The Children of the Forest

Genre: Fiction / Historical / Jewish / Fairy Tales / Legends & Mythology.
THE CHILDREN OF THE FOREST is an embellished historical fiction. It is a folktale in the European tradition. Mystical. Kabbalistic. Klezmerising. The content is very loosely based on a story written by Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav (1772-1810).
The story begins pre-WWII, weaving around the lives of its two primary characters: Zusa is ten, and Motke is nine. They are two Polish Jewish-born children who, one night, each lost both of their parents in a massive storm. During the ensuing years, they begin a lasting relationship.
The children encounter five complex and confounding Klezmorim characters who live with disabilities. The characters balance each other’s strengths and weaknesses to form, as it were, one single, dynamic, and powerful voice.
The story's focus also brings history to life for teens, increasing their knowledge of the social sciences and promoting the development of social-emotional skills, such as empathy and sensitivity.