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 Neela Sakaria: Thanks for your time, Ms. Cavelaris. What made you decide to write this book?
Athina Cavelaris: I told a lot of my friends bits of stories from my life. They said, you grew up in World War II, why not write a book? There were many people that did not survive the war -- so in memory of them, I wrote this book.
Neela: Would you say the book is fiction or non-fiction? Is it autobiographical?
AC: No. People always ask what WWII was like. WWII was a very fascinating war -- there are many films, books, etc. People never get enough of it. I wrote about WWII and its circumstances, and of course I was in it. I didn't sit down to write an autobiography, but I guess it looks like it a little bit.
Neela: How long did it take you to write RACHEL, CRYING FOR HER CHILDREN?
AC: I'm a fast writer. I never went to school in the United States but I speak six languages so it was easier. It took me about three months.
Neela: How did people react to the book when it was published in 1994?
AC: Oh there was an unbelievable reaction! I gave most of the books away to friends who wanted to share it with others. My friends were very excited about it.
Neela: At the end of the book, it mentions that you were working on two other books: The Streets Weren't Lined With Gold, and Life Without Linda. What happened with those projects?
AC: There were many complications in the way. I lost two daughters. I'm also a painter but I haven't painted in years... I took care of my daughters' children. Now my grandson is a lawyer and district attorney, three of the other orphans are still at university. At my old age I became a mother again.
Neela: What do your grandchildren think of the book?
AC: They love it. It gives them some history. My friends want me to write another one...maybe some day. But my memory is not the same as it was anymore!
Neela: Are there any special rituals you have as a writer?
AC: Not really anything like that. But it was very hard to find a publisher. I used to write a lot of articles, stories for magazines. But I never sat down to write a book. And then my grandchildren were orphaned...
Neela: How long did it take you to find a publisher for the book?
AC: I asked a lot of people. I learned a lot of things on my own -- people didn't tell me much about any mistakes or anything negative about the book. They just loved it. I just want people to believe that it was true what happened in Germany. And now we are having another war and I'm upset about it. It's terrible for all sides.
Neela: What advice would you give to other aspiring writers?
AC: Just go ahead and do it. You never think about doing anything like this but then at the right time, it just comes to you. It may be the right time for some folks - if they have some time on their hands. When my daughter died years ago, I thought about it and I sat down to write. When I was young and in school, I used to have classmates that would help me with algebra and arithmatic. I would help them with writing. I'm a storyteller.
Neela: Do you have anything else you'd like to share with our readers?
AC: Read the book, and believe every word of what happened during that war. It was terrible what happened to the Jewish people - old people, young people, little babies. When I came to America in 1950 and started talking about WWII, people would say - no that's propaganda. I'd say, I saw it with my own eyes. It was the truth.
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