Sharon Kurtzman shares how an interview with her mother became a defining moment of connection. She was haunted by her mother’s description of just how much danger still lingered after surviving the Holocaust and that revelation became central to her writing of The Lost Baker of Vienna, set in the years after WWII between liberation and immigration.

She also shares how a childhood reading of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret planted the seed for her to define her own Jewish identity, and how writing her debut novel fulfilled a promise she made to her mother.

The Lost Baker of Vienna weaves together two timelines: postwar Vienna and present-day America. When Zoe Rosenzweig loses her beloved grandfather, a Holocaust survivor, she becomes determined to uncover the truth about her family’s past. Meanwhile, in 1946 Vienna, her grandmother Chana bakes through grief and danger, caught between love, hunger, and the lingering threat of violence.

Sharon Kurtzman worked in television marketing before pursuing her dream of becoming a writer. Her work has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies and has been nominated for the Pushcart prize.

Sharon Kurtzman’s Five Books:

1. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

2. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

4. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

5. The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtzman

Other Episodes about Books Inspired by the Author's Family Story: 

- Georgia Hunter on Discovering her Family's Jewish History

- Elizabeth Graver on Lost Worlds and New Doorways

- Bonny Reichert on Feed, Fear, and Finding Beauty

- Rachel Cockerell on the Zionist Dream that Sailed to Galveston

The Five Books is a podcast that celebrates the role of books in Jewish culture. Through author interviews, we delve into Jewish identity and discover each author’s favorite novels. Join us every week for new Jewish book recommendations! Some of our episodes have included conversations with Rabbi Sharon Brous (Senior Rabbi at IKAR, and author of The Amen Effect), Yael Van Der Wouden (author of The Safekeep), and Dara Horn (author of People Love Dead Jews.)

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Hosted by Tali Rosenblatt Cohen

Produced by Odelia Rubin

Editorial and website support by Sarah Waring

Artwork by Dena Friedman

Music by Dov Rosenblatt and Blue Dot Sessions.