Fern Schumer Chapman

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Fern Schumer Chapman

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Born
in Chicago, The United States
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Member Since
September 2008

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Critically acclaimed Chicago-based writer Fern Schumer Chapman has written several award-winning books. Viking/Penguin released BROTHERS, SISTERS, STRANGERS: Sibling Estrangement and the Road to Reconciliation in 2021. She writes a blog about sibling estrangement for psychologytoday.com: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/bl... Some of her blog posts are compiled in her latest work, THE SIBLING ESTRANGEMENT JOURNAL: A Guided Exploration of Your Experiences .

Her memoir, MOTHERLAND -- a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, and a BookSense76 pick -- is a popular choice for book clubs. She has written two picture books in the HAPPY HARPER series., which explores little people's big
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Popular Answered Questions

Fern Schumer Chapman A long time ago, I learned that the assumption that motivation results in productivity is wrong-headed. The truth: productivity results in motivation.…moreA long time ago, I learned that the assumption that motivation results in productivity is wrong-headed. The truth: productivity results in motivation.

When I have writer's block, I do something to free my mind -- take a walk ride my bike, even drive the car. Then, when I return home, I start working again, angling into what I'm writing any way I can. Once I get started, usually, I can't stop.(less)
Fern Schumer Chapman Thank you! Very gratifying to hear that the book helped you feel less alone. Sadly, studies show that about one in three people suffer with a family e…moreThank you! Very gratifying to hear that the book helped you feel less alone. Sadly, studies show that about one in three people suffer with a family estrangement.

Here are a few resources for you:

My psychologytoday.com blog:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/bl...

My "Brothers, Sisters, Strangers" podcast with psychotherapist Ali-John Chaudhary: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrwZ...

Facebook private group for estranged siblings: https://www.facebook.com/groups/68892...

The Facebook private group holds virtual support group meetings every month.

Hope you find these resources helpful!(less)
Average rating: 4.06 · 1,916 ratings · 361 reviews · 11 distinct worksSimilar authors
Is It Night or Day?

4.02 avg rating — 1,254 ratings — published 2010 — 20 editions
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Motherland: Beyond the Holo...

4.06 avg rating — 339 ratings — published 2000 — 11 editions
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Brothers, Sisters, Stranger...

4.20 avg rating — 208 ratings — published 2021 — 2 editions
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Like Finding My Twin: How A...

4.24 avg rating — 38 ratings — published 2015 — 6 editions
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Stumbling on History: An Ar...

4.25 avg rating — 36 ratings — published 2017 — 6 editions
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Three Stars in the Night Sky

4.16 avg rating — 19 ratings5 editions
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The Sibling Estrangement Jo...

really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 8 ratings2 editions
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Happy Harper Thursdays: A G...

it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 6 ratings4 editions
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Returning by the Road We Ca...

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The Return of Happy Harper ...

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Question from estranged sister: How do I manage when parents get ill or die?

Fern, I just read your article ‘How Narcissism Can Lead to Sibling Estrangement’, and I recognised every single description.
This is not a surprise to me, since I’ve struggled with ‘sibling estrangement’ for nearly two decades. And she’s my only one… (adding to a deep-rooted sense of self-blame).
A turning point in my life was when I broke the news of my pregnancy with my sister (and of course, she’

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Published on February 17, 2026 11:12

Fern’s Recent Updates

Fern Schumer Chapman wrote a new blog post

Question from estranged sister: How do I manage when parents get ill or die?

Fern, I just read your article ‘How Narcissism Can Lead to Sibling Estrangement’, and I recognised every single description.This is not a surprise to Read more of this blog post »
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What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown
What Kind of Paradise
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Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundhati Roy
Mother Mary Comes to Me
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Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
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Theo of Golden by Allen  Levi
Theo of Golden
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The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa
The German Girl
by Armando Lucas Correa (Goodreads Author)
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The Rest of Our Lives by Benjamin Markovits
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Strangers by Belle Burden
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Cruelty by Nature by Dr. Peter Salerno
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The Push by Ashley Audrain
The Push
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Quotes by Fern Schumer Chapman  (?)
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“The past is a presence between us. In all my mother does and says, the past continually discloses itself in the smallest ways. She sees it directly; I see its shadow. Still, it pulses in my fingertips, feeds on my consciousness. It is a backdrop for each act, each drama of our lives. I have absorbed a sense of what she has suffered, what she has lost, even what her mother endured and handed down. It is my emotional gene map.”
Fern Schumer Chapman, Motherland: Beyond the Holocaust: A Mother-Daughter Journey to Reclaim the Past

“Smells, I think, may be the last thing on earth to die.”
Fern Schumer Chapman, Motherland: Beyond the Holocaust: A Mother-Daughter Journey to Reclaim the Past

“Memory for most is a kind of afterlife; for my mother, it is another form of life.”
Fern Schumer Chapman, Motherland: Beyond the Holocaust: A Mother-Daughter Journey to Reclaim the Past

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...March 12, 2014 to April 11, 2014...
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message 4: by Fern

Fern Chapman Stephanie wrote: "I received “Stumbling On History” in the mail and read it immediately. This book is very meaningful to me; last November my husband and I traveled to Amsterdam and saw many of the Stolpersteines th..."

Thanks for your comment, Stephanie. The stolpersteine public memorial is so powerful, and the installation ceremonies serve as a kind of funeral for those who were never properly buried. As you may know, STUMBLING ON HISTORY has a new version, FACING THE PAST, and it is part of The Legacy of the Holocaust series, which includes MIDDLE SCHOOL SLEUTHS and THREE STARS IN THE NIGHT SKY. Thank you for your interest!


Stephanie Fitzgerald I received “Stumbling On History” in the mail and read it immediately. This book is very meaningful to me; last November my husband and I traveled to Amsterdam and saw many of the Stolpersteines there, including the one in front of the Frank family’s house. It broke our hearts to see so many, and to know that there are so many, many more all throughout Europe…


message 2: by Fern

Fern Chapman Now available: A new edition of IS IT NIGHT OR DAY? with a new cover, Author's note, and more!

My mother's story of childhood immigration as an unaccompanied minor is more relevant than ever, as parents in our war-torn world are forced to rip their families apart and send their children away to safety.


message 1: by Fern (last edited Jul 08, 2014 04:55PM)

Fern Chapman Square Fish will release the paperback edition of IS IT NIGHT OR DAY? on Tuesday, March 18, 2014. It includes bonus material:

* An essay about how compassionate 8th graders reunited two Holocaust refugees

* A Teacher's Guide

* A Q/A with the author

The book is aligned with the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS).


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