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Ellen Feldman Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Ellen Feldman

Ellen Feldman

Ellen Feldman Biography

Ellen Feldman, a 2009 Guggenheim fellow, is the author of The Living and the Lost, Paris Never Leaves You, Terrible Virtue (optioned by Black Bicycle for a feature film), The Unwitting, Next to Love, Scottsboro (shortlisted for the Orange Prize), The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank, and Lucy.

Ellen Feldman's website

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Interview

Ellen Feldman discussed some of the history behind her latest novel, Next to Love, set during the Second World Way and its aftermath.

Next to Love follows the lives of three young women—Babe, Grace, and Millie—during World War II and its aftermath. Though childhood friends, their friendship in its adult years is occasionally rocky. Do you think the recent spate of books and movies about women’s friendship romanticize the relationship as we used to romanticize men–women relationships?
Women’s friendships can be rare and wonderful, deep with trust and buoyant with humor and support. Over the years I have found my own close ties to women to be rich and sustaining. But I do think a distinction has to be made between valuing women’s friendships and idealizing them. Many recent books and movies tend to do the latter. When all else fails, they imply, we still have one another. An unfortunate corollary to this attitude is the idea that men are unreliable and likely to behave badly. I do believe there are distinctions between men and women, but I don’t think the fault line lies at friendship. I cherish my women friends, but I also have several men friends whom I treasure. The relationship is different but no less prized. I don’t believe either gender has the market cornered on loyalty, generosity, or kindness.

In your ...

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Books by this Author

Books by Ellen Feldman at BookBrowse
The Trouble with You jacket Terrible Virtue jacket Next to Love jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Ellen Feldman but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Maggie O'Farrell

    Maggie O'Farrell

    Maggie O'Farrell was born in Northern Ireland in 1972. Her novels include Hamnet (winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award), After You'd Gone, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, The Hand That First Held Mine (winner of... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Next to Love

    Try:
    The Hand that First Held Mine
    by Maggie O'Farrell

  • Elyse Singleton

    Elyse Singleton

    Elyse Singleton is an award-winning journalist who has written for publications in the United States, Canada, England and New Zealand including The Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, Atlanta Journal & Constitution, Essence, the ... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Next to Love

    Try:
    This Side Of The Sky
    by Elyse Singleton

We recommend 3 similar authors

View all 3 Read-Alikes

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Top Picks

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In Our Midst follows a German immigrant family’s fight for freedom after their internment post–Pearl Harbor.
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