We Were the Lucky Ones Blog

We Were the Lucky Ones: About the Book

An extraordinary, propulsive novel based on the true story of a family of Polish Jews who are separated at the start of the Second World War, determined to survive—and to reunite

Felicia

News & Reviews for We Were the Lucky Ones

Reviews and Praise

“An intelligent, feeling, multithread family drama”

That’s how the LA Times describes WWTLO in its list of The Best Shows of 2024, adding that it’s “a study of character under the pressure of history.” We certainly appreciate finding ourselves in such good company. Scroll down to the photo of Joey King as Halina for the full story.

Prix des Lectrices Charleston

Honored to be selected as a reader’s choice finalist by my French publisher, Les Editions Charleston. The Prix des Lectrices is awarded annually by literary bloggers and influencers – a group of 60 this year. The winner is chosen in June. Merci, Editions Charleston!

Book of the Month

Thanks, UK publisher Allison & Busby, for selecting We Were the Lucky Ones as the Editor’s Choice Book of the Month for May! And for including Chapter One as a “free taster.”

Research and context

Kurc Family artifacts and more…

The True Story Behind Hulu’s Holocaust Drama We Were the Lucky Ones. Read to learn more about the Kurc family’s recent donation of wartime artifacts to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

“First and foremost a family drama”

Los Angeles Times insists that We Were the Lucky Ones is not a history lesson. Instead, it’s “a human story, of husbands and wives, parents and children, friends and lovers…” adding, “Its purpose, as television, is to make you feel, for the characters and by extension for a people — to experience, such as might be…

Tip 8: More on Exploring Your Jewish Genealogy

There is a growing body of resources available to folks researching their Jewish Heritage. Here are a few sites I found especially helpful.

Events

New York Screening and Talk

It was a thrill to be featured at Temple Emanu-El’s Streicker Cultural Center, where a sneak peak of Episode 1 of the series was screened, followed by a panel where I joined our director, Tommy Kail, showrunner, Erica Lipez, and two of our cast, Joey King and Logan Lerman, for a Q+A. The event took…

Mercer Island School Visit

Students are my favorite audience. The questions and conversations that come of our discussions are often profound. Huge thanks to Seattle’s Mercer Island community for inviting me to speak with such an engaged group of students, faculty and parents! I hope that in sharing my family’s Holocaust account (along with the process of unearthing and…

Wauwatosa Public Library Foundation

Thrilled to speak next month at the Wauwatosa Public Library Foundation’s Leadership Luncheon! Date: February 29, 2024, 11:00 am-2:00pm CDT Please email TosaLibraryFoundation@gmail.com for details.

For Book Clubs

Readers Guide

About the Story An extraordinary, propulsive novel based on the untold true story of a family of Polish Jews who are separated at the start of the Second World War, determined to survive—and to reunite. It is the spring of 1939 and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal…

We Were the Lucky Ones: About the Book

An extraordinary, propulsive novel based on the true story of a family of Polish Jews who are separated at the start of the Second World War, determined to survive—and to reunite

Author’s Note

An extraordinary, propulsive novel based on the true story of a family of Polish Jews who are separated at the start of the Second World War, determined to survive—and to reunite

Virtual Book Talk

Like other authors, I sorely miss the chance to meet with readers in person, thanks to social distancing – a necessary element of the Coronavirus pandemic. But maybe a silver lining is the ability to reach new audiences virtually, regardless of location. This week I was delighted to be “in the room” with readers from…

Sound Watch Interview

Georgia is featured in an in-depth interview in the January-February 2020 edition of Sound Watch News, a brand new publication distributed to all residents of Rowayton and Darien, CT. Lauren Henry delved into the backstory on We Were the Lucky Ones and asked about Georgia’s new projects.