Discover the uplifting stories by female authors that bring our community together. At The WRENS Book Club, each book is chosen with care — stories that spark conversation, inspire reflection, and remind us of the beauty of language and life.
In 2018, Zoe Rosenzweig is mourning the death of her beloved grandfather, a Holocaust survivor who raised her from the age of 11 after the accidental deaths of her parents. As she sifts through his lifetime of belongings and papers, she finds a last note he left her and some clues to a deep family mystery. Zoe becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her family during and after WWII. In 1946, we meet Chana Rosenweig who, with her mother and brother, has survived the horrors of a concentration camp and made her way to Vienna. The family struggles to make a living and stay safe, but Chana is determined to keep them together and still pursue her dream of following in her deceased father's footsteps to become a master baker. Chana's courage, creativity, love, and sheer grit in meeting every obstacle makes this a powerful and compelling story that will leave you cheering and inspired. Don't miss it!
Sharon Kurtzman worked in television marketing before pursuing her long-held dream of becoming an author. This debut novel was inspired by the war and postwar experiences of her own family, who were Holocaust survivors. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, and they have two adult children.
Fred is 82, broke, widowed, and on the brink of homelessness. In a bizarre, but totally believable, case of mistaken identity, he takes the placeof grumpy Bernard Greer in the local nursing home. There, he has warm meals and a roof over his head, but also a deep-seated guilt over not being able to make anyone believe his story of not actually being Bernard. As he walks in Bernard’s shoes, though, he leaves a trail of kindness that affects everyone around him in profound ways. That includes one of his nurses whose life is spiraling out of control. She has deep suspicions about Fred, but her own problems keep her from following up. When unexpected truths are revealed, Fred and Nurse Denise each discover how to turn lives of chaos into lives of purpose. Fred’s adventures are often hilarious, frequently heart-warming, occasionally cringe-worthy, but always engrossing.
Anna Johnston is an emerging Australian author who left medical school to follow her heart into her grandfather's nursing home, where she became the social support coordinator with a love for "shaking things up." When an injury forced her to leave elder care, she began writing about it instead, channeling her love for seniors onto the page. Besides writing, she is passionate about theatre and travel. She lives on the beach in Melbourne, Australia, with her husband and daughters.
