"A few chapters into Marcia Fine's novel "Paper Children", and you will feel like a part of her family; halfway through the book you'll be glad you aren't. By the end, you'll have a compassionate understanding of the ordeals of Jews who escaped Europe before World War II...
 
...Fine's evocative metaphors and 360-degree descriptions allow the reader to see, smell, hear and feel each scene just as the main character does. Every page is filled with vivid descriptions of the setting and those involved, as well as historical references. Fine has clearly done her homework related to events surrounding World War II and succeeding decades, but certain parts of Mimi's story do feel over-researched as she and her mother's habits tend to reflect the commercialized vision of the 1960s.

Overall, Fine is an excellent writer, and "Paper Children" is a must-read, especially for those interested in the Holocaust and its aftermath."
 
- Jenna Lee Dillon, Trends Magazine 
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Stressed In Scottsdale
Multitasking Jean Rubin has too much to do. She races to accomplish endless errands, care for an elderly mother forced to move to assisted living, help with her kid's fertility problems and assist husband, Maury, with a Green Party campaign that includes a snarky opponent, political corruption and environmental issues. With an influx of technology, roof rats invading her yard and a robbery by the Rock Burglar, Jean finds herself STRESSED in SCOTTSDALE. Even her two upscale friends, April and Glee, can't distract her from all the anxiety with a spa intervention..   More...
 

Paper Children
1920s Poland. 1940s New York City 1960s Miami.  Driven by cataclysmic events, Paper Children encompasses three generations of women, their passion for life and the secret history of pain that follows them. Paulina, a privileged young woman who is part of Warsaw society, finds herself faced with the dilemma of family or marital loyalty. From a distance she finds herself torn as the Nazis tighten their grip on Poland. Driven by anger, her daughter, Sarah, a photographer, makes critical choices after witnessing the Displaced Person's camps in Europe in the wake of WWII. She forges a life of independence. Mimi, Sarah's daughter, a vulnerable young woman, uses her curiosity about the Holocaust to create a truth for herself. This exquisitely researched novel based on personal family history and treasured letters reflects post-war life for people forced to begin again.   More... 
 

The Blind Eye
In parallel stories set in 15th century Portugal and the 1990s, two women search for their identities. Set against historical events of persecution, The Blind Eye, a reference to a prejudiced prophet, creates a narrative about a family expelled from Spain in 1492 and a woman in Miami of Cuban descent.
 
Funny, smart and dissatisfied with her life, Alegra Cardoza endures her sisters' criticisms about her looks and lifestyle. When she impulsively accepts a job with a cranky professor, it catapults her into the world of Sephardim, Jews of Spanish descent.
 
A parallel story focuses on Grazia and her niece, Bellina, who are forced to live duplicitous lives. Based on true events at Rossio Square and the forced mass conversions at Os Estaos in Portugal, the saga takes us from the shores of Europe to South America.

A thrilling novel that spans centuries, The Blind Eye tells the story of perseverance, discovery and commitment.  More...
 

Boomerang
Published in 2003, Boomerang takes up where Gossip.com leaves off, finding Jean Rubin coping with a challenge to academic freedom and a "boomerang" son who returns home with his pregnant girlfriend. Add to the mix a couple of slick scam artists reaching into the wallets of Scottsdale's finest and you have a recipe for a cleverly woven and very funny send-up of a place where people take themselves way too seriously.  More...
 

Gossip.com
Published in 2000, Gossip.com was a success in the Phoenix-Scottsdale area of Arizona where the story is located. Though fictional, the story is a biting, comical satire of the sometimes cruel and oftimes frivolous lifestyle where people with too much money living in a place that is too hot develop a community obsession with one-upping each other. 
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