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February 2023 Virtual Book Tour for BLACK FOAM by Haji Jabir, translated by Sawad Hussain and Marcia Lynx Qualey

“A captivating tale of one man’s tireless journey to belong. Perfect for readers of East African literature and historical fiction.” ―Booklist

“A searing exposé of the plight of Ethiopian Jews who immigrate to Israel. There is a cinematic quality to BLACK FOAM, a discovery of new worlds, with Haji Jabir pointing a camera, up close and intimate, at his protagonist’s anxieties and fancies. Scenes slice as Muslim Dawoud becomes Christian David then Jewish Dawit, accompanied by a haunting soundtrack of loneliness and the indomitable will to survive.” ―Leila Aboulela, author of River Spirit

Haji Jabir, the award-winning Eritrean author, is one of the most significant Arabic-language authors writing today. In BLACK FOAM, he weaves together a poignant tale about identity, belonging, refugees and racism that will resonate with many readers long after the last page is turned. Longlisted for the 2019 International Prize for Arabic Fiction, one of the most prestigious prizes for fiction in Arabic, BLACK FOAM will be published for the first time in English, translated by Sawad Hussain and Marcia Lynx Qualey (February 7, 2023; Amazon Crossing, by arrangement with the African Literary Agency).

With a unique poetic writing style, Jabir focuses on a community of Ethiopian Jews who move to Israel, and he creates a protagonist, Dawoud, who is on the run from his murky past, aiming to discover where he belongs. He tries to assimilate into different groups along his journey through North Africa and into Israel, changing his clothes, his religious affiliations, and even his name to fit in, but the safety and peace he seeks remain elusive. It seems prejudice is everywhere, holding him back, when all he really wants is to create a simple life he can call his own. A chameleon, Dawoud―or David, Adal, or Dawit, depending on where and when you meet him―is not lost in this whirl of identities. In fact, he is defined by it.

Dawoud’s journey is circuitous and specific, but the desire to belong is universal. Spellbinding to the final page, BLACK FOAM is both intimate and grand in scale, much like the experiences of the millions of people migrating to find peace and safety in the twenty-first century.

Check out the line up of stellar bloggers who will share features, post reviews and offer giveaways throughout the month of February. We hope you will follow along!

Monday, February 6 – This Browne Girl Reads

Tuesday, February 7 – We Love Big Books And We Cannot Lie

Wednesday, February 8 – Traveling Bookshelf

Thursday, February 9 – Subakka Bookstuff

Friday, February 10 – Bee is for Books

Monday, February 13 – Reading with Nicole

Tuesday, February 14 – Suzy Approved Book Reviews

Wednesday, February 15 – Tina May Reads

Thursday, February 16 – Lexijava AND What Is That Book About

Friday, February 17 – Sue the Bookie

Monday, February 20 – Translated Gems

Tuesday, February 21 – Bathtub Book Worm

Wednesday, February 22 – MJ Beauchamp

Thursday, February 23 – Bookalong

Friday, February 24 – Books and Coffee MX

Monday, February 27 – Girl Who Reads AND Danish Mustard Reads

Tuesday, February 28 – Mel Reads All The Things AND Gloriana Wong

Filed Under: Blog Tours Tagged With: Amazon Crossing, fiction, Literary fiction, OTRPR, Over the River PR, Over the River Public Relations

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January 2023 Virtual Book Tour for A CASTLE IN BROOKLYN by Shirley Russak Wachtel

“This is a story about immigration, adaptation to new cultures, and, for Esther, a chance to grapple with the traditional roles that women play. The house itself is an important part of the story … a solid choice for book clubs.” ―Library Journal

“A vibrant family saga…A CASTLE IN BROOKLYN is an impressive debut novel that illustrates the many ways that the Holocaust continues to impact contemporary Jewish life; a deeply felt hatred of fascism gives the novel its heft and lasting relevance.” ―Foreword Reviews

For fans of Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House, Lauren Fox’s Send For Me and Linda Cohen Loigman’s The Two-Family House comes a moving and heartfelt immigration story of one man’s dream to have a family and build a home in America, a place where anything is possible. In A CASTLE IN BROOKLYN (Little A; January 1, 2023), critically acclaimed author Shirley Russak Wachtel pens her debut novel, an engaging and beautifully written tale that explores three main themes: the importance of following one’s dreams; the enduring nature of family and friendship; and the idea that home is a reflection of the lives within its four walls.

