Noshing With Lena Fein – June 18, 2026

Author, Shattering the Mirror: One Woman’s Journey of Healing

This week on “Ira’s Everything Bagel,” Ira welcomes Lena Fein, author of Shattering the Mirror: One Woman’s Journey of Healing, for a moving conversation about surviving childhood abuse, confronting painful family truths, and discovering the transformative power of forgiveness.

Lena shares what inspired her to write her memoir and how her father’s death became the catalyst for finally telling her story. She discusses growing up with a mother who emotionally and physically abused her children while concealing that behavior from their father, leaving each daughter feeling isolated and alone.

During the conversation, Lena reflects on a profound shift that occurred near the end of her mother’s life. Although her mother’s words had long carried anger and criticism, Lena discovered something unexpected when illness silenced her voice: compassion and regret communicated through her eyes. That realization began a ten-year journey of healing and self-discovery.

Lena explains how uncovering her authentic self allowed her to become more grounded, develop deeper relationships, establish healthy boundaries, and embrace living in the present moment. She also discusses her sisters’ reactions to the book and why she believes that forgiveness—not forgetting, but freeing oneself—is essential to healing.

This is a powerful and inspiring episode about resilience, family dynamics, self-awareness, and finding peace after pain.

Topics Discussed:

Childhood emotional and physical abuse

Family secrets and dysfunction

Writing a memoir of healing

The impact of parental relationships

Setting healthy boundaries

Living in the present moment

The meaning of forgiveness

Rebuilding relationships

Personal growth and self-discovery

Finding strength through storytelling

ABOUT LENA:

Lena Fein lives in San Francisco, the city of her birth. After receiving a master’s degree in engineering from UC Berkeley, she enjoyed a successful career in high tech and founded a non-profit that funded health and education projects in at-risk communities around the globe. Now retired, Lena enjoys the arts in all their forms, including painting, singing, dancing, and writing. Currently, Lena is often seen taking long walks by the bay and hugging her grandbabies. Her memoir, “Shattering the Mirror” is about her quest to confront her life and see through the distortions of her traumatic childhood. Now in her late sixties, Lena lives with more freedom, clarity, and love than she ever imagined. The book is really about the truth that healing is possible at any age — and that wholeness is priceless.

Shattering The Mirror             Website

Lena Fein                                Facebook

Lena Fein                                Instagram