Author Affinity Konar to Discuss Her Book Mischling in Wilmette

Author Affinity Konar will discuss her Holocaust novel Mischling at 2 p.m. on May 7 at the Wilmette Jr. High School, 620 Locust Road, Wilmette, as the final event of the Wilmette Public Library's 2017 One Book, Everybody Reads program.

Tickets are not required for the author event. A book signing will be held following the program, and copies of Mischling will be available on site for purchase from The Book Stall.

One Book, Everybody Reads is the Library’s annual community-wide reading and book discussion program, funded by the Friends of the Wilmette Public Library. Residents are encouraged to read the One Book title and participate in various events that explore the book and its themes.

Mischling tells the story of 12-year-old twin sisters Pearl and Stasha who fight to survive the horrors of World War II and Dr. Josef Mengele’s experiments at Auschwitz. Through a compelling and lyrically written narrative, Mischling counters the brutality of the Holocaust by sending messages of hope, beauty, and resilience.

The novel, praised by reviewers and readers alike, was named one of Amazon’s Best Books of 2016, The New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2016, and Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2016. In its starred review,
Booklist described Mischling as “an unforgettable sojourn of the spirit,” adding that Ms. Konar “finds inspiration for fiction of rare poignancy - and astonishing hope.”

Anthony Doerr, author of the The New York Times bestseller All the Light We Cannot See, wrote, "Mischling is a paradox. It's a beautiful novel about the most odious of crimes, it's a deeply-researched act of
remembrance that somehow carries the lightness of a fairy tale, and it's a coming-of-age story about children who aren't allowed to come of age. If your soul can survive the journey, you'll be rewarded by one of the
most harrowing, powerful, and imaginative books of the year."

In describing her motivation to write Mischling, Ms. Konar explains, “I am a Polish Jew and my grandfather served in World War II, so I was always drawn to Holocaust narratives. When I was 16, I found a book called
Children of the Flames by Lucette Lagnado and Sheila Cohn Dekel. The book details the experience of the twins of Auschwitz, and the crimes and eventual flight of Mengele, the Angel of Death. While I was a very
foolish 16, I knew I couldn't write Mischling then - if ever - but the idea of two twins alternately telling this story has followed me ever since.”

Community partners for the 2017 One Book program include The Book Stall, Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, The Klezmer Music Foundation, League of Women Voters of Wilmette, Make It Better,
NS/Modern Luxury, Rotary Club of Wilmette, Rotary Club of Wilmette Harbor, Sheridan Road, Unsilence, Village of Kenilworth, Village of Wilmette, Wilmette Beacon, Wilmette/Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce,
Wilmette Life, and Wilmette Public Schools District 39.

For more information about this year’s One Book, Everybody Reads program, visit www.wilmettelibrary.info/onebook or call (847) 256-6930.