News
|
November 11, 2021 - Boy from Berlin and One Boy’s War featured in Canada's leading newspaper
The Remembrance Day edition of the National Post devoted an entire page to the amazing story that inspired Nancy’s first two novels: Boy from Berlin and One Boy’s War. “It’s a fitting tribute to a brave and talented man who made a real contribution to the war effort,” Nancy says. Read the story here. November 1, 2021 - One Boy's War wins a PenCraft Award Nancy was thrilled to learn that One Boy's War won a 2021 PenCraft Award for literary excellence in middle-grade fiction. PenCraft praised the novel, saying: “This is an example of historical fiction that provides a riveting perspective of a time and its events to fascinate middle school readers.” October 1, 2021 - Nancy sits down with CJCS's Jamie Cottle to discuss Girl on the Run Jamie Cottle, CJCS’s morning man, is a fan of Nancy’s novels, so the two of them had a lively chat about her newly released novel, Girl on the Run - and why she's so passionate that Canadian children learn about the Holocaust. Listen to the interview here. September 9, 2021 - Hot off the presses! COVID dictated that the launch of Girl on the Run was a drop in and out event, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the dozens of invited guests who came out to Fanfare Books to hear Nancy do two short readings from the book and sign copies. April 2022 - BookLife Prize gives The Doktor's Daughter two thumbs up "A fine-tuned narrative with crisp prose, The Doktor's Daughter is a fresh take on a historical moment by an engrossing storyteller." August 2021 - Praise for Girl on the Run The BookLife Prize says Girl on the Run "Delivers a satisfying coming-of-age adventure for its clever young heroine in gently curated historical realism." August 2020 - BookLife Prize weighs in on One Boy's War "An adventure story with truly high stakes. Young readers are unlikely to have encountered a hero like Käfer Avigdor." June 2019 - Praise for Boy from Berlin The BookLife Prize calls Boy from Berlin, "Compelling and well plotted... readers will root for the crafty young protagonist, Käfer, and his family." March 12, 2020 – Canadian Jewish News publishes Nancy’s essay: The Kindness of Strangers For years the Avigdor family wondered about what happened to Charlotte Friedemann, Käfer’s aunt, the only one in the family who didn’t flee Germany. Nancy tells the remarkable story of how Charlotte’s life came to be commemorated by a Stolpersteine, thanks to the efforts of a young German woman and a class of school children – and how she found out about it through the kindness of a young German man. Read the essay here. January 15 – February 6, 2019 Nancy introduces Boy from Berlin to a whole new continent of readers While visiting India and Nepal, Nancy learned that Boy from Berlin hadn’t been discovered! Determined to remedy the situation, she introduced the novel to readers everywhere she went. From students in Delhi and Bhaktapur, to a ‘star’ of the Marigold Hotel movies in Jaipur, to regulars at Goa’s Biggest Bookstore in Panjim—even a traveller at the Taj Mahal in Agra—everyone was enthusiastic. Now, to see some sales from the region! September 19-24, 2018 Ms. McDonald goes to London Nancy was in London to do research for the sequel to Boy from Berlin, which follows Käfer’s exploits during the summer of 1940. A key locale in the novel is Claridge’s Hotel in Mayfair. To ensure authenticity, Nancy got a thorough upstairs/downstairs tour -- from the roof to the basement -- from Nils Weise, Claridge’s Guest Services Manager. While in London, Nancy took the opportunity to make the rounds of the top booksellers to promote Boy from Berlin. From Daunt Books on Marylebone High Street, to Hatchards on Piccadilly; from The London Review Bookshop in Bloomsbury to Word on the Water on Regent’s Canal, the response was positive and everyone most helpful. Next stop: get Boy from Berlin on the shelves of the high street bookshops! July 22, 2018 Nancy talks with CBC Fresh Air host Nana aba Duncan about Boy from Berlin Nancy sat down with Nana aba Duncan in Fresh Air's Toronto studio to talk about the story behind the writing of the book, what happens in Boy from Berlin -- and how readers are reacting to it! Listen to the interview here. The discussion was also streamed live on Fresh Air's Facebook page. Watch the whole segment here. June 22, 2018 Boy from Berlin receives its first media review Columnist and playwright Rick Whelan reviewed Boy from Berlin in the June 22, 2018 edition of the Beacon Herald. In his column, titled An inspiring tale just right for our times!, Whelan writes: “Boy from Berlin is a personal memoir wrapped in a history lesson encased in a rousing coming-of-age tale! McDonald is a gifted writer and in her debut novel she has rendered this harrowing tale of escape with imagination and the compelling craft of storytelling. And the best news for me personally is… she’s planning a sequel.” Read the full review here. June 7, 2018 Boy from Berlin officially launches Boy from Berlin was officially launched Thursday, June 7, 2018 at Fanfare Books in Stratford, Ontario. More than 80 people turned out to meet Nancy and hear two short readings from the book, after which she signed copies for about an hour. |