Erika Dreifus

January is a big time-marker month for my family, especially when it comes to those milestones like birthdays and passings. My paternal grandparents, who provided the source material for much of Quiet Americans, were also married in January, and so there was something particularly appropriate about the book being released on what would have been their 70th wedding anniversary two years ago.

Just last night, I “met” with a book group via Skype to talk about the stories. In a couple of weeks, I’ll be visiting a congregational group in Brooklyn to do the same. So the book continues to find new readers. Its most recent Amazon review, posted January 8, is a beauty.

Two years in, I’ve just submitted my eighth quarterly contribution based on book sales to The Blue Card, an organization that continues to support financially-needy survivors of Nazi persecution in the United States. It was a good quarter; with this donation, my book-based donations crossed the $1,000 mark. Long may this continue.

It seems appropriate this anniversary week to thank you all: readers, reviewers, bloggers-who-have-hosted-or-interviewed-me, those who have invited me to meet with your classes/book groups/conferences/festivals/congregations face-to-face or virtually, and my incredibly supportive friends and family. Special appreciation goes to Last Light Studio and its publisher for making the whole thing possible. I’m also very grateful to the committee that named Quiet Americans an American Library Association Sophie Brody Medal Honor Title and to The Jewish Journal and Shelf Unbound magazine for the special recognitions they have offered.

You’ve all made these two years so memorable. I thank you once again.