Winner of the 2011 Florida Book Awards Bronze Medal for General Fiction.
On the eve of the Great Depression, the actress wife of a Jewish community leader fights against the pressures of tradition to preserve her own identity. Taking chances she never imagined - with cataclysmic consequences - Lillian Scharf pursues a radical option and gives the performance of her life in Caren Umbarger’s finely crafted debut. This scintillating exploration...
Winner of the 2011 Florida Book Awards Bronze Medal for General Fiction.
On the eve of the Great Depression, the actress wife of a Jewish community leader fights against the pressures of tradition to preserve her own identity. Taking chances she never imagined - with cataclysmic consequences - Lillian Scharf pursues a radical option and gives the performance of her life in Caren Umbarger’s finely crafted debut. This scintillating exploration of wealth and marriage, power and betrayal, anti-Semitism and self-awareness is as relevant today as it was in the time of its setting. Emotionally devastating and altogether inspiring, COMING TO is an original and breathtaking panorama of the human heart, the desire for freedom, and the quest for an authentic voice.
"... a fascinating and captivating story... this is a good read for women of any age wanting to attempt to understand how we got to where we are now."
Anne Heymen - St. Augustine Record
"Wow. All I can say is if you don't have some down time don't start this book, because once you embark on your journey with Lillian Scharf you won't put the 226-page book down until you're finished. There's no question here why Caren Umbarger was awarded the bronze medal for general fiction in the 2011 Florida Book Awards... This is the kind of book which makes the reader rather sad when the story ends. But, what an ending!"
COMING TO is Caren Umbarger's first novel. She earned a BA in violin performance and has been a professional musician and string teacher since 1983. Caren grew up in Mason City, Iowa; taught and performed in Minneapolis for three decades; and is now the artistic director of a Florida youth orchestra program. She and her husband Paul, also a musician and artist, have five grown children. They live in St. Augustine with their two cats.
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Overview
On the eve of the Great Depression, the actress wife of a Jewish community leader fights against the pressures of tradition to preserve her own identity. Taking chances she never imagined - with cataclysmic consequences - Lillian Scharf pursues a radical option and gives the performance of her life in Caren Umbarger’s finely crafted debut. This scintillating exploration...