In 1944 Poland, Jacob Stein and Zalman Mendelson meet as boys under terrifying circumstances. They survive by miraculously escaping the brutalities of the Holocaust, but their shared past haunts and shapes their lives forever.

Years later, Zalman plows a future on a Minnesota farm, and Jacob has a new life in Brooklyn with his wife, Esther. When Zalman travels to New York City to reconnect, Jacob’s dream to build a home in Brooklyn becomes a reality. With Zalman’s help, they build a house for Jacob’s family and for Zalman, who decides to stay. Modest and light filled, inviting and warm, it’s a castle to call home for each of them.

Then an unforeseeable tragedy―and the grief, betrayals, and revelations in its wake―threatens to destroy what was once an unbreakable bond, and Esther finds herself at a crossroads.

Life goes on as others, with their own dreams, move into the home.  Eventually, the novel comes full circle as those who remain come to understand the true nature of friendship and family.

When asked about the inspiration for her novel, Wachtel explains, “I am defined by my parents’ legacy. Growing up the child of Holocaust survivors, never knowing my grandparents and with only a handful of extended family members, I came to understand the importance of family and am driven to express this idea in my writing.  From a young age, I learned of the horrific experiences my parents endured and their desire to build a better life for their children.  Their story is the story of so many others seeking to build a new home in America.  I wanted to express this idea in A CASTLE IN BROOKLYN.”

We have a great line up of fantastic bloggers who will share features, post reviews and offer giveaways throughout the month of January. We hope you will follow along to learn more about this wonderful new historical fiction!

Monday, January 2nd – We Love Big Books And We Cannot Lie

Tuesday, January 3rd – Cassie’s Books Reviews

Wednesday, January 4th – The Caffeinated Reader

Thursday, January 5th – Sue the Bookie

Friday, January 6th – Booklover Laura

Sunday, January 8th – Books N’ Yoga Pants

Monday, January 9th – Bookoholic Café

Tuesday, January 10th – Books Writing and More

Wednesday, January 11th – Lit by Lilli

Thursday, January 12th – Danish Mustard Reads

Friday, January 13th – Andrea C. Lowry Reads

Sunday, January 15th – Bookphile Belle

Monday, January 16th – Books and Coffee MX

Tuesday, January 17th – Suzy Approved Book Reviews

Tuesday, January 17th – Gloriana Wong

Wednesday, January 18th – Sarah and Her Bookshelves

Thursday, January 19th – Tina May Reads

Friday, January 20th – The Book Club Mom

Saturday, January 21st – Subakka Book Stuff

Sunday, January 22nd – Girl Who Reads

Monday, January 23rd – Momfluenster

Tuesday, January 24th – Storeybook Reviews

Wednesday, January 25th – Bookalong

Thursday, January 26th – Sarah’s Bookstack

Friday, January 27th – We Break For Books

Monday, January 30th – Kim Reads and Reads

Monday, January 30th – Books on my Mind

Tuesday, January 31st – The Book Review Crew

Tuesday, January 31st – Lexijava

Filed Under: Blog Tours, Uncategorized Tagged With: Amazon Publishing, fiction, historical fiction, January release, Jewish author, Jewish fiction, Literary fiction, Little A, OTRPR, Over the River PR, Over the River Public Relations

By otrpr Leave a Comment

December 2022 Virtual Book Tour for AN IMPOSSIBLE RETURN by Caroline Laurent, translated by Jeffrey Zuckerman

