Books by Genie Saffren

Death is part of life - everyone gets a turn, some sooner than others. And if you are a young child when you lose your parent, chances are that loss will echo throughout your life. Saving for Good: Adieu Maman is the story of how I rediscover my mother and find myself in the process. My story begins on two paths that eventually converge and lead to my birth. From a poor Polish village to a posh French seaside resort, my parents meet, marry and move to California. It is 1946 and life is good. In my three year old voice, I describe the world around me. But seven years later my life would change forever: my mother dies and my father disappears emotionally, my little brother acts out, and I erase all memories of my mother. Within two years my father remarries and new challenges arise. I begin to awkwardly blossom and mature, often to hilarious effect. I juggle trying to find my place within my "new" family, now with an older stepbrother as well as a new mom. I struggle to learn how to "be" - with my family, my friends and myself. Each chapter describes one year of my life and ends when I move away from home in 1966. Join me as I rediscover my real mother, Maman, and world that created the possibility of me.