Ann S. Epstein writes novels, short stories, memoir, essays, and poems. Please use the links or site menu to go to the HOME PAGE; learn about her NOVELS, SHORT STORIES, MEMOIR, ESSAYS, and POEMS; find interesting facts in BEHIND THE STORY; read REFLECTIONS on writing; check NEWS for updates on publications and related events; see REVIEWS; learn about her END-OF-LIFE DOULA credentials and services; and CONTACT US to send webmail.
The Greek king and his army general were lovers and loyal companions during Alexander’s wide-ranging conquests. When Hephaestion died of a fever in 324 BCE, Alexander was so distraught, he ordered the body mummified and placed in a golden coffin. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Alexander the Great and General Hephaeston were conquerors and lovers
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
My Goodreads and Amazon review of The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR’S Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience by Kirstin Downey (Rated 5) – New Deal’s Midwife. The Woman Behind the New Deal: The Life of Frances Perkins, FDR’S Secretary of Labor and His Moral Conscience by Kirstin Downey comprises multiple historical narratives in a single biography: the personal history of a pioneering woman committed to social and economic justice; a legislative history of the Roosevelt era during the Great Depression and Second World War; a post-suffrage but pre-second-wave feminist account of the stereotypes and discrimination that held back women; and an inside view of the rivalries and in-fighting among the elites of New York and Washington, DC. What emerges from this thoroughly researched volume is a portrait of a complex woman, whose determination served her well in overcoming roadblocks, but whose domineering personality could also work against her in a male-dominated society. Perkins was further hampered by the fact that her own husband and daughter were plagued my bipolar disorder, conditions she hid from the public as a matter of political survival as well as personal pride and shame. Perkins also adapted to her fickle boss, the “midwife” who birthed FDR’s most significant policies while being left behind as a battlefield casualty. Downey admits when her subject’s own prejudices and naivete led to her defeat. As a writer of character-driven historical fiction (see my Amazon author page and Goodreads author page), I admire Downey’s forthright presentation of her subject’s flaws as well as strengths. What is remarkable is how, despite many personal and societal setbacks, Perkins succeeded in pushing through legislation that changed the face of government in her time and that persists, albeit now under threat, in the U.S. today.
A pioneering woman fights for social and economic justice in the halls of government
Why writers read: “Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries.” – Anne Herbert
Although this couple from Jane Austen’s novel Emma eventually fall in love, their connection begins as childhood neighbors. Their intimate friendship predates and lays the foundation for their romance. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
George and Emma shared a childhood friendship before embarking on an adult romance
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
West Point cadets and friends, Grant later commanded the Union Army during the American Civil War, while Longstreet was one of Robert E. Lee’s most trusted Confederate officers. In fact, Longstreet convinced Lee to surrender, knowing Grant would offer him generous terms. After warmly greeting each other at the surrender ceremony, Grant and Longstreet played brag (a card game) for old time’s sake. When the war ended, Longstreet strongly supported Reconstruction. The two men remained good friends. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Union General Grant and Confederate Officer Longstreet resumed their friendship after the Civil War ended
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
The friendship of Clarissa and Richard in The Hours by Michael Cunningham is shrouded in unrequited history and current tragedy. Modeled on Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, Cunningham’s 1999 Pulitzer Prize winning novel illuminates both the superficiality and depth in the single day of a life. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Clarissa and Richard, friends in The Hours
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
What began as a friendship devolved into a musical feud when Richards, the Rolling Stones guitarist, accused John of overstaying a guest appearance on a Stones’ show. He criticized John’s reframing of Candle in the Wind after Princess Diana’s death as “Songs for Dead Blondes,” while John said in 1997 that “Richards is like a monkey with arthritis. The Stones should have thrown him out 15 years ago.” Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
The musicians were friends until the mutual insults began to fly
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
My Goodreads and Amazon review of Home for the Bewildered by Michelle Tobin (Rated 5) – Doctor, Heal Thyself. Set in a Michigan state psychiatric hospital in the mid-1970s, Home for the Bewildered by Michelle Tobin captures the confused minds of its residents and the personal floundering of Dr. Dorothy Morrissey, the young psychologist who is better at helping them than working through her own dilemmas. Tobin skillfully creates a diverse group of patients, each dealing with trauma, often originating in childhood, that interfere with their ability to function as adults. With compassion and competence, Dorothy helps her charges take steps toward insight and improvement. In the process of treating them, she also faces her own difficulties with her strict Catholic family and her ambivalence toward a boyfriend they deem unacceptable. As a novelist myself, who likewise delves into the human psyche from multiple points of view (see my Amazon author page and Goodreads author page, I admire Tobin’s ability to endow each character with a distinctive voice, and to evoke empathy for them, no matter how challenging their personalities. With engaging storytelling and emotional honesty, Tobin’s Home for the Bewildered leaves readers with a clear vision of how the past leaves an indelible mark on us and how we can nevertheless move forward to live satisfying and meaningful lives.
Facing the past to find a way forward
Why writers read: “If you want to learn something, go to the source. Dogen, a great Zen master, said, ‘If you walk in the mist, you get wet.’” – Natalie Goldberg
They started as friends, feuded, and attempted to repair their friendship until West interrupted Swift’s speech at MTV Music Video Awards saying, “I made that bitch famous.” Since then, the barbs have flown back and forth. Given Taylor’s financial success and fandom, she appears to be winning that battle. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Taylor Swift and Kanye West evolved from friendship to public feuding
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
In the Frog and Toad picture books by Arnold Lobel, Frog and Toad are constant friends. The quirky pair do ordinary things and also embark on grand adventures. Whether they are flying kites or chasing after a missing button, these pals charm young readers and the adults who read with them. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Amphibian amiability and adventures
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
During their six-year friendship prior to Mansfield’s death in 1923, the two authors encouraged each other to produce some of their best work: Mansfield’s stories and Woolf’s distinctive novels. Mansfield wrote to Woolf, “We have the same job” and are after “the same thing in our writing.” Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Mansfield and Woolf each wrote their best work with mutual encouragement
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
