Today I’m guest posting at Tammar Stein’s blog. My essay is about how reading with your daughter helps you stay closer to her as she grows.

Tammar is the author of Light Years. Here’s the publisher’s description of Light Years:

“He went to school to learn how to kill me. The Israeli girl who ruined his life. Seven people were killed instead. A single mother of two. A computer programmer. Two college students. A grandmother and her four-year-old grandson sharing an ice cream. And Dov, my boyfriend, my heart, the man I wanted to marry, who was there waiting for me.

Maya leaves Israel to study astronomy at the University of Virginia, running from the violence, guilt, and memories of her past. As the narrative switches between Virginia and Israel, we learn about Maya’s life as a soldier, her ambiguous devotion to Israel, and her love for her boyfriend, Dov, who is tragically killed in a suicide bombing. Now, in Virginia, amid the day-to-day pressures of classes, roommates, and fraternity parties, Maya attempts to reconcile her Israeli past with her American future.”

Madeleine and I read Light Years in our mother-daughter book club and it prompted great discussions on Israeli culture, dealing with personal tragedy and learning to live in the aftermath. Look for a complete book review and an interview with Tammar later this month.