Home So Far Away by Judith Berlowitz


Publisher: She Writes Press (June 21, 2022)
Category: Historical Fiction; Jewish Identity, Wartime Diary, Spanish Civil War
Tour dates: June 14-June 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-1647423759
Available in Print and ebook, 345 pages

Description Home So Far Away by Judith Berlowitz

A fictional diary set in interwar Germany and Spain allows us to peek into the life of Klara Philipsborn, the only Communist in her merchant-class, German-Jewish family.

Klara’s first visit to Seville in 1925 opens her eyes and her spirit to an era in which Spain’s major religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, shared deep cultural connections. At the same time, she is made aware of the harsh injustices that persist in Spanish society. By 1930, she has landed a position with the medical school in Madrid. Though she feels compelled to hide her Jewish identity in her predominantly Christian new home, she finds that she feels less “different” in Spain than she did in Germany, especially as she learns new ways of expressing her opinions and desires. And when the Spanish Civil War erupts in 1936, Klara (now “Clara”) enlists in the Fifth Regiment, a step that transports her across the geography of the embattled peninsula and ultimately endangers a promising relationship and even Clara’s life itself.

A blending of thoroughly researched history and engrossing fiction, Home So Far Away is an epic tale that will sweep readers away.

Advance Praise Home So Far Away by Judith Berlowitz

“An affecting, historically astute novel.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Judith Berlowitz’s Home So Far Awayis like stepping into an Ernest Hemingway novel, with Kristin Hannah whispering in the reader’s ear. Caught in the political strife around her, devoted to the war-injured she cares for, and struggling to surmount the betrayals of country, the powers over her, and her emerging and conflicting identities as a woman, a Jew, and a Communist, Klara Philipsborn is tossed in the storms that surround her, threatening her person and profession. This vividly told story, written as diary entries, is a captivating picture of one of the many young foreign nationals who committed their lives to this fraught time in twentieth-century Spain.”—Barbara Stark-Nemon, author of Even in Darkness and Hard Cider

“Captivating. On the eve of the Nazi rise to power, a German Jewish Communist finds the home she craves in Spain, where she becomes deeply involved in defending the Republic. Klara’s passion for life and freedom and the pungent sensual details create an immersive experience. The kind of diary Anne Frank might have written if she had survived to adulthood.”—Kate Raphael, author of Murder Under the Bridge, a Palestine mystery

“Combining meticulous archival research with compelling literary creativity, Judith Berlowitz tells Klara’s story in the form of a diary, from her first visit to Sevilla before the war to her involvement as a nurse and translator during the conflict. Home So Far Away not only brings history to us on a deeply personal level; it also offers a vital lesson for today and tomorrow about the threats to democracy and the critical role that commitment –ethical and ideological—can play in its defense.”—Anthony L. Geist, University of Washington, Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives

“Judith Berlowitz’s Home So Far Away is an absorbing tale: as her heroine Klara moves between a Germany where Jews are increasingly threatened, to Catholic Spain where Muslims & Jews once flourished, her Jewish identity becomes more central, just as it becomes more hidden. A fascinating historical adventure!”—Penny Rosenwasser, author of Hope into Practice 

” . . . an emotionally compelling and historically accurate fictionalized diary . . . . Beginning in Germany in 1925 and ending in Spain in 1938, readers see the changing world through the eyes of a Jewish woman who is a self-declared communist . . . . This is an interesting and unique take on the period, and should be considered by public and academic libraries alike.”-Booklist

Interview Judith Berlowitz

TR: Hi Judith, welcome to Teddy Rose Books Plus More.  Thanks so much for agreeing to this interview

TR: Please tell us something about ‘Home So Far Away’ that is not in the summary. (About the book, character you particularly enjoyed writing etc.)

JB: Hi Teddy, and thanks so much for this opportunity. The virtual tour is one of the very few perks of the pandemic, and I’m happy to be with you across the “fibersphere.”

Home So Far Away is the title I finally picked, and it actually showed me what my book is about. Against a backdrop of love and war, freedom and tyranny, this book is really about what it means to belong to a place, to be separated from that place, and to make a life away from that place. I intend my protagonist, Klara Philipsborn (BTW, I spell her name two ways, to denote her ability to shift cultures) to be a voice for those torn from their homelands, and even for those who face alienation and persecution within their own homelands. Within Klara’s journey I also hope to show layers of difference, in nationality, gender, religion, and belief. I’m indebted to Klara for what she taught me!

TR: How much time and effort went into your research for the book?

JB: The research for this book emerged while researching a narrated genealogy about the Philipsborn family (which I self-published in 2015 as From the Family Store to the House of Lords…). I happened upon an article from the late 90’s about German volunteers to the Spanish Civil War, that included information about a Jewish anti-fascist volunteer, nurse and translator, “Clara Philipsborn.” My academic background in Spanish culture, my interest in the Spanish Civil War, and the mention of a family member all drove me to plunge into her story. When I first learned about Clara, I was still teaching Spanish full time at Mills College, caring regularly for my youngest grandson, and supervising the care of my youngest daughter, who is disabled. I was also singing in the Oakland Symphony Chorus and doing active genealogy, working for two clients in search of their birth parents and juggling various family trees for the company for which I volunteer as a curator, Geni.com. Oh, and keeping my marriage interesting. The research for the book about Clara developed as her story developed and continues to occupy my consciousness. So, I suppose you could say that I have been researching Clara’s story for about eight years, with all the time and effort I can muster.

