Authors & Ideas: Carol Japha

5959 North Sheridan Road,Chicago IL 60660

16 June, 2022

Description

5959 Chicago's Authors & Ideas series presents a conversation with Carol Japha discussing her new book, Mapping Eden. Carol Japha's family belonged to Emanuel from the 1950s to the 1980s. Her parents, as fellow refugees from Germany, had a strong connection to Herman and Lotte Schaalman. They lived in the neighborhood (at Thorndale and Magnolia) and later moved to Glencoe, but continued their membership and involvement. About Mapping Eden : In spare, lyrical prose, Mapping Eden invites the reader into the heart and soul of the child. It tells the story of a German-Jewish refugee family, settling in Chicago, that is shattered by the mother's illness and death. Told from the point of view of six-year-old Julia, it traces this young girl's quest to make sense of the world and the event that transforms it. In the words of one reviewer, the family's "sense of displacement hauntingly echoes the child's longing for her lost mother." The landscape of Chicago is central to the book. From the North Side neighborhood as seen in a child's eyes, to Lake Michigan shaped by the Ice Age, to the Eden-like canopy of catalpas shading the street, the novel offers a unique, original lens on the city. What people are saying: “A poetic reverie . . . a meditation on love and loss. A gift to the reader.” - Amy Weintraub, author of Temple Dancer “Captures the essence of childhood.” - Linda Louis, co-author of In the Paint “Deeply touching and haunting.” - Hilary Jacobs Hendel, author of It's Not Always Depression “Wonderful and moving. Beautifully and tenderly written.” - Janina Fisher, author of Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma Moderator: Amy Guth Published by Croton Road Books. Books will be available for sale at the event, courtesy The Book Cellar. Learn more about Carol and her work. Ticket proceeds will benefit future programming at 5959 Chicago. Pre-ordered books are available for pick-up at Emanuel Congregation by appointment or on day-of.