Barbara J. Zitwer
Books
The J.M. Barrie Ladies’ Swimming Society
Short Books/UK, 2012. American publication winter 2013 by Marble Arch Press/Simon and Schuster. Sold to Xander Uitgevers/Holland, world Spanish/Planeta, City Editions/France, Azbooka-Atticus/Russia, Allen & Unwin/Australia and New Zealand, Znak/Poland.
Film rights sold to Ealing Studios.
A warm-hearted, funny women’s novel that explores the hearts and minds of its female characters from the ages of fifteen to eighty-five. A book about the secret lives of women. Joey Rubin is a dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker with a working girl's dream of a job and not much else. She is single, a workaholic and the only intimate relationship in her life is with her dog. She is sent to the English countryside to help renovate a stately ancient manor house where JM Barrie wrote Peter Pan. Her plan to turn the estate into an exclusive spa/resort, is challenged by the people who live in this real “never-neverland.” She is confronted with a cast of characters that could have jumped out of the pages of Peter Pan: a band of Lost Girls, who are 80, instead of 8! They seem to have never grown up and these octogenarians who are more like teenagers, dare Joey to come swim with them in their outdoor pond. She can’t resist!
She loses all abandon once she dives into the pond and thus begins an everlasting friendship the most unlikely group of women and a journey where she finds true love.
The Korean Book of Happiness: Joy, resilience and the art of giving
From the very first moment she set foot in South Korea, Barbara Zitwer, literary agent to some of the most celebrated, prize-winning Korean authors, fell head-over-heels in love, discovering there a renewed sense of happiness and energy.
In this witty, charming book, Zitwer shares all that she has learnt about this fascinating country: a vibrant, global powerhouse of culture and industry with an enduring devotion to the ancient philosophies of han, heung and jeong (resilience, joy and the art of giving).
We follow Zitwer as she travels from the buzzing capital of Seoul to meeting Buddhist nuns in a mountain temple, from the bizarre theme park within the Demilitarised Zone to the tropical island of Jeju, home to haenyeo, the inspirational, octogenarian, female divers. Along the way she regales us with hilarious anecdotes of her cultural faux pas, top travel tips and local recipes as well as magical moments of understanding and connection.
The Korean Book of Happiness invites you to explore a beguiling culture and learn how the Korean way can make your life happier and more fulfilled.
Als das Meer uns Gehörte / When the Sea belonged to Us
After the death of her husband, Tess Harding seeks refuge with her deaf son, Robbie, in Montauk, a remote village on the tip of Long Island. The wild Atlantic, with its endless horizon and untamed waves, becomes both a place of exile and of fragile hope. Despite all her efforts, Tess cannot help Robbie cope with his grief. Blaming his mother for his father’s death, Robbie grows more withdrawn, and Tess fears losing the bond with her only child.
Everything changes when they meet Kip, an explorer searching for a legendary singing whale. Robbie is captivated by the great creature and, through his fascination, discovers new ways to connect with the world—through vibration, sound, and the power of wonder. The encounter with the whale helps him break through his isolation, while Tess begins to sense the possibility of renewal.
Set against Montauk’s dramatic seascape—known as “Land’s End,” where the ocean stretches endlessly toward England—this moving story is as much about the healing force of nature as it is about family and love. A grieving woman, a deaf boy, an adventurer of the seas, and a blue whale become unlikely companions on a journey that carries them across the ocean and back into life.
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