Welcome!
I'm Elizabeth Kern and
I'm glad you stopped by.
It is my pleasure to introduce you to three of my books — each guaranteed to transport you to a different time and place, to make you laugh, cry, and learn.
My books are available in paperback and e-book format from Amazon. If your bookstore does not have a title in stock, they will gladly order it for you.
If you're looking for a selection for your next book club, you've come to the right place. I enjoy meeting with readers and would love to meet with your book club either in person or on Zoom.
I promise you a lively discussion.
Contact me at Elizabethkern@mac.com
WANTING TO BE JACKIE KENNEDY
News of Jackie Kennedy's death in 1994 propels 50-year-year old Ellie Manikowski back to her old Polish neighborhood in Chicago and to the bittersweet memories of her teenage years in the 1960s. It's a tumultuous, at times hilarious story of Ellie's journey to womanhood in a wonderful, crazy and unforgettable house of one telephone line, two languages, a hundred opinions, and secrets that would turn the Pope's face scarlet.
It's 1961— President John F. Kennedy is inspiring America's youth to serve the country. Ellie's dreams of public service are cut short when her undertaker father loses his eyesight and Ellie steps in to help with the family business. That summer, the flats above the Manikowski Funeral Home are abuzz with confusion and sexual intrigue when a forbidden love affair followed by a coverup, threatens the family's future and shakes Ellie's faith.
Wanting to Be Jackie Kennedy was a semi-finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition.
Reviews
"Fueled by vivid descriptions and powerful atmospherics, Ellie's memories of her adolescence are simultaneously pleasant ... and heartrending. The author's voice is impressive as themes of religion—or lack thereof—are sounded. Historical landmarks and references blend with a compelling storyline to create a nostalgic, moving story that will resonate with young adults and adult readers alike."
— Publishers Weekly
"Kern draws on her rich Polish heritage and the Camelot era of the early 1960s to give us a portrait of a family that is laugh-out-loud funny, poignant, and beautifully written. It's a perfect choice for book clubs."
—Thomas Terlikowski
Backstreets
"If you enjoyed The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, and the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you're going to love Wanting to Be Jackie Kennedy. Kern's voice is smart and sophisticated, her characters are unforgettable. The story is deeply moving."
—Margit Liesche
Hollywood Buzz
MERCY GOODHUE
MERCY GOODHUE, A PURITAN WOMAN'S STORY OF BETRAYAL, WITCHCRAFT AND MADNESS
Imagine a time when nights were darker than dark, when God was a harsh judge, when witches were believed to be real, when medicine was mixed with superstition and magic, when women were expected to "be fruitful and multiply" from marriage to menopause. Welcome to Massachusetts int he 17th century.
Mercy Goodhue is the story of a woman who is driven to the brink of madness by the harsh religious beliefs of her time. It is also the story of a midwife and herbalist, Goody Hammer, who never gives up on Mercy, and saves her from committing an unthinkable crime. The story brings together a colorful array of historical characters: :the pioneer John Winthrop; the "heretic" Anne Hutchinson; the zealot John Cotton and fictional ones like Goody Hammer. The story is loosely based upon an excerpt from the diary of John Winthrop, who in 1637 wrote about such a woman, Anne Needham Hett.
REVIEWS
"Mercy Goodhue represents the best of historical fiction. It is magnificently, beautifully written story. While authentically set in the 17th century, Mercy's story is eternal, sensitive and affecting. Kudos to Elizabeth Kern for creating—or recreating characters who come palpably to life and a plot that is as real today as it was in the 17th century. Mercy Goodhue is a page-turner, because it (and she) gain our sympathy and understanding. We care about what happens, and we discover a different world that resonates with our own."
—Edith B. Gelles, Stanford University
Author of Abigail and John: Portrait of a Marriage
"A winning novel of ordinary people in an extraordinary world ... Kern renders it all: the seasons, the clothing, the food, the mental preoccupations, the shaping of society—with solid pacing and in pleasing detail."
—Kirkus Reviews
FIRE ANGELS
A riveting novel of the true-life events surrounding he Our Lady of the Angels school fire in 1958 Chicago
Three weeks before Christmas on December 1, 1958, one of the most horrific fires in American history broke out at Our Lady of he Angels elementary school in Chicago, claiming the lives of 92 children and three nuns. Fire Angels is a fictional account of that fire. It's a story of arson; of bravery by parents, nuns, firefighters, and medical professionals; of a falsely accused janitor; of a cover-up within the Catholic Church; of a judge who, in having to determine the juvenile arsonist's fate, is torn between loyalty to his church and justice; of a tight-knit community changed forever; and of two survivors who fall in love. Fire itself is also a central character in this story, a cunning observer that comes to life whenever a flame is lit.
Reviews
"FIRE ANGELS was the book chosen by our book club in December. Our book club had a lengthy discussion as we focused on the event of the fire itself but also on the aftermath. Our book club had chosen well: an important story that is well written and brings the past to life. No wonder FIRE ANGELS has been named one of the Six Best Historical Fiction Novels of Winter by Foreword Reviews."
M.E. Stark
Amazon Customer Review
"The story is heartbreakingly engrossing, and part of Chicago's living history. Because
FIRE ANGELS is based on truth, its impact is intense."
—Foreword Reviews
About Me...
Hello!
I was born and raised in Chicago, in the old Polish neighborhood I write about in Wanting to Be Jackie Kennedy. I attended Loyola University and received a BS degree in Communications from the University of Illinois. After a 30-year corporate career of managing communications, most recently at Apple in Cupertino, CA, I received a M
Hello!
I was born and raised in Chicago, in the old Polish neighborhood I write about in Wanting to Be Jackie Kennedy. I attended Loyola University and received a BS degree in Communications from the University of Illinois. After a 30-year corporate career of managing communications, most recently at Apple in Cupertino, CA, I received a Master of Liberal Arts Degree (MLA) from Stanford University. It was at Stanford that I developed my interest in Colonial American history and my passion for writing fiction. I'm the mother of two grown children and also a grandmother. My husband, Lee, and I live in the gentle hills of Sonoma County, California, where we enjoy a glass of wine every now and then.