The author reads from her recently released novel "Fatherland," followed by a conversation with Jessica Pearce Rotondi exploring the book’s themes and inspiration. Book signing to follow.
About the Book (from the publisher):
A tale of the American dream on the rocks. A legacy of broken promises, deceit, and perseverance against the backdrop of family commitment.
Martin and Lora Brier, with three young children, possess all the trappings of a perfect life . . . except Martin is having yet another affair. Without warning, he abandons the family for his mistress and a new house on the other side of town.
Set in a prosperous midwestern town in the 1950s, "Fatherland" is a story about the effect of convenient lies and discovered truths. While Martin’s abandonment throws up new difficulties for bewildered Lora, a housewife, who must now find a way to nurture and provide for herself and children, it unleashes a swirl of emotions in their daughter, Josie, who struggles to come to term with his absence. Fatherland follows Josie from this fateful event, across many decades and milestones and through the phases of her tenuous, emotionally fraught relationship with Martin—and the way she begins to move beyond their shared past.
About the Author:
Victoria Shorr is the author of four works of fiction, including the acclaimed novel The Plum Trees, which was listed as a New York Times Recommended Historical Fiction selection for 2021. Her work often explores themes of history, identity, and memory, with a particular sensitivity to the complexities of family and place. She lives in New York, where she continues to write and engage with the literary community. She has received fellowships and residencies from prestigious institutions such as MacDowell and Yaddo, recognizing her contributions to contemporary literature.
About the Moderator:
Jessica Pearce Rotondi is a writer and historian whose work focuses on twentieth-century American history, gender, and memory. She is the author of What We Inherit: A Secret War and a Family’s Search for Answers, which was recognized as a New York Times Editors’ Choice. Her writing has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. She has received support from distinguished institutions such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Council of Learned Societies. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she continues her research and writing.
