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A RIVER COULD BE A TREE: A Memoir by Angela Himsel


Angela Himsel’s fascinating new memoir, A RIVER COULD BE A TREE (Fig Tree Books Hardcover; Nov 2018) traces her seemingly impossible road from childhood cult to a committed Jewish life with warmth, humor, and a multitude of religious and philosophical insights. 

How does a girl who grew up in rural Indiana as a fundamentalist Christian end up a practicing Jew in New York? Strict adherence to the church’s tenets was Angela Himsel’s only way to escape a certain, gruesome death, receive the Holy Spirit, and live forever in the Kingdom of God. With self-preservation in mind, she decided, at nineteen, to study at The Hebrew University in Jerusalem. But instead of strengthening her faith, Angela was introduced to a whole new world with different people and perspectives. This experience slowly opened her eyes to the church’s shortcomings. Ultimately, the connection to God she relentlessly pursued was found in the most unexpected place: a mikvah on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. This devout Christian girl found her own form of salvation—as a practicing Jewish woman.

The media has enjoyed reviewing the book, interviewing the author, and sharing some of her original essays:

Tulsa Book Review: Review, 12/20/18

Give and Take Podcast: Interview, 12/12/18

Jewish Woman’s Archive: Angela’s essay posted posted on 12/11

Jerusalem Post: Review, 12/6/18

PopSugar: Angela’s essay posted on 12/5

Arroe Collins: Unplugged and Uncut Podcast: Interview, 12/3/18

Lilith Magazine’s Blog: Q&A with Yona McDonough, 11/30/18

Jewish Book Council’s Visiting Scribe Series: Angela’s essay posted on 11/26:

Jewish Community Voice (Cherry Hill): Interview, 11/21/18

Forward: Excerpt published, 11/15/18

The Herald (Jasper, IN): Interview, 11/13/18 arranged by Moshe Schulman

Book Q&A with Deborah Kalb: Interview, 11/13/18

Too Jewish Radio: Interview, 11/12/18

The Virtual Memories Show Podcast: Interview, 11/12/18h

Times of Israel: Interview, 11/10/18

The Jewish Week: Interview, 11/6/18

The Jewish Standard: Interview 11/2/18

The Herald Times (Bloomington, IN): Interview, 10/21/18

The Jewish Week: Included in Fall Arts Preview 9/13/18

ForeWord Reviews: Review, September/October Issue

Lilith: Review, Summer Issue

Kirkus Reviews: Review, 6/18/18

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Al Schmitt On The Record: The Magic Behind the Music

Foreword by Paul McCartney

Do you ever wonder what goes into the creation of some of the best music ever recorded? AL SCHMITT ON THE RECORD: THE MAGIC BEHIND THE MUSIC (Hal Leonard Books) is the remarkable account of one of the most respected music engineers in the business. 

A thorough and compelling account of life in and around the recording studio, AL SCHMITT ON THE RECORD offers an unprecedented window into some of popular music’s most seminal moments as told from Al’s unique perspective as “the man behind the glass.” This compelling memoir also shares some of the tricks, techniques, and tactics that have set Schmitt apart, from his approach to microphones, effects, and processors to setup diagrams from lauded recording sessions and, perhaps most importantly, his methods for catering to an artist’s vision and preferences. The resulting text is a must-read for audio pros and music fans alike.

Here is some of the great coverage this memoir has received:

The Entertainment Report – one of 2018’s best biographies

Focus TV’s On the Note – interview   

SiriusXM’s The Diner with Lou Simon – interview

MIX Online – review 

New York Journal of Books  – review 

The Inner Circle Podcast – interview/

Billboard – interview  

SiriusXM’s Debatable – interview

CNET– review 

SiriusXM’s Fab Forum on The Beatles Chanel – interview 

Music Repo – included in roundup

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The Astronaut’s Son by Tom Seigel

THE ASTRONAUT’S SON (Woodhall Press Hardcover) by Tom Segiel is a fast-paced mystery that was inspired by the true story of ex-Nazi scientists and engineers at NASA.  Read the well-deserved interviews and reviews for this debut thriller:

BookLoons -review

Oregon Jewish Life – included in a holiday roundup 

The Times of Israel – interview

The Book Decoder Blog – review

Jennifer Tar Heel Reader Blog – review

The Book’s The Thing Blog – review

Jewish Book Council – guest post

Locus Magazine Online – included in a roundup of new releases/

The Rap Sheet Blog – included in a roundup of new releases: 

