"Gerber has created a colorful and memorable character. Her prose is richly detailed, and along the way we learn much about the nature of loneliness and aging. . . . Truly moving."—Haddasah Magazine
"Anna Goldman (widowed, nearly eighty years old and living alone in the Fairfax neighborhood of Los Angeles) struggles to maintain her independence, keep her feisty spirit, and stave off elderly suitors."—The Midwest Book Review
"These are funny stories that nonetheless bear out Anna's belief (as reported by one of her daughters
whose husband has committed suicide) that we live on the verge of catastrophe, and the natural state of Iife should reasonably be terror."—Los Angeles Times
Description
In this collection of short stories, the reader meets Anna Goldman who Is nearly eighty years old, widowed and Living on her own in the Fairfax area of Los Angeles. As she makes her determined, irreverent way through the maze of modern society, she struggles to maintain her independence and remain connected to the world. Jewish, but disenchanted with religion in any guise, Anna eats bacon to dare God’s wrath. A pianist herself, Anna takes on the job of entertaining the old folks at the senior center, but realizes that “Mozart you can’t give them.” She disapproves of the way her grandsons are being raised and when she visits her older sister (still “big and bossy”) In Miami Beach, she has a romantic encounter with a dreamer named Irving who courts her with words, since it’s far too late for deeds. This volume comprises selections from Merrill Joan Gerber’s Chattering Man, plus three new pieces. Anna in Chains is a book about the reality of being an old women in the modern world, and the struggles it requires to stay human and whole.
About the Author
Merrill Joan Gerber is a prize-winning novelist and short story writer. Her seven novels include The Kingdom of Brooklyn, (winner of the Ribalow Award from Haddasah Magazine) and Anna in the Afterlife, both published by Syracuse University Press.
January 1998