Louise isn’t juggling balls or flames — she’s juggling life: the emotional weight of being a daughter, a mother, a wife… and someone facing a terminal diagnosis. In her latest novel, Unfinished Acts of Wild Creation, author Sarah Yahm introduces us to a woman navigating the tangled mess of grief, love, honesty and humor.

Join us for a deeply moving (and surprisingly funny) conversation about Louise, her snarky daughter, her desperate-to-hold-it-all-together husband Leon, and the beauty found in unfinished things. We also share some personal stories along the way.

🎧 Listen now at jewishlibraries.org/nicejewishbooks
📚 Because sometimes the most Jewish thing you can do is tell a really good story.

Follow along with the transcript and check out Sarah's website and her book club guide.

Assist Sarah's call in her Tikun Olam efforts by supporting Rabbis for Ceasefire or Jews for Food Aid for People in Gaza.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

When Allison Epstein first saw the musical Oliver!, one character stood out—Fagin. He was the only Jewish character she’d ever seen on stage. But when she later read Dickens' Oliver Twist, her excitement turned to dismay. The Fagin in the novel was a far cry from what she’d hoped: he was a cruel caricature with no backstory, no first name, and no humanity.

So, Allison did what writers do best—she rewrote the story.

In her novel Fagin the Thief, Allison breathes life into the man Dickens left in the shadows, giving him depth, history, and a voice of his own.

Join me on Nice Jewish Books for a thought-provoking conversation with Allison Epstein, as we explore the origins of this reimagined character, the importance of representation, and the joy of reclaiming stories that were never fully told.

Follow along with the transcript and check out Allison's website.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.

Step into the world of mystery, memory, and meaning with author Saul Golubcow.

In this compelling interview, Golubcow discusses his gripping works, The Cost of Living and Who Killed the Rabbi’s Wife?—this collection of three novellas and a novel feature Frank Wolf, a Holocaust survivor turned private investigator. Once a philosophy professor, Frank now solves crimes within the Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods of 1970s New York City.

Joined by his inquisitive grandson Joel and later his sharp daughter-in-law Aliya, Frank navigates a complex world where Jewish tradition, trauma, and truth collide. Golubcow shares the inspiration behind his characters, the cultural richness of his settings, and how Jewish tradition shapes every clue.

Contact the author at: essgees123@gmail.com

Don't miss this conversation with a writer who brings heart and humanity to the detective genre.

Follow along with the transcript.

Support the author, AJL, and independent book stores by buying their book here.

Thanks to:

• The Association of Jewish Libraries
• Heidi Rabinowitz, podcast mentor
• Dee Yan Key for use of their Freylekh (downloaded from https://freemusicarchive.org/home)
• Donate to support the podcast

If you enjoyed this podcast, you might also like the AJL sister podcast, The Book of Life, a podcast about Jewish kidlit, mostly.