Event Details

Book Talk with Oraynu Member/Author Caroline Topperman

Caroline published her newest book, Your Roots Cast a Shadow, last December.  It is a blend of past and present, the author deftly drawing connections between her family’s past and her own life.

Based on her book, Caroline will take us on a personal journey to uncover her family’s history. She will talk about how living in Poland for four years prompted her to research her unique family story: her Jewish grandparents who survived the Holocaust by fleeing to Uzbekistan, and her non-Jewish grandparents who survived the war in Afghanistan. Through their stories and the gaps in their    collective memory, Caroline will explore the complexities of identity and assimilation even outside a traditional community. Ultimately, this is a conversation about the search for meaning and connection, and how our past shapes who we are today.

Born in Sweden and raised in Canada, in 2013 Caroline Topperman returned to her ancestral roots in Poland to live, and to explore her love of traveling and experiencing different cultures. She holds a BFA in screenwriting from York University (Toronto). Book credits include Tell Me What You See: visual writing prompts for the wandering writer (One Idea Press) and a complementary guide to her blog, FitWise: straight talk about being fit & healthy. Caroline has written a column for Huffington Post Canada and was Beauty Editor for British MODE.