The Living Memories Project – Spotlight and Review

Thanks to Pump Up Your Book, I received a copy of The Living Memories Project for this spotlight and review.  The opinions stated are 100% mine.

Book Information

Three years after the death of her mother, Meryl Ain was still unable to fill the

hole that the loss had left in her life.  In talking to friends, Meryl discovered

an insight shared by those who had successfully overcome grief; there simply

is no closure. It was a breakthrough for her. She writes, “Our loved ones will

always be with us if they are not forgotten. It is up to us to integrate them into

our lives in a positive way that reflects their unique personality, values and

spirituality. In that way we keep them alive in our hearts and minds always.”

Meryl enlisted the help of her brother, Arthur Fischman, and her husband,

Stewart Ain, and began a quest to interview people who had moved beyond

mourning through meaningful action. The Living Memories Project: Legacies

That Last by Meryl Ain, Ed.D., Arthur M. Fischman, & Stewart Ain (March

2014, Little Miami Publishing Company, Trade Paperback, 196 pages, $18.95,

ISBN:978-0-9882553-7-1) is a result of that research.

The Living Memories Project presents more than 30 interviews with both

celebrities and others who share their experiences and the projects they

undertook to memorialize their loved ones. The authors have sought to

demonstrate that any tribute, big or small, can be a meaningful way to

preserve memories of loved ones. Establishing a foundation or scholarship,

using a recipe on a particular holiday or family occasion, creating artwork,

embarking on a project or even an entire career – all could be traced to a

specific talent, interest or value of the deceased. Each chapter offers a rich

first-person history that will engage and inspire readers of all faiths.

Among them are:

• Linda Ruth Tosetti, who made a documentary film about her

grandfather, Babe Ruth, to highlight his humanitarian side – a value she

cherished and believed was often overlooked in Babe’s biography. Ruth

was a German-American, who publicly denounced the Nazi persecution of the Jews in 1942.

• Liz and Steve Alderman, who established the Peter C. Alderman

Foundation to honor the memory of their 25-year-old son, who was killed

on 9/11 at the World Trade Center. The foundation trains doctors and

establishes mental health clinics on four continents to treat PTSD.

• Eileen Belmont, a quilt designer who helps others preserve their

memories of deceased loved ones through the creation of memory quilts.

• Singer/songwriter Jen Chapin (daughter of the late folk rock icon Harry

Chapin), who carries on her father’s legacy of music and feeding the hungry.

• Dr. Yeou-Cheng Ma (sister of Yo-Yo Ma), who keeps the memory of her

father and music teacher /mentor alive through the Children’s Orchestra

Society and her poetry.

• Robert Meeropol (son of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were executed

as spies by the US Government in 1953), who established the Rosenberg

Fund for Children to help children whose parents are imprisoned.

• Author, actor and raconteur Malachy McCourt, who presents his unique

take on how he keeps alive the memory of his brother Frank (Angela’s

Ashes) through the Irish tradition of song and story.

Not everyone can create a foundation, fund an orchestra or make a

documentary film, but the authors’ hope is that readers will find inspiration

from the wide range of actions they read about. The authors are currently

compiling narratives for the second volume of The Living Memories Project

and welcome input from readers.

My Review

This book is so touching… cherished memories of people who are loved but no longer with us.  Simple moments, wisdom, laughter and love.  Those who lived long lives, and those who passed much too soon.  Recipes, Poems, Photos and times shared.

Each short “chapter” helps to give closure to those who are left behind. By honoring those who have gone, the authors have filled a void left by their passing.

• The Living Memories Project is available at Amazon.

• You can also order the book from Little Miami Publishing.

• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

• Would you like to be published? We’re always looking for new

inspirational stories for future books. Submit your story here.

Author Information

Meryl Ain holds a BA from Queens College, a MA from Columbia University

Teachers College, and an Ed.D. from Hofstra University. She began her career

in education as a social studies teacher before she became an administrator.

She is also a freelance writer specializing in issues related to education,

families, parenting, and children and has contributed to Huffington Post,

Newsday, the New York Jewish Week and The New York Times. She embarked

on The Living Memories Project after she lost both her father and mother

within a year-and-a-half. She and her husband Stewart live on Long Island and

have three sons, three daughters-in-law and three grandchildren.

Arthur M. Fischman holds a BA from Queens College and a JD from Temple

Law School.  He is a freelance writer whose video and interactive scripts

have won numerous awards, including a Telly, an ITVA Silver Award, and

a New York Festivals Bronze World Medal. He co-wrote the award-winning

documentary Digital Dharma and has written radio, TV, and print ads for

leading consumer product manufacturers.  Arthur is a veteran speechwriter

and ghostwriter, and was director of executive communications and internal

communications for a Fortune 500 company. He, his wife, and their two

daughters live in Philadelphia, where he also writes plays and moonlights as a

jazz pianist.

Stewart Ain is a graduate of CW Post College and holds a MA from the

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He is an award-winning

journalist with more than 40 years of experience, and was a Pulitzer Prize

nominee three times. He has reported for The New York Times, New York

Daily News, New York Jewish Week, Long Island Business News and Lifestyles

Magazine. Stewart frequently appears on television and radio, and hosts his

own weekly cable TV program, Jewish Life, and has been a regular guest on

The Leon Charney Show.   Both his parents died while he was working on The

Living Memories Project.