Ghost Stories

by E.M. Broner

While attending synagogue each Friday and Saturday following her mother's death, Leila encounters her mother's ghost who tells her the story of her life, and the two develop a stronger bond than they ever experienced while the mother was alive

180 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1995

About the author

Esther M. Broner, best known as E.M. Broner, Ph.D., Professor Emerita was a Jewish American feminist author.

Broner was the author of ten books, including The Women's Haggadah; Weave of Women; The Telling: The Story of a Group of Jewish Women Who Journey to Spirituality through Community and Ceremony; and Mornings and Mourning: A Kaddish Journal. Broner had also written radio scripts for National Public Radio and plays. Her musical, “Higginson: An American Life,” premiered June 17, 2005, by the Michigan Opera Theatre (Broner, book & lyrics; Mort Zieve, music). Broner led the original Women's Seder for 30 years and was proclaimed a Wonder Woman by the Wonder Woman Foundation for her work in feminist Jewish ritual. She was married to the printmaker/painter Robert Broner, and they have four grown children.

Reviews

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Internet. Yes, there are things I don't like. However, one thing I love is that if I want to read a book, I can find a place to purchase my own copy. This is not good for my budget, but it is good for my reading habits.

I thought I was writing a paper on E. M. Broner for my class this semester. So I got on a couple of book sites and found most of her books for sale and they were relatively cheap. I changed my paper topic, but now I have some fascinating reading material.

Ghost Stories is the third book that I have read by Broner this fall. It is the tale of a woman and her mother much of which will resonate with all women since most of us have had adventures with our own mother. I choose to believe that it is Broner's own relationship with her mother that had her writing these stories.

The first narrator is the mother. After she dies, the stories are told by her daughter although she is still telling her side of the tales. The stories are sad, happy, humorous and heartbreaking. I found them all to be powerful, but I will be thinking about the title story for some time to come.

I recommend this collection to those who love short stories, to women who like mother/daughter tales and to anyone who likes discovering a new author. I don't think Broner is read much anymore and she is worth knowing.

[Mills College Library]

Fiction B8687g 1995