The Forgotten Singer by Maurice Carr
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The Exiled Sister of I.J. and Isaac Bashevis Singer
The Forgotten Singer, published in English for the first time tells the story of the author’s mother, Esther Singer Kreitman, a literary genius who was overshadowed by the fame of her brothers, I.J. and Isaac Bashevis Singer. Set in the interwar period, Carr’s poignant and evocative writing portrays the struggles and triumphs of Esther’s life, including her battle with epilepsy, her tumultuous relationship with her mother, and her determination to make a mark as a writer in a time when women were not celebrated. In fact, Esther was the first of the Singer siblings to write, only to find herself outcast from her literary family.
The Forgotten Singer is also a meditation on the mother-son relationship, a failed marriage, and life as a Jew in the interwar period. Carr’s writing is urgent, irreverent, timely, and unaffected, proving it’s never too late to celebrate an unsung hero of the written word.
Year first published: 2023
