Rebuilding a Life: 'Who She Was'

Fresh Air | By Terry Gross

Published March 29, 2005 at 12:00 AM EST

Detail from the cover of Samuel G. Freedman's <i>Who She Was</i>. — Detail from the cover of Samuel G. Freedman's *Who She Was*.

Writer Samuel G. Freedman's new book is Who She Was: My Search for My Mother's Life. Freedman's mother died many years ago, when he was just 18, and as he approached his mother's age when she died, he decided to find out all about her life. The result is a narrative fueled by facts.

Freedman is a former reporter for The New York Times; he continues to write for the Times and other publications. He is the author of four other books, including Jew vs. Jew: The Struggle for the Soul of American Jewry. Freedman is also a professor of journalism at Columbia University.

Terry Gross

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Rebuilding a Life: 'Who She Was'

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