Susan J. Gordon

Susan J. Gordon's latest book, COUNTING HEADS: THE COLLECTED WORKS OF SUSAN J. GORDON, contains 75 personal essays, humor pieces, stories and articles about marriage, parenting, genealogy, the Holocaust, seasonal and national holidays, all first published in major magazines and newspapers - and in 2023, now in one great collection.

"Inspired by treasured family memories and musings, Susan's work strikes a chord of connections in the hearts of her many readers," says Anne Garry, retired Managing Editor of Victoria magazine.

Altogether, this collection is the story of a family in the late 20th century. Topics range from serious ones such as stepfathers (maligned, too often, and not cheered enough), unending anti-Semitism, and remembering (and giving thanks for) the restorative value of ordinary days... to humorous ones including those about car pooling, packing the summer-camp trunk, and scraping wax off a Chanukah menorah.

"Childhood is as fleeting as falling leaves," says Gordon, "and home is where we can find our way in the dark. There are no secrets in families - just things no one wants to talk about. The past is always present, I believe, whether or not we are conscious of it."

Motivated by the breakdown of family ties due to divorces, separations, immigrations and World War II, Gordon writes about finding an elderly second cousin in Tel Aviv and listening to her stories about war-time life and death in Budapest, Hungary.

Susan J. Gordon's book, BECAUSE OF EVA: A Jewish Genealogical Journey, received the Best Book Award for Memoir, 2017, by the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and the International Book Award for Best Memoir, 2017. She writes articles, personal essays, and short stories about Jewish life, genealogy, relationships, parenting, and travel.

A revised and updated new edition of Susan's book, WEDDING DAYS: When & How Great Marriages Began, was published in January 2020. It's about the courtships and marriages of famous couples throughout history.