Remember to Eat and Other Stores

Following a Jewish family from before World War II to the not-too-distant future, this collection of loosely linked short stories explores the experiences of Marjorie, a baby boomer; her mother, Alice; and the friends and family that make up their community over the decades. As they each pursue higher education and choose career paths, both mother and daughter encounter challenges as they make choices within a changing society from in-law problems to illness to antisemitism and beyond. Sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous, Remember to Eat takes on themes including patriarchy, technology, the changing role of women, the challenges of raising children, the COVID-19 pandemic, complex family relationships, and what it means to be a Jew with empathy and insight. Ultimately, the twenty-two stories contained in these pages offer not only an intimate journey into these women’s lives but also an illuminating portrait of the times in which they live.

Author Biography

Meryl Ain is a writer, author, podcaster, and career educator. She is the author of two award-winning post-Holocaust novels, The Takeaway Men (2020) and Shadows We Carry (2023), and two non-fiction books. She is the host of the podcast, People of the Book, and the founder of the Facebook group, Jews Love To Read! She and her husband, Stewart, a journalist live on Long Island, New York, and spend winters in Boca Raton, Florida.