Author Meryl Ain joins the Spotlight to chat about her short story collection
Author Name: Meryl Ain
Book Title: Remember to Eat and Other Stories
Book Genre: Short Stories
Release Date: January 20, 2026
Publisher: SparkPress
Welcome, Meryl! Please tell us a bit about Remember to Eat.
Remember to Eat follows two women and their families from before WW II to the present. It’s both poignant and humorous and takes on compelling themes, including patriarchy, technology, the changing role of women, raising children, and more.
What drew you to writing a book of short fiction?
Interestingly, I had written just about every other genre but short fiction – two novels, a non-fiction book, essays, poems, op-eds, but not short stories. I am an avid reader, sometimes reading two books a week, and a friend who wrote short stories brought Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout to my attention. I read it and then the sequel, and I was hooked. I began to read other short story collections, including those by Jhumpa Lahiri and Hilma Wolitzer as well as classical ones like Chekhov and Dostoevsky, and I was hooked. It seemed like such a great way to tell a story, especially because I have many years of experience writing short essays. I wrote the stories in the book over a period of nine months, but many of them had been brewing in my head for a very long time. I had the idea for the first story and it just flowed, so then I wrote four more. I sent them to my publisher, and she loved them, so then I knew I had a book.
How long did it take for you to write the book? Did you do any research?
It took me about nine months to complete the book. I researched the history and historical references to make sure they were accurate. I based some of the Alice stories on my mother’s experience during the military in WWII.
What do you hope readers will take away from this story?
As my grandmother used to tell me, “The pendulum swings.” But then again, “everything old is new again.” The time frame of the book – from 1938 to the present – illustrates both of these sayings. I hope that readers laugh, cry, ponder, and discuss. I hope they see themselves and people they know in some of the situations and stories. I hope they appreciate the time capsule from pre-WWII to the present. I hope they enjoy the book enough to tell their friends and family about it. And, of course, the most important takeaway is that family is forever.
What about the writing/editing/publishing process has been the most surprising to you so far?
Although my high school English teacher told our class, “your words are not immortal,” I continue to be amazed at how much editing is required in the publishing process to bring a book to a level of excellence. My teacher’s words ring in my ears each time I read, write and have a book published.
What are you working on now?
I’m writing more short stories, and perhaps they will become a book too. Mostly, I’m trying to spread the word about Remember to Eat. I’m speaking to groups — both in person and virtually. I have a Facebook group, called Jews Love to Read! And we have more than 6,000 members. I also interview other authors on my podcast, People of the Book, which is broadcast on The Authors on the Air Global Radio Network.
Where can readers find you?
Website: https://www.merylain.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meryl.ain.9
Jews Love to Read! FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/455865462463744/members
Podcast: https://merylain.com/people-of-the-book-podcast/
See my website for upcoming events.
Remember to Eat and Other Stories
For fans of Hilma Wolitzer and Jhumpa Lahiri comes a collection of short stories about a mother and daughter as they navigate their changing roles through tumultuous times.
Following a Jewish family from before World War II to the not-too-distant future, this collection of loosely linked short stories explores the experiences of Marjorie, a baby boomer; her mother, Alice; and the friends and family that make up their community over the decades. As they each pursue higher education and choose career paths, both mother and daughter encounter challenges as they make choices within a changing society—from in-law problems to illness to antisemitism and beyond.
Sometimes poignant, sometimes humorous, Remember to Eat takes on themes including patriarchy, technology, the changing role of women, the challenges of raising children, the COVID-19 pandemic, complex family relationships, and what it means to be a Jew with empathy and insight. Ultimately, the twenty-two stories contained in these pages offer not only an intimate journey into these women’s lives but also an illuminating portrait of the times in which they live.
Author Bio:
Meryl Ain is a writer, author, podcaster, and career educator. Her newest book, Remember to Eat and Other Stories will be published in January 2026. Her 2023 novel, Shadows We Carry, received two awards, including the 2023 Best Book Awards Winner in Historical Fiction. It is the sequel to The Takeaway Men, her award-winning debut novel, which was published in 2020. Her articles and essays have appeared in numerous publications, and she is the author of two nonfiction books. The host of the podcast People of the Book, she is also the founder of the Facebook group “Jews Love to Read!” The group currently has 6,000 members. A former teacher and school administrator, Meryl holds a BA from Queens College, an MA from Columbia University, and a doctorate in education from Hofstra University. She and her husband, Stewart, a journalist, live on Long Island and spend the winters in Florida. They have three married sons and six grandchildren.