter seeking retribution, searches for his sister after the war and eventually immigrates to the United States. Carnoy is a labor economist and professor of education at Stanford University and lives in Menlo Park.
“Tales of an Urban Mystic: A Spiraling Memoir”
By Andrew Ramer (170 pages) In this memoir, Andrew Ramer recounts mystical experiences set against the familiar city backdrops of Oakland and New York. He writes of experiences related to ancestors, angels and the Divine, inviting readers to consider their own spirituality. Ramer is a maggid, or Jewish storyteller, and lives in Oakland.