WINNER OF THE PRIX MAISON DE LA PRESSE, THE PRIX LOUISE-GUILLOUX, AND THE PRIX DU SALON DU LIVRE DU MANS

“Franco-Mauritian writer Laurent, in her potent English-language debut, overlays a tragic love story onto a powerful account of historical injustice in the Chagos Archipelago….The many moments of gruesome colonial brutality are undercut by the Chagossians’ tenderness, courage, and simmering rage in response to incalculable loss. Gabriel and Marie’s saga, which involves a hunger strike, murder, and other dramatic episodes, is interspersed with a piercing 2019 narrative from an adult Joséphin: ‘Believe me. Our fate affects you all,’ he notes. Thanks to Laurent’s devastating work, readers will, indeed, have their eyes and hearts opened.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

AN EPIC LOVE STORY SET AGAINST A BACKDROP OF INJUSTICE, DEVASTATING SECRETS, AND THE PAINFUL PRICE OF INDEPENDENCE.

 “It’s a story my mother told me. Not a fairy tale or a fable, no, but a true story that she scratched at every so often like a nasty wound. An island tragedy,” says award-winning novelist, Caroline Laurent. “My mother described her childhood in Mauritius, long before—before Europe, before exile, before me—and then a word escaped her lips, Chagos, with its two easy syllables, sha and go, that could have been tossed just as easily as jacks. Her face darkened. Her gaze was lost momentarily, or rather turned inward, digging deep within herself. The archipelago was tormented. Its poor people had been sold off! Sitting in the kitchen, I could make out the tragedy even though I didn’t understand any of it.”

Inspired by a shocking travesty of justice, the repercussions of which still reverberate more than fifty years later, bestselling Franco-Mauritian author Caroline Laurent has written an exquisitely beautiful and tragic novel based on the authentic story of the inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago. In AN IMPOSSIBLE RETURN (Amazon Crossing; December 1, 2022), expertly translated by Jeffrey Zuckerman, Caroline Laurent paints a shimmering portrait of island life, a sensual paradise lost, and a gorgeous star-crossed love story against all odds.

It’s 1967 in the Chagos Archipelago—a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean—and life is peaceful and simple for hardworking Marie. Her fierce independence and love for her home are quickly apparent to Gabriel, the handsome and sophisticated Mauritian secretary to the archipelago’s administrator; it’s love at first sight. As these two lovers from neighboring islands welcome a new son, Joséphin, a bright future seems possible. But Gabriel is hiding a terrible secret. The Mauritian government is negotiating independence from Britain, and this deal with the devil will mean evacuating the Chagos, without warning or mercy—a betrayal that will put their love to the test.

A novel of exile, heartbreak and hope, AN IMPOSSIBLE RETURN serves as a beautiful tribute to the Chagossian people.

We have lined up a wonderful schedule of highly acclaimed bloggers who will share features, post reviews and offer giveaways throughout the month December. Follow along to learn more about this award-winning novel in translation!

Thursday, December 1 – BLUNT SCISSORS BOOK REVIEWS

Thursday, December 1 – NURSE BOOKIE

Friday, December 2 – SUE THE BOOKIE

Friday, December 2 –  BRITT READS A LATTE BOOKS

Saturday, December 3 – MOMMA LEIGHELLEN’S BOOK NOOK

Sunday, December 4 – BOOKS, LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING

Monday, December 5 – AIMEE DARS READS

Monday, December 5 – WHAT IS THAT BOOK ABOUT

Tuesday, December 6 – BLACK, BIRACIAL, AND BOOKISH

Tuesday, December 6 – LILACS AND LITERATURE

Wednesday, December 7 – TINA MAY READS

Thursday, December 8 – WE LOVE BIG BOOKS AND WE CANNOT LIE

Friday, December 9 – SUZY APPROVED BOOK REVIEWS

Saturday, December 10 – WE BREAK FOR BOOKS

Monday, December 12 – MEG’S BOOK CLUB

Tuesday. December 13 – LITERARY QUICKSAND

Wednesday December 14 – BOOKS N BIKRAM

Thursday, December 15 – BOOK LOVER LAURA 

Friday, December 16 – SUBAKKA BOOKSTUFF

Friday, December 16 – DAI 2 DAI READER

Monday, December 19 – DANISH MUSTARD READS

Saturday, December 17 – MELANN ROSENTHAL

Tuesday, December 20 – GLORIANA WONG

Filed Under: Blog Tours, Uncategorized Tagged With: Amazon Crossing, An Impossible Return, BIPOC fiction, Caroline Laurent, fiction, historical fiction, Literary fiction, OTRPR, Over the River PR, Over the River Public Relations, translated literature

