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Jeanne Simonoff Book Release
Sunday, October 18 - 2:00 pm - TBS Social Hall
Join us in the TBS Social Hall on Sunday, October 18 at 2:00 PM for a special reading of Jeanne Simonoff’s moving new memoir, Woman of Valor. The author will provide a reading, alongside guest readings by Ned Laventall and Cecilia Woloch. Come explore this powerful story of family, memory, and resilience while enjoying delicious noshes crafted by Chef Ned Laventall. This event is free and all are welcome to attend.
Signed copies of the book will be sold at the event by the author. If you would like to pick up a copy ahead of time, Woman of Valor is also available locally at Santa Fe bookstores, including Ark Books and Collected Works Bookstore. Scroll down to learn more about Jeanne’s inspiring journey, followed by an insightful book review.
In her review on Bookshelfie, Maria Ashford highlights Woman of Valor by Jeanne Simonoff as a deeply moving, intimate memoir. The book masterfully explores a heartbreaking question: “What do you do when the person you love is still there, but the person you knew is already gone?” What stood out most to Maria was how Simonoff handles the heavy reality of multi-generational dementia. Rather than writing a standard, grim clinical account, Simonoff introduces the comforting ghost of her late grandmother, "Bubbie," a bold choice that Maria notes transforms the narrative into “something closer to a séance, tender and even funny at times.”
Maria emphasizes that the memoir beautifully roots the abstract pain of memory loss in rich, tactile specificity—from the aroma of chocolate to the comforting glow of Shabbat candles. Ultimately, she praises Simonoff for delivering an unvarnished, poetically honest record of what caregiving feels like, highlighting that the book “doesn’t try to offer easy comfort or tidy lessons.” Filled with "real emotional weight behind every page," Maria concludes that Woman of Valor is a highly affecting, resonant read that will stick with readers long after the final page.
TBS Book Club
People of The Book
Interested in joining a monthly book club whose members discuss books about Jews, Jewish history and historical fiction, Jewish traditions, culture, and more?
The TBS Book Club may be for you!
Begun in April 2022, the TBS Book Club meets monthly (with a few exceptions) on Zoom, usually on the second Sunday of the month at 2 p.m.
New members are always welcome.
Originally, during the pandemic, the TBS Book Club met in-person outdoors, but since August 2022, we’ve met exclusively on Zoom. This is in part because our very dedicated organizer, Emily Kahn-Freedman, moved to New York but still loves connecting with TBS via the book club.
Books are selected two months in advance, at the end of each meeting, by the people who attend that meeting. We now have a long list of fascinating titles, many of them historical fiction, but also nonfiction and contemporary fiction, all with a Jewish theme. Members are encouraged to continue to add to the list of books for possible selection.
You are invited to join our email list and receive information about the next two books selected (often before the titles appear on this website), as well as the Zoom link and reminders about each meeting. There is no obligation to attend, although RSVPs are always appreciated. Simply contact Emily Kahn-Freedman to be added to the emailing list. Emily will also send you the full list of books we’ve already read or are considering reading.
Our next meeting is Sunday, October 11, at 2 p.m. (not October 18 as originally planned). We will be discussing the novel Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein. It's a wonderful imaginary glimpse into Charles Dickens' character Fagin (from Oliver Twist). We get to see him as an almost humanitarian old Jew, offering a home and pickpocket "work" to homeless boys in 19th century London.
Then, on November 15, we'll discuss The Anatomy of Exile by Zeeva Bukai. This novel explores identity struggles and love relationships between Jewish and Palestinian characters.
You can easily read about each upcoming book selection on the bookseller website of your choice, as well as (usually) on the website of the Santa Fe library.
Meetings are at 2 p.m. mountain time on zoom.