Author Meryl Ain, known for her works “The Takeaway Men” and, most recently, “Shadows We Carry,” sheds light on Holocaust survivors’ experiences in the aftermath of World War II through her captivating novels. Released last April, “Shadows We Carry” tells the story of Lubinski twins Bronka and JoJo rebuilding their lives in New York City while navigating through their family’s trauma.
“In both of my novels, I wanted to tell the story of what happened to Holocaust survivors and their children after the war,” says Ain. “Unable or unwilling to return to their homes in Europe, they had to start new lives in countries where they did not speak the language nor understand the culture and often experienced prejudice and discrimination. Both survivors and their children carried the shadow of the Holocaust with them.”
Ain’s life-long obsession with the Holocaust began when she first read Anne Frank’s memoir in sixth grade. “I heard the word concentration camp roll off my mother’s tongue and it sparked my curiosity,” she says. “But after I finished reading the diary, I still didn’t know what a concentration camp was or why six million Jews died.”
The lingering question propelled her to pursue her education in history, later becoming a teacher and ultimately an author. “While doing research for ‘Shadows We Carry,’ I learned that there was a community called German Gardens in eastern Long Island. I used this community as a setting in a section of my book that explores neo-Nazism.”
Her novels come at a time when raising awareness of antisemitism is crucial. “According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents are up 400%. Jews are only 2.4% of the population [in the U.S.] but 60% of the victims of religious hate crimes,” she says.
“In ‘Shadows We Carry,’ I wanted to raise the issue of Jewish identity and bloodline. Are we defined by our genes or our environment? Do the shadows we all carry determine who we are? Who is responsible for the misdeeds of previous generations? I don’t really know whether we’ll come up with satisfactory answers, but it’s fascinating to talk about,” says Ain.
Ain, who lives in Long Island, considers South Florida a second home. As part of the “Shadows We Carry” book tour, she’ll be in Boca Raton until the end of March, speaking at several synagogues, including Temple Beth El of Hollywood on Jan. 18, B’nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton on Feb. 29 and Temple Bet Israel in Port St. Lucie on March 12.
For more information about Meryl Ain, her books and tour, visit merylain.com.