San Francisco writer Phyllis Greenbach recounts a sad but basically true saga in “The Blessing and the Curse,” an adoption story. Using fictional names to protect the privacy of those involved, Greenbach follows two Jewish families — one disgraced by an unmarried pregnant daughter, the other a Modesto couple desperate to adopt — whose lives intersect through adoption. And then, some 33 years later, their lives are shattered.
“The Blessing and the Curse” by Phyllis Greenbach (318 pages, self-published, $12.95)
Edith Mautner Foyer, a resident of San Mateo for more than a half-century, published her memoir earlier this year. “A Time to Remember” chronicles her family’s escape in 1939 from Nazi-occupied Austria to South America, and on to the U.S. Foyer, who is 90 and also an artist, is actively promoting her book at local clubs and organizations. She kicked things off with a book party last January at the Burlingame Recreation Center.
Her next book signing will take place at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at Peninsula Temple Beth El, 1700 Alameda de las Pulgas, in San Mateo.
“A Time to Remember” by Edith Mautner Foyer (298 pages, Azalea Art Press, $16.95)