Remember to Eat and Other Stories

Meryl Ain

• Publisher: SparkPress
• eBook ISBN:
  9781684633418
• Year: 2026

For fans of Hilma Wolitzer and Jhumpa Lahiri comes a collection of short stories about a mother and daughter as they navigate their changing roles through tumultuous times. 

Following a Jewish family from before World War II to the not-too-distant future, this collection of loosely linked short stories explores the experiences of Marjorie, a baby boomer; her mother, Alice; and the friends and family that make up their community over the decades. As they each pursue higher education and choose career paths, both mother and daughter encounter challenges as they make choices within a changing society—from in-law problems to illness to antisemitism and beyond. 

Sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous, Remember to Eat takes on themes including patriarchy, technology, the changing role of women, the challenges of raising children, the COVID-19 pandemic, complex family relationships, and what it means to be a Jew with empathy and insight. Ultimately, the twenty-two stories contained in these pages offer not only an intimate journey into these women’s lives but also an illuminating portrait of the times in which they live.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• 1. Remember to Eat
• 2. Mother-in-Law
• 3. Family Circle
• 4. Fighting Hitler: Alice’s War
• 5. Guinea Pig
• 6. After the War
• 7. The Nazi House
• 8. Alice Gets a Job
• 9. The Cantor Sings: Marjorie and the Amazing Voice
• 10. Cherished Daughter
• 11. “I Could Have Written That Book”
• 12. The End of Giggling: Marjorie’s Complicated Memories
• 13. Try to Remember: Marjorie and the Impossible Dream
• 14. The Lifespan of Dolls: Marjorie and Her “Creepy” Dolls
• 15. Nobody’s Child
• 16. Security in the Sunshine State
• 17. Possibility and Privilege: Marjorie’s Story
• 18. Unexpected Blessing
• 19. Never Again
• 20. Virtual Daughter
• 21. Celebrity
• 22. The 103-Year-Old Woman
• Epilogue: Candles
• Glossary
• Book Club Discussion Questions
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author
• Looking for your next great read?