COMING JANUARY 20, 2026
Remember to Eat
and Other Stories
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.
Praise for Remember to Eat
“A moving, finely observed collection, Remember to Eat captures the small, indelible moments that define a family across generations. With wit and tenderness, these linked stories trace the bond between mother and daughter as they navigate shifting roles, cultural upheavals, and the changing face of Jewish life. At once intimate and expansive, the book offers readers the warmth of lived-in characters and the sharp clarity of social commentary. A wise, empathetic, and deeply human portrait of resilience, identity, and love.”
―Jacqueline Friedland, USA Today bestselling author of He Gets That From Me and Counting Backwards
“Meryl Ain’s wonderful new story collection, Remember to Eat, takes its mother-daughter characters through almost a century of American Jewish life, from the 1930s to the present day, and by the end of the book I felt completely caught up in the lives of mother Alice and daughter Marjorie. Compelling, poignant, and often funny, the stories are well worth reading!”
–Deborah Kalb, author of Off to Join the Circus
“ “Luminous, thought-provoking stories centered on three generations of women carry me back to coming of age in Queens, New York, shining a light on the odd and often misunderstood expectations of changing times. Mazel tov to talented educator and award-winning author Meryl Ain. Remember to read Remember to Eat.”
—Marilyn Simon Rothstein, author of Who Loves You Best and Crazy to Leave You
“ “Reading Remember to Eat is a bit like stepping into a time capsule and seeing the women who stood before us, and at times, who stand alongside us. Through author Meryl Ain’s wonderful short stories, we meet Marjorie, her mother Alice and others who take us through and beyond World War II in the United States. Throughout, Ain traces the narrative of American women, deftly highlighting how we today gain from their experiences. What’s more, Ain skillfully illuminates the Jewish narrative. Ain’s characters come alive, and we as readers share the ride through their struggles and their triumphs. This is a great book club read, something every generation can appreciate!”
—Adina Genn, journalist and author
“Within these 22 short stories, Ain has created a wonderful, generational mother/daughter saga, where life goes back and forth between the 1930’s and current times. Though each story is connected to the next by the same cast of primary characters, the chronology is mixed. And so, for instance, Marjorie, the main character, is portrayed as a young child through the eyes of her mother, then in the following narrative, it will be about herself as a young mother to her own daughter, and still in another story, the grandmother to her daughter’s baby.
The differences and show of love in the relationships between the generations felt so genuine and warm to me. The writing itself is fluid and graceful. And even though the timelines are not directly connected, you will be engrossed from the very first sentence of each story, be drawn in, and always know exactly where you are: In a truly pleasurable read.
—Jacquie Herz, author of Hannah Bloom Dream Juggler, and Circumference of Silence