TR: You chose to tell the story with a fictional diary.  Can you tell us how you arrived at that decision and something about the process?

JB: As I began to look into Clara’s story, I contacted people in Spain who were experts on the Spanish Civil War and I was fortunate to “meet” (all online, of course – have met some in person since) some very generous and knowledgeable people who gave me the tools to view digitized documents housed in Spain and in Russia. My genealogical searches turned up family members who had actually known Clara, or whose parents had known her. Many facts about Clara began to pop up. But there was a problem: the facts did not always jibe! I saw conflicting information, and some serious accusations. There were differing versions of how Clara’s life ended. She needed to defend herself; she needed a voice. The best way I could think of to give her a voice was to write her diary.

So, this was my first attempt at fiction. I did not belong to a writers’ group, had never taken a course in creative writing, never attended a writers’ retreat. I’m an academic, for heaven’s sake! And I have the nerve to write someone’s diary? This would be historical fiction. Chronology was taken care of; I just had to follow the documents and shape Clara’s life around the events. But these were stories of humans taking shape on my screen, Clara’s family members, friends, lovers, enemies, war figures, medical stars and ordinary people, some invented, most historical. I plunged into a new creative world, one in which I found myself submitting to the characters themselves. I received support from my new colleagues and encouragement from some incredible coincidences. The editors at She Writes Press helped me pare the manuscript down to a publishable size and to make characters’ feelings more believable. New associations with other writers have opened my world and, I hope, improved my writing.

TR: I always enjoy looking at the names that authors choose to give their characters. Where do you derive the names of your characters?  Are they based on real people in history or people you knew or now know in real life? How do you create names for your characters?

JB: Most of my characters are historically-based, so that part is easy. Names appear as they do in historical documents, largely as first names only, with one exception: There is only one living person that I know of who is depicted in my book. When I wrote to ask permission, they told me that although the facts were correct, they did not want their name to appear in a work of fiction. So I changed that person’s name. Fictional names are based on those of departed family members, on literary works, or they simply appeared in my head. In some cases, I asked people about names appropriate to specific areas of Spain.

TR: Which actress would you like to see play Klara Philipsborn from ‘Home So Far Away’? Are there any other actors or actresses you have in mind for some of the other characters?

JB: Rachel Weisz as Klara, Javier Bardem as Comandante Carlos, Alexander Skarsgård or Paul Rudd as Ernst (why not?), Michael Douglas as Uncle Julius, Andy Samberg (Klara’s great-grandnephew!) as Santi, Penelope Cruz as María Josefa, Carmen Maura as Asun…
TR: What is your favorite scene in the book? Why?

JB: I’ll try to avoid spoilers here, but I think that my favorite scene is one in which Klara, feeling very confused and down on herself, conducts a labyrinth walk. She is not conscious of performing a ceremony as such, but places herself in a natural setting, and as she circles toward the center, answers to her quest are revealed and she knows forgiveness. I love this scene because it came out of me naturally and I had to look up the references after having written it.

TR: What draws you to this genre, historical fiction?

JB: I am drawn to historical fiction along two paths: as a genealogist, I realized while researching my Philipsborn book that the rewards of family research are not the number of “begats” one can accumulate, but the stories around families – where they come from, who they are, how they relate to their place of origin and how they adjust to being displaced.

The other path is part of my having taught courses as part of the core Integrative Studies Across Cultures program at Holy Names University in Oakland; my unit was team-taught and involved the periods from the fall of the Roman Empire to the deaths of Shakespeare and Cervantes (one day apart!). Again, I learned to see what I always considered dry dates and facts as human stories to be shared (or hidden!). So historical fiction for me weaves the stories of humans in with the stories happening around them.

TR: What are you currently working on?

JB: At my age, 80 +, I’m doing the math and not imagining another nine-year intensive project. But the process of writing fiction has so entranced me, that I have begun to draft fictional interviews with some of the characters in my book, inspired by Barbara Bos’s request for her blog, Women Writers, Women’s Books. My interview with Dr. Kate Pariser will be published on my pub date, June 21. Others will appear as blogposts on my website, and I’m hoping someone will be interested in publishing them.

TR: Is there a question or questions that you would have liked me or another blogger to ask but didn’t? Please ask and answer, if there are any.

JB: I think your questions were fabulous, Teddy! Thanks again for accepting Home So Far Away for Premier Author Virtual Book Tours.

About Judith Berlowitz

Los Angeles-born Judith Berlowitz holds a PhD in Romance Languages and Literatures and is a federally-certified translator. She is a former professor of Spanish and Cultural Studies and has published works in ethnomusicology, oral history, and Jewish identity.

Judith has played classical guitar and oboe and has sung with the Stanford Early Music Singers and the Oakland Symphony Chorus. She currently is a volunteer Curator with the genealogical website, Geni.com, and sings with the San Francisco Bach Choir. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, not far from her three daughters and three grandsons.

Website: https://judithberlowitzauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jberlowitzauthor

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