Product Description
Rachel Stein’s life has been spent analyzing other people, other situations. When she is confronted with herself, the process proves complicated, cathartic, and painful.
For Danielle Shoenfeld, illusion is everything. Sustaining, soothing, steady, it allows her to move through an emotional hall of mirrors and reflect the reality she needs at the moment — blissfully ignoring the fragile foundations of her life.
When Rachel befriends Danielle, the relationship forces the refined “illusionist” to confront the realities hidden behind the illusions — and face the devastating truth of the past. The cherished illusion that Danielle has crafted of her father leads the two women on a journey of painful deception and, ultimately, a path to acceptance. The poignant plot leads through the shadows of Nazi Germany to present-day Washington, DC, and with each discovery about themselves, they find the courage to trust in each other.
A tale of emotional bond between two women of different backgrounds but similar paths, Cherished Illusions is an arresting first novel from Sarah Stern.
For Danielle Shoenfeld, illusion is everything. Sustaining, soothing, steady, it allows her to move through an emotional hall of mirrors and reflect the reality she needs at the moment — blissfully ignoring the fragile foundations of her life.
When Rachel befriends Danielle, the relationship forces the refined “illusionist” to confront the realities hidden behind the illusions — and face the devastating truth of the past. The cherished illusion that Danielle has crafted of her father leads the two women on a journey of painful deception and, ultimately, a path to acceptance. The poignant plot leads through the shadows of Nazi Germany to present-day Washington, DC, and with each discovery about themselves, they find the courage to trust in each other.
A tale of emotional bond between two women of different backgrounds but similar paths, Cherished Illusions is an arresting first novel from Sarah Stern.
About the Author
Sarah Stern is the director of the Washington office for the American Jewish Congress, and a long-time advocate for Israel. Sarah was educated at Boston University, Columbia University, and earned a post-master's degree in school psychology from the Catholic University of America. She and her husband, Buddy Stein, a gastroenterologist, are the proud parents of three children.
