I Missed the Spring - A Book Review

December 2017 Literature

I Missed the Spring
Author: Kaila Shabat
Amazon paperback $10; Kindle $5
This book can be bought directly from Kaila Shabat
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Reviewed by Pnina Moed Kass

One cannot deny the courage of writers who pen memoirs revealing to readers the sources and stages of their mental illness. Through their own stories their purpose is not only to banish misconceptions, myths and stigmas but to highlight their time of social isolation. I was particularly moved by the beautifully written opening chapters which deserve commendation. One cannot discount the harsh realities that Rubin describes, and the fact that the author makes no attempt to beautify mental illness from a first-person perspective. Memoirs about mental illness stand alone as a category of literature. In Katherine Rubin's memoir there is also the element of her attachment to Israel. She delves into how it affected her illness yet empowered her. This is subjective literature, rendered in a highly emotional and personal manner. There is tragedy and there is victory, there is self-destruction and there is reconstruction. A fascinating narrative.

About the author

Pnina Moed Kass

Pnina Moed Kass has been living in Israel since 1969. After teaching high school English for a number of years she decided to take a break and go back to writing. Her writing background in the U.S. has been as a lyricist (ASCAP member), a staffer at the magazine, Opera News, a publicist for a record company and a variety of other jobs that called for writing skills. The switch in Israel from teaching to writing worked out. After a few years she had authored children’s books , scripted a TV series, and done a lot of freelance writing both in Hebrew and in English. She had also garnered awards and recognition for her short stories and her contemporary novel set in the Middle East. Among them: the international Reading Award for Best YA Short Story, inclusion in the Cricket Magazine 25 year Anthology (“Celebrate”,) and other citations by librarians and teachers. Her novel, REAL TIME, won the prestigious National Jewish Book Award, The Sydney Taylor Award and other accolades. The eight books of the picture book series “Berale” about a shy but adventurous snail can be found on the shelves of kindergartens and local libraries throughout Israel. Also popular is the website www.berale.com Though she lives in Israel, in the city of Herzliya, Moed Kass has traveled to speak about children's literature, about contemporary life in Israel, and about her work both in Europe and the U.S. In Israel, she makes frequent appearances, reading the “Berale” stories at libraries and community centers. Her children used to be part of her audience, now it’s her grandchildren. Biographical material and reviews Assoc. of Jewish Libraries website Answer.com

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