Other Lives (3 page)

Learn more about Ann, her life, and her many books at
AnnPearlman.net/books

Connect with Ann on Facebook at
facebook.com/AnnPearlman
or on Twitter by following
@AnnPearlman
.

A GIFT FOR MY SISTER

Learn more and read an excerpt at
AnnPearlman.net/blog/book/a-gift-for-my-sister

A Gift for My Sister
is Ann’s most recent novel, available in late February, 2013. It’s a fast paced, riveting page turner that poses the larger questions of where did I come from, how did I become me, and how do we form a family. Set in a backdrop as vast as a continent, and diverse as plush beach condos, inner city Detroit, and exhilarating rap concerts, it’s a tale told by two fatherless daughters struggling with family curses, eccentric luck, and the complicated multiculturalism that is hallmark of our era.

Praise for
A Gift for My Sister
:

“A fast-paced novel...(with) no easy answers but lots of soul searching and heart racing action.” - Booklist

“I feel like I could wax poetic about
A Gift for My Sister
all day long and simply not do it any justice. This is a book I don’t even want to tell you about; I just want you to read it...It addresses so many issues... but most importantly:
how you live your life.
It was heartbreaking and it was happy...this is the contemporary read I recommend everyone read at least once in their lives.” - Jennifer, The Bawdy Book Blog

“An eloquent and moving novel.”- Minding Spot

“A moving, deeply resonant novel...By rendering shared experiences via their opposing personalities and viewpoints, Pearlman skillfully evokes empathy on both sides,”-Kathleen Gerard for Shelf Awareness

INFIDELITY

Learn more, check out the reviews, and read an excerpt at
AnnPearlman.net/blog/book/infidelity

Ann Pearlman’s 
Infidelity
 is the story of the devastating effects of marital betrayal on three generations of American women: her grandmother, her mother and herself. In seamless prose and a mesmerizing voice, the author paints rich scenes moving characters across the span of the twentieth century. As a psychotherapist, Ann wrote a book on the joys of sexual monogamy and embarked on an author’s tour appearing on TV talk shows (Oprah, Donahue, Sally Jessie Raphael) as an expert on marriage. As the century drew to a close, Ann discovered her husband’s affair with a married Japanese woman. Again, Ann was forced to revisit infidelity, an echo from previous generations.

Infidelity
 
was nominated for a Pultizer Prize and the National Book Award.  A movie based on the book appeared on 
Lifetime.

INSIDE THE CRIPS

Learn more, check out the reviews, and read an excerpt at
AnnPearlman.net/blog/book/inside-the-crips

The situation with the birth and launch of 
Inside the Crips
 is so complicated and dramatic it deserves a book on its own. My agent put Colton Simpson and me together to write his story. So why did I, a white, middle aged, middle class, woman living in middle America write a book on the life of a black gang member? I thought we would be able to bring light and curtail the continued inner city black on black violence, racism, the problems of our prison and justice system. I looked forward to the challenge of writing as a black man. Colton hoped to use the book as a launching pad to help stop gangs. Unfortunately, Colton was charged with a crime that occurred a quarter of century after the misdeeds detailed in our book. His trial was set for a week after publication and, worst of all, the book was admitted as evidence. I tried to stop what seemed to me a breach of our constitutional rights and loss of freedom. But energies were being consumed by the Patriot Act. The trial was delayed until shortly after the publication of the paperback. I was subpoenaed and testified for a day and a half. Colton was sentenced, unbelievably, to 126 years to life in prison. Colton’s case remains on appeal.

THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE CLUB

Learn more, check out the reviews, and read an excerpt at

AnnPearlman.net/blog/book/the-christmas-cookie-club

Every year at Christmastime, Marnie and her closest girlfriends mark their calendars for a cookie exchange.  Everyone brings homemade cookies and a bottle of wine to share, but this year, it’s their stories that are especially important—the passion and hopefulness of new romance, the betrayal and disillusionment some relationships bring, the joys and fears of motherhood, the stress of financial troubles.  On this evening, at least, the sisterly love they have for one another rises above it all. Celebrating courage and joy in spite of hard times and honoring the importance of woman’s friendships as well as the embracing bonds of community, the delightful novel speaks to us all.

In addition to laughter and tears, the book is sprinkled with delicious cookie recipes. 
The Christmas Cookie Club
 has been translated into German, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Croatian becoming both an international and national bestseller.

THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE COOKBOOK

Learn more, check out the reviews, and read an excerpt at

AnnPearlman.net/blog/book/the-christmas-cookie-cookbook

Attending a cookie exchange, hosted by my friend Marybeth Bayer, inspired the setting for my first novel, 
The Christmas Cookie Club
. Since we love our cookie exchange so much, Marybeth and I wrote a book to help you start your own. That’s how 
The Christmas Cookie Cookbook: All the Rules and Delicious Recipes To Start Your Own Holiday Club
 came to be. We want to help you develop your own ritual to share with your friends, family, or community. Since Marybeth and I wrote this together, there are stories from both of our families and friends. In it are our tips, ideas, and recipes for throwing your own great cookie party and cultivating a new holiday tradition.

Warmly written and chock full of anecdotes of great cooking successes, as well as hilarious disasters, you’re guided through the process. Cookie exchanges are becoming another cherished holiday tradition that celebrates friendship and family. This book lets you in on the action. How can anyone resist sweets and friendship?