By otrpr Leave a Comment

THE TENDEREST OF STRINGS

by Steven Schwartz

“Schwartz (Madagascar, 2016), whose long career includes both novels and story collections, delivers the rare plot-driven domestic drama. The mystery of who killed Tom bubbles under the surface as the characters deal with heavy emotions and difficult decisions. The smooth writing and quick pace will appeal to readers of Jessica Strawser and Jodi Picoult.” – Booklist

“Steven Schwartz’s tightly written story tells of a family in crisis…Schwartz brings an understanding of ordinary people to this engrossing story of a fractured family that strives to heal itself through love and understanding.” – The Denver Post

https://www.overtheriverpr.com/2021/11/15/3120/

Filed Under: News & Announcements, Uncategorized Tagged With: Family drama, January release, Literary fiction, Regal House Publishing, Steven Schwartz, The Tenderest of Strings

By otrpr Leave a Comment

The Easy Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura Translated into English by Juliet Winters Carpenter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Rachel Tarlow Gul, Rachel@otrpr.com

From Shion Miura, the award-winning author of The Great Passage, comes a rapturous novel where the contemporary and the traditional meet amid the splendor of Japan’s mountain way of life.

“Fans of all ages should enjoy the author’s blend of the traditional and the contemporary.” Kirkus Reviews

“Shion Miura, award-winning and world renown Japanese author of The Great Passage (2011), delivers yet another fascinating introspection into how the ancient and traditional worlds meet the modern and contemporary way of life in The Easy Life in Kamusari (2021) – the first book in Miura’s new Forest series. Translated into English by superb veteran translator, Juliet Winters Carpenter, this upcoming novel…unravels into a beautiful coming-of-age tale that makes the reader long for a greener life – one without phones, the internet, and where sentences end in ‘naa-naa.’” Asia Media International

Just in time for the holiday season comes, THE EASY LIFE IN KAMUSARI, an uplifting and absorbing story that is both simply told and full of beauty and depth.  Written by the award-winning Japanese author, Shion Miura and translated into English for the first time by Juliet Winters Carpenter, one of the foremost translators of Japanese literature, the novel will be out November 2nd from Amazon Crossing.

The narrator of the novel, Yuki Hirano, is just out of high school when his parents enroll him, against his will, in a forestry training program in the remote mountain village of Kamusari.  No phone, no internet, no shopping. Just a small, inviting community where the most common expression is “take it easy.”

At first, Yuki is exhausted, fumbles with the tools, asks silly questions, and feels like an outcast. Kamusari is the last place a city boy from Yokohama wants to spend a year of his life. But as resistant as he might be, the scent of the cedars and the staggering beauty of the region have a pull.

Yuki learns to fell trees and plant saplings. He begins to embrace local festivals, he’s mesmerized by legends of the mountain, and he might be falling in love. In learning to respect the forest on Mt. Kamusari for its majestic qualities and its inexplicable secrets, Yuki starts to appreciate Kamusari’s harmony with nature and its ancient traditions.

In this warm and lively coming-of-age story, Miura transports us from the trappings of city life to the trials, mysteries, and delights of a mythical mountain forest.

For further information and review copy requests, please contact Rachel Tarlow Gul at Over the River Public Relations: rachel@otrpr.com.

THE EASY LIFE IN KAMUSARI

By Shion Miura

Translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter

Amazon Crossing; November 2, 2021

Literary Fiction | 208 pp. | Paperback: $14.95, ISBN#: 978-1542027168;

Kindle: $4.99, ISBN#: 978-1542027144

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Amazon Crossing, Amazon Publishing, fiction, Fiction in translation, japanese literature, Juliet Winters Carpenter, Literary fiction, Over the River PR, Over the River Public Relations, Shion Miura

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