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Peculiar Treasure

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Edna Ferber, perhaps one of the least-known and underappreciated novelists in American history, writes her autobiography during the time of Hitler. This book gives glimpses of the rumors coming backj to America about Hitler's Germany (this book was written in the 1930's; Ferber wrote a sequel autobiography after the war which displays great bitterness about the events in Central Europe during the 1940's). No doubt the title is taken from the Old Testament, when the Israelites are chosen to be "a peculiar people." Ferber was indeed a peculiar treasure in the literary world, but an enjoyable treasure to read. In this book, Ferber recounts how she started as a reporter or the Appleton Post-Crescent (once even interviewing Harry Houdini, a fellow Appleton, WI, native ands fellow Jew). She also relates her trials as one of the first female reporters for the Milwaukee, WI, Journal and her rise as a novelist. For aspiring writers (like myself), Edna tells how she goes about writing and the regimen she maintained to write her books.