Quote

Praise for…

Susan Lee Kerr’s debut historical novel is more than just a portrait of her extraordinary great grandfather — it’s a story about Europe and America, Christians and Jews, science and superstition, and the impact of immigration, dislocation and modernity on three generations of a gifted but turbulent family. Ephraim Epstein’s journey is geographic, spiritual and psychological, and it takes him — and us — from the 19th century to the 20th in this compelling, surprising and carefully researched narrative.

— Glenn Frankel, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author of

The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend

Anticipating a birthday

By Posted in historical novel Tagged , , Leave a comment

Soup, pate, baked fish, roast turkey… the household is bustling with preparations for Ephraim’s big birthday celebration later this month. He’ll be seventeen and Grandfather Shimon Ziml Epstein will travel all the way from Warsaw to bestow his blessing! Mama has her married daughters Chashe and Chevah readying the best table linens, silver, crystal and china. In the kitchen she’s set the middling daughters, Eva, Pauline and Kathy, to help with potatoes, carrots, onions, winter radish, dumplings, nuts, apples, raisins. Meanwhile the young ones skitter underfoot hoping for treats and begging their big brother to play with them — before he’s too old, they tease.

‘There was no lack of good food, raiment and shelter in my parents’ house,’ Ephraim wrote in the account of his life, ‘Why do I live so long.’ His details, and those of his sister Pauline Wengeroff, greatly enrich the flavour (dare I say) of Ephraim’s early life. Go meet her on Ephraim’s people page. Anyone have any delicious ancestral family recipes to share?

An astonishing emigrant

By Posted in 19th century emigrant Tagged , 2 Comments

Publication of The Extraordinary Dr Epstein is getting closer, but delayed until March while I wait for a brilliant cover. Meanwhile, here is the blurb that will appear on Amazon.

Ephraim Epstein is an astonishing 19th c emigrant so bound to truth that he constantly reinvents himself, even at the cost of what he holds most dear. Starting on the fateful day he is told he must marry his cousin, this novel tells the true life of a brilliant, incorrigible man of conviction. Doctor, farmhand, missionary, sailor, scholar, journalist, university founder, Jew and Christian, Russian and American, he spoke seven languages, had two wives, fathered ten children, one of whom died in a terrible tragedy…

Here’s my question — do I keep it ’emigrant’ because he emigrated from Belarus? Or make it ‘immigrant’ because for the rest of his life he was an immigrant who entered into America (and other places)?

B is for beginning

By Posted in Belarus, Ephraim Epstein Leave a comment

B is for Beginning of the year that the story of Ephraim Epstein’s life will be a book — it is in post-production stages now. Meanwhile I’ve added to Ephraim’s Many Places with a further page about three places at the start of his life in Belarus. They begin with B as well. Site contents guide in the left column here should get you there fast.

 

A ticket to Ephraim’s world

By Posted in 19th century emigrant, America, Belarus, Christian, emigrant, Ephraim Epstein, historical novel, Jewish, Kansas, missionary, Russia, West Virginia

Fasten your seatbelts… oh, but there were no seatbelts in 1850. So, hi there from Ephraim’s author and great granddaughter (one of many, but the only one I know of who’s tracked his life and turned it into a novel). This is the first post for Ephraim’s site… you’ll see I’ve begun pages where we can travel where he did:  from Belarus to Kansas, from Saloniki (as he called it) to West Virginia and more, much more.

And another part where followers of Ephraim can see photos of him, his family and maybe meet up with Ephraim’s seed right here in the 21st century. And of course there’s the story page, a sketch of what he’s all about.

Pardon me while this blogsite is building, more bells and whistles will appear. I’m braving new territory as this astonishing illustrious ancestor did regularly. Speaking of travels and adventures, which I was only slant-wise, I won’t be back for a month — going on my own travels. But do watch this space as the historical novel about Ephraim M Epstein is in production countdown… 104 days till it is ready for the world. And here in this place we can have some fun exploring his world. Just think, he spoke seven languages…