New York Public Library Podcast
Jill Eisenstadt Talks Returning To Rockaway Thirty Years Later

Thirty years after publishing From Rockaway, Jill Eisenstadt returns with a darkly funny new work of fiction that exposes a city and their family when they are most vulnerable. Swell introduces you to the Glassman family, who chooses to relocate after being at Ground Zero during 9/11. The family choses Rockaway, thinking they would be safe there. The catch? Their new ramshackle beachfront house in Rockaway, Queens is haunted! The Glassman’s are rocked when ninety-year-old Rose shows up after escaping an assisted living facility, and insisted she moves back in. Rose’s return causes a collective nervous breakdown for the family in this novel that will charm and surprise you on every page! Eisenstadt explores the theme of safety in Swell and how important our quest to feel safe is, even though it is often merely an illusion. Read more…