Yesterday was a great day for me. I had been asked to speak to the occupants of an assisted-living facility. I accepted, of course, thinking the presentation and discussion would be different from any of the others I’d done in the past. I’ve talked to book clubs, libraries, social groups, temple groups, children’s classrooms, country clubs, book fairs, and the list goes on. But I’ve not spoke to a senior group that reside in an assisted-living home.

I anticipated that some participants would be walking into the room with the help of canes or an attendant’s arm, or even in wheelchairs. I was pleased to see that wasn’t necessary for my group. I also anticipated that once I began to speak, that a good number of my audiance would nod off for a little afternoon nap. Another preconceived notion I had was regarding the sale of any Becoming Alice books. I was asked the the home’s Activity Director to bring a few copies … just in case. I was wrong on all accounts.

With the exception of one lady who nodded off here and there, everyone was with me, attentively listening to me telling them my story, the story of a holocaust survivor. At the end of my presentation, I asked if anyone had an questions. They did. And they were questions that opened up whole new avenues about WWII history, anti-semitism, life as refugees, and fitting into the American way of life. Many had stories of their own to offer.
I was so impressed.The lesson to learn is to never “judge a book by its cover.” I had such a good time with this group of remarkable people.

My final surprise came when several of them asked to purchase my Becoming Alice.