Episode Details

EPISODE 670 - Barbara Viniar - Little bird is the story of a girl who finds the courage to forge her own path to womanhood in 1910

I was born and raised in the Bronx, NY, but once I left for college at 17, I never went back. With the benefit of having lived in many other places in the U.S. and abroad, I now look back fondly on my neighborhood, a place where people knew and cared about each other. But as a teenager I couldn’t wait to escape. I wanted to meet new people and explore New York City, which I was able to do at the H.S. of Music and Art, one the city’s selective high schools at that time. Being immersed in the arts was one of the defining experiences of my life.  

Writing brings me joy. It will be the cornerstone of this chapter of my life. 

“With meticulous historical research and heartfelt storytelling, Viniar introduces an unforgettable heroine - not because Fannie is extraordinary, but because she feels so real. She’s the kind of character who becomes a friend, someone you’ll root for as she navigates the trials of youth, immigration and identity as a Jewish woman. ”

— Robyn Rosen, Ph.D. Professor of history, Marist College

Book - Little Bird - “Like the heroine of her timeless novel, Barbara Viniar has meticulously embroidered this story of a talented young woman torn between the tradition she respects and the dreams she can’t deny.”
— Elyce Wakerman, author of A Tale of Two citizens and Father Loss

After an old photograph and newspaper article revealed that my grandmother, Fannie, was married to a cousin at 17 and later divorced, I felt compelled to tell her story. But with only a few dates and names to go on, I had to create the story from my imagination.

It took three years of writing and rewriting, not to mention researching the life of a Jewish immigrant in New York City from 1910 – 1917 to finish Little Bird.

I only hope that my Fannie captures what might have been true about my grandmother. I often feel that telling her story has been a way of discovering my own.       

They say writers are either compulsive plotters or “pantsers,” happy to let their stories evolve without a plan. I am somewhere in between. I had a detailed outline when I started, but then characters surprised me. Their voices changed the story. 

I am often asked if I have written fiction before. Have I always dreamed of writing a novel? Absolutely not! This passion, this commitment of time and emotional energy to writing a novel has all been new to me. I would sit down at my desk and lose track of time. It still fills me with terror and joy.

https://barbaraviniar.com/

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