A Woman to Remember

Fictional heroine, Johanna Eder and her physician/attorney Father, Franz Eder, emigrate to America from Germany shortly before the beginning of World War I to escape the growing antisemitism and aggressive colonialism that will bring suffering to millions of people. Once in America, Franz works at the research laboratory at Johns-Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, and Johanna enters the nursing profession. She assimilates into her new culture but her fears of antisemitism haunt her and she experiences several highly traumatic events. Through the unconditional love from an unexpected friendship, Johanna is awakened to her innate strength and wisdom and becomes a silent heroine. Her unfailing love, optimism and kindness impact many who knew her, and eventually she foments the lifelong reconciliation of her two favorite people. Dispersed throughout the book are historical factual events surrounding the extensive atrocities committed against the Jews in various countries, as well as the impact on society of two World Wars, the economic turmoil of the Great Depression and explores the continuing anti-Semitism that infects our world.

ABOUT THE AUTHORClayre Breslin-Heaslip is a retired gero-psychotherapist who had the privilege of working with survivors and children of survivors of the Holocaust while employed at Jewish Family and Children's Services in Florida. It was here that she first became aware of the magnitude of the damaging effects of antisemitism that existed and still exists throughout the world including America. "I learned what a pogrom was/is and learned how many human beings were viciously exterminated in several countries just because they were Jewish. Women, raped and tortured, children ruthlessly slaughtered, men annihilated simply because of their religious beliefs. It made me wonder why antisemitism exists and what causes hatred toward any segment of humanity."Clayre attended Marymount College in New York city and Loma Linda University in California, earned a Master's degree in Clinical and Administrative Social Work from Fordham University, and a Ph.D. in Nutrition. She was an adjunct Professor at Arizona State University teaching Aging Social Policy. For many years she gave community seminars and, as a Medicare/Medicaid Certified LCSW, had a private practice geared toward helping mature adults find solutions to their transitional challenges.