Ann S. Epstein writes novels, short stories, memoir, essays, and poems. Please use the links or site menu to go to the HOME PAGE; learn about her NOVELS, SHORT STORIES, MEMOIR, ESSAYS, and POEMS; find interesting facts in BEHIND THE STORY; read REFLECTIONS on writing; check NEWS for updates on publications and related events; see REVIEWS; learn about her END-OF-LIFE DOULA credentials and services; and CONTACT US to send webmail.
Author: annsepstein@att.net
Ann S. Epstein is an award-winning writer of novels, short stories, memoirs, and essays.
In Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are encouraging allies and jealous rivals, but always close friends. As they grow from girls into women, each pursuing their own destiny, these characters virtually define the meaning of “sisterhood.” Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Little Women: A classic novel about four sisters who are also best friends
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
President Lincoln and Douglass, an escaped slave turned abolitionist leader, built an unlikely friendship based on mutual respect and a shared commitment to freedom. Both rose from poverty and were talented orators. Lincoln relied on Douglass for advice during the Civil War. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Lincoln and Douglass, President and former slave, built a friendship on mutual respect and common goals
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
With Holmes’s flair for unraveling mysteries and Watson’s stoic nature, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creations are an iconic fictional duo. Proving that “opposites attract,” their differences enable them to solve cases. And after a hard day’s work, they enjoy unwinding together with a drink, a smoke, even a Turkish bath. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Holmes and Watson, an iconic mystery-solving duo
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
My Goodreads and Amazon review of Wrinkled Rebels by Laura Katz Olson (Rated 5) – Cross-Generational Appeal.Wrinkled Rebels by Laura Katz Olson is a nostalgia trip for those who, like me, were “Children of the 60s.” In fact, in an uncanny match, I’m the exact same age as the novel’s six New York City protagonists, entering college in 1963, becoming immersed in the anti-war and women’s movements, vowing to remain engaged as we graduated into the “adult” world. For readers of later generations, Olson’s book offers an entertaining survey course of that tumultuous era, told through the stories of its diverse cast of characters, three women and three men, who bond as freshmen and stay in sporadic touch during the ensuing decades. As a novelist myself (see my Amazon author page and Goodreads author page), I admire how Olson achieves a fine balance between detailed historical context and generous character development. The book is driven by the protagonists’ impending 50th reunion, prompting each to recall the past, assess the present, and evaluate how they shaped one another’s lives. Building toward the reunion, readers eagerly turn the pages of this skillfully written narrative with cross-generational appeal to those who reflect on life’s heady mix of predictable and unexpected outcomes.
Children of the 60s meet 50 years later
Why writers read: “Our favorite book is always the book that speaks most directly to us at a particular stage in our lives. And our lives change.” – Lloyd Alexander
On August 25, 1939, 85 years ago today, The Wizard of Oz officially opened nationwide. Reviews were mostly positive, although some critics accused MGM of encroaching on Disney territory. The film pioneered the use of Technicolor and earned praise for its 17-year-old star, Judy Garland. Re-released in 1949, and shown on TV in subsequent years, The Wizard of Oz is today the third-most watched movie ever (after Titanic and E.T.). Read about the making of the movie and its “big” and “little” stars in A Brain. A Heart. The Nerve., a fictional biography of the actor who played the Munchkin Coroner. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Skipping down the Yellow Brick Road
A fictional biography of the actor who played the Munchkin Coroner
When the two men met in 1896, Ford was a huge fan of Edison, sixteen years his senior, and only wanted to photograph him. Instead, they became legendary friends. Edison encouraged Ford’s pioneering automotive work. They traveled around the country together and owned vacation houses next to each other. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Edison and Ford were fellow tinkerers and famous friends
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
Counter-culture journalist Thompson and conservative politician Buchanan met during Nixon’s 1972 presidential campaign. Though ideological opposites, the friends valued each other’s honesty and libertarianism. Said Thompson, “Politics is a circle, not just right and left. We’re often pretty close.” Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Buchanan and Thompson were ideological opposites but met as friends in the middle
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
The four best friends in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Bashares support one another through good times and bad, but always mend the rifts between them. Although the girls are different sizes, the title’s magical jeans fit them all, a metaphor for what unites these women in friendship. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants: One shared garment = One Four-Way Friendship
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
Houston’s mom, Cissy, sang backup vocals for Franklin and brought Whitney to rehearsals as a child. Whitney looked up to Franklin. Franklin, in turn, encouraged the talented young singer. Franklin and Whitney’s mother remained friends for life. ReadThe Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Singing friends Franklin and Houston: The older generation fostered the younger one’s talent
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
Steinbeck’s poodle companion in Travels with Charley: In Search of America connects the author with the people he meets on his cross-country road trip. The dog’s wise “remarks” stand-in for Steinbeck’s own observations. Read The Sister Knot about two resilient women, orphaned in WW2, who defy fate to sustain a lifelong friendship. A compelling novel about the power of sisterhood. Learn more about the book in NOVELS.
Steinbeck and Charley: The author’s canine friend is a wise observer
Two resilient women, two separate journeys, one lasting friendship