Too Jewish Radio Show – interview

Tita Writes – review

Mystery Scene – review 

The Weston Forum/Han Network Newspapers – interview 

Mystery People – interview  

The Jewish Week (NYC) – included in Fall Arts Preview 9/13: 

ForeWord Reviews – review

Book Q&A With Deborah Kalb – interview 

Publishers Weekly – review

Detroit Jewish News – included in summer roundup: 

Reviews by Amos Lassen – review 

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ACCIDENTALLY LIKE A MARTYR: The Tortured Art of Warren Zevon by music journalist James Campion

Rock journalist James Campion has written a non-traditional biography in essays where he explores ten songs and three albums that provide listeners with valuable insight into what best exemplifies Warren Zevon’s life and art. Not surprisingly, the book has been a huge hit with music critics and radio hosts:

AMERICAN SONGWRITER: Review, January/February 2019 

BARNES & NOBLE (Syracuse, NY): Talk & Signing on 11/3/18 at 6PM

SOUND WAVES MAGAZINE: Rave review, October 2018

WDHA-RADIO/Sunday Morning(Cedar Knolls, NJ): Interview, October 2018

PASTE MAGAZINE: In-depth review, September 2018

THE ENTERTAINMENT REPORT: Review, September 2018 

THE RINGER: In-depth Warren Zevon feature article, September 2018

ROCK SCHOOL PODCAST: Interview, September 2018

BOOK SOUP (West Hollywood, CA): Talk & signing with Jordan Zevon on 9/22/18 at 4PM

WISCONSIN BOOK WATCH: Review, August 2018

BOOK MARKS/LITERARY HUB: Feature, August 2018

ICON FETCHPodcast: Interview, August 2018

MANHATTAN BOOK REVIEW: 4.5 star review, July 2018

POP MATTERS: Rave review, July 2018

HOUSTON PRESS: Great review, July 2018

SHEPHERD EXPRESS: Rave review, July 2018

SIRIUS XM/Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang: National radio interview, July 2018. 

BROOKLYN REPORTER: Feature, July 2018

WORD BOOKSTORE (Jersey City): Talk & signing 7/17/18 at 7:30PM

BOOKMARK SHOPPE (Brooklyn): Talk & signing on July 12th at 7PM

MODERN ANTHOLOGY (Brooklyn): Talk & signing on July 19th 

SNOWMAN ON FIRE blog: Review, July 2018

NEWSDAY: Mention, July 2018

POPULAR MUSIC & SOCIETY: Review

LARGEHEARTED BOY: Warren Zevon book playlist feature, June 2018 

WORDS(Maplewood): Talk & signing on June 16th at 5PM

TURN OF THE CORKSCREW (Long Island): Booksigning & music appearance on June 15th

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: Review, May 2018

AOL/The Build Series: Interview with Adam Duritz of Counting Crows, April 2018

LAUREL CANYON RADIO: Nice mention of the book, April 2018


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My Mother’s Son by David Hirshberg

FigTree Books LLC, publisher of the best literature of the American Jewish experience, has published My Mother’s Son, a debut novel by David Hirshberg. 

The story is told by a radio raconteur revisiting his past in post-World War II Boston, the playground and battleground for two brothers whose lives are transformed by discoveries they never could have imagined. From the opening line of the book, “When you’re a kid, they don’t always tell you the truth,” the stage is set for this riveting coming-of-age story that plays out against the backdrop of the Korean War, the aftermath of the Holocaust, the polio epidemic, the relocation of a baseball team, and the shenanigans of politicians and businessmen. Hirshberg deftly weaves together events, characters, and clues and creates a rich tapestry of betrayal, persecution, death,loyalty, and unconditional love that resonates with today’s America.

My Mother’s Son has received impressive accolades, including:

  • Gold Medal, 2018 Independent Publisher Book Awards, RegionalFiction
  • Winner, 2018 National Indie Excellence Awards, Best RegionalFiction,
  • Winner, two New York City Big Book Awards:Historical Fiction and Debut Fiction.

It has also received strong review coverage including a starred review in both Booklist and Library Journal and:

The Jewish Book Council

The Jewish Advocate (Boston)

The Washington Jewish Week

The Reporter Group

Too Jewish Radio Podcast

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