Here's what they're saying about Joseph's Bones:
“Readers of Joseph's Bones will not only enjoy the charm of Ozzie Nogg's writing. They will be trans"Readers of Joseph's Bones will not only enjoy the charm of Ozzie Nogg's writing. They will be transported along with her to sweet reminiscences of life with their own families in times gone by. This book is a delight; it informs and inspires. Do not be misled by its small size; its message is love, tenderness, and joy writ large. You will want to read it more than once."
-- Rabbi Jules Harlow
Editor and translator of Sim Shalom, the Conservative movement's prayer book
“…One of the most moving, well-written memoirs of life in small Jewish communities, Joseph's Bones is a wonderful read. I laughed, I cried, I loved it! This honest, intimate work proves that Ozzie Nogg is Omaha's gift to Jewish literature.”
-- Dr. Ron Wolfson
Vice President, University of Judaism
A first place winner in the 2005 Writer's Digest Press "International Self-Published Book Awards", Joseph's Bones: A Collection Of Stories, is deftly written by Ozzie Nogg, whose personal stories and feature columns exploring Jewish tradition, identity and values have appeared in weekly newspapers around the country. Comprised of twelve original short stories drawn from and inspired by her life as a rabbi's daughter and reflecting a rich Jewish oral storytelling tradition, these are tales that appeal to readers from all backgrounds because of Ozzie's abilities as a writer. Each individual story begins with an original illustration by the author and leads to a wonderfully engaging and deftly written reminiscence that evokes life in a small Jewish community.
Enhanced with the inclusion of a Glossary, these stories are replete with humor, insight, and an uncommon wisdom when speaking of the human condition as reflected within all of our families and communities regardless of our ethnic, cultural, or religious backgrounds. It is so well written and engaging, that Joseph's Bones would make a welcome addition to any personal, academic, or community library "Judaic Studies" collection.
-- Midwest Book Review
Joseph's Bones is a delectable collection of short stories that immediately bring to mind Shalom Aleichem and shades of Bashevis-Singer. Poetic, but with targeted clarity, author Ozzie Nogg transports the reader to her childhood as the daughter of an immigrant Rabbi in Midwestern America, and to the European shtetl. Salted with sadness, peppered with humor and Ms. Nogg's vibrant and ironic wit, with each successive story the reader is reeled in closer to the Rabbi's daughter's world. Readers do not be fooled; while this is a collection of personal stories, it is full of fascinating surprises. I heartily endorse Joseph's Bones and rate this as one of the most interesting and best-written clusters of short fiction that I've read.
- Dr. Steven H. Caplan
A principal investigator and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE., Caplan's first novel, Matter Over Mind, was a quarterfinalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition.
Joseph’s Bones is a wonderful treasure chest of stories and tales to rummage through and relish. Ozzie Nogg, a masterful story teller has captured the essence of those whose memories she cherishes most and shares them with us, her audience, with the reverence ancestors and patriarchs deserve and with the love and gratitude of one who cherishes them dearly.Through the trials and tribulations of her childhood we meet Nogg’s Bubbie (grandmother), her younger brother, and her parents as they celebrate holidays and traditions held sacred in their family.
Joseph’s Bones will have you rolling on the floor laughing at her stories of family and their rather ordinary extraordinary lives. You will celebrate with Nogg’s family on the occasion of her Father’s 83rd birthday and the ceremony of a most unusual second Bar Mitzvah. Nogg, now a Bubbie herself, is leaving behind a valuable legacy for her children. Moses cared much for Joseph’s legacy carrying his bones out of Egypt back to the Promised Land, Nogg has done an excellent job of continuing the story teller gifts and sharing her family’s legacy with the next generation. This is a book that is so charming that you will want to share it with close friends and family. It is easy to see why Joseph’s Bones was a Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Winner. Her Bubbie would be proud!
-- my writing mentor website
“Readers of Joseph's Bones will not only enjoy the charm of Ozzie Nogg's writing. They will be trans"Readers of Joseph's Bones will not only enjoy the charm of Ozzie Nogg's writing. They will be transported along with her to sweet reminiscences of life with their own families in times gone by. This book is a delight; it informs and inspires. Do not be misled by its small size; its message is love, tenderness, and joy writ large. You will want to read it more than once."
-- Rabbi Jules Harlow
Editor and translator of Sim Shalom, the Conservative movement's prayer book
“…One of the most moving, well-written memoirs of life in small Jewish communities, Joseph's Bones is a wonderful read. I laughed, I cried, I loved it! This honest, intimate work proves that Ozzie Nogg is Omaha's gift to Jewish literature.”
-- Dr. Ron Wolfson
Vice President, University of Judaism
A first place winner in the 2005 Writer's Digest Press "International Self-Published Book Awards", Joseph's Bones: A Collection Of Stories, is deftly written by Ozzie Nogg, whose personal stories and feature columns exploring Jewish tradition, identity and values have appeared in weekly newspapers around the country. Comprised of twelve original short stories drawn from and inspired by her life as a rabbi's daughter and reflecting a rich Jewish oral storytelling tradition, these are tales that appeal to readers from all backgrounds because of Ozzie's abilities as a writer. Each individual story begins with an original illustration by the author and leads to a wonderfully engaging and deftly written reminiscence that evokes life in a small Jewish community.
Enhanced with the inclusion of a Glossary, these stories are replete with humor, insight, and an uncommon wisdom when speaking of the human condition as reflected within all of our families and communities regardless of our ethnic, cultural, or religious backgrounds. It is so well written and engaging, that Joseph's Bones would make a welcome addition to any personal, academic, or community library "Judaic Studies" collection.
-- Midwest Book Review
Joseph's Bones is a delectable collection of short stories that immediately bring to mind Shalom Aleichem and shades of Bashevis-Singer. Poetic, but with targeted clarity, author Ozzie Nogg transports the reader to her childhood as the daughter of an immigrant Rabbi in Midwestern America, and to the European shtetl. Salted with sadness, peppered with humor and Ms. Nogg's vibrant and ironic wit, with each successive story the reader is reeled in closer to the Rabbi's daughter's world. Readers do not be fooled; while this is a collection of personal stories, it is full of fascinating surprises. I heartily endorse Joseph's Bones and rate this as one of the most interesting and best-written clusters of short fiction that I've read.
- Dr. Steven H. Caplan
A principal investigator and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, NE., Caplan's first novel, Matter Over Mind, was a quarterfinalist in the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition.
Joseph’s Bones is a wonderful treasure chest of stories and tales to rummage through and relish. Ozzie Nogg, a masterful story teller has captured the essence of those whose memories she cherishes most and shares them with us, her audience, with the reverence ancestors and patriarchs deserve and with the love and gratitude of one who cherishes them dearly.Through the trials and tribulations of her childhood we meet Nogg’s Bubbie (grandmother), her younger brother, and her parents as they celebrate holidays and traditions held sacred in their family.
Joseph’s Bones will have you rolling on the floor laughing at her stories of family and their rather ordinary extraordinary lives. You will celebrate with Nogg’s family on the occasion of her Father’s 83rd birthday and the ceremony of a most unusual second Bar Mitzvah. Nogg, now a Bubbie herself, is leaving behind a valuable legacy for her children. Moses cared much for Joseph’s legacy carrying his bones out of Egypt back to the Promised Land, Nogg has done an excellent job of continuing the story teller gifts and sharing her family’s legacy with the next generation. This is a book that is so charming that you will want to share it with close friends and family. It is easy to see why Joseph’s Bones was a Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Winner. Her Bubbie would be proud!
-- my writing mentor website