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Jewel a Memoir
“The first time I heard I was a murderer was in Miss Johnson’s class in second grade.”
So begins the memoir of Jewel Beth Davis, a woman who grew up in a Jewish household in the fifties and sixties in Quincy, Massachusetts, in a neighborhood that had very few Jewish families, and where people thought of Jews only in terms of killing Christ. The resulting adult is both psychologically flawed and uniquely creative.
The memoir is a compilation of humor-based stories about Davis's childhood through adulthood, laced together chronologically within the bookends of telling family stories to her nieces and nephews. Many of the stories chronicle Davis’s developmental experiences in Quincy, her parents’ dysfunctional parenting skills, and the coloring of her world with Depression-era Jewish negativity and humor. Jewel A Memoir is the story of a life that metamorphoses from tragedy to a joyful appreciation of life’s challenges.
So begins the memoir of Jewel Beth Davis, a woman who grew up in a Jewish household in the fifties and sixties in Quincy, Massachusetts, in a neighborhood that had very few Jewish families, and where people thought of Jews only in terms of killing Christ. The resulting adult is both psychologically flawed and uniquely creative.
The memoir is a compilation of humor-based stories about Davis's childhood through adulthood, laced together chronologically within the bookends of telling family stories to her nieces and nephews. Many of the stories chronicle Davis’s developmental experiences in Quincy, her parents’ dysfunctional parenting skills, and the coloring of her world with Depression-era Jewish negativity and humor. Jewel A Memoir is the story of a life that metamorphoses from tragedy to a joyful appreciation of life’s challenges.
- GenresMemoir
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 15, 2012
6 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Jewel Beth Davis
1 book3 followersI've been telling my students for many years, stories of trauma, stories of hilarity, and stories of personal growth. I decided to go back to school and Vermont College of Fine Arts accepted me. I received my MFA two and a half years later. I'd thought of myself as an actor all my life. That's changed. Now I think of myself as a writer, though I still perform. I have performed, directed and choreographed professionally throughout the U.S. and British Isles. My last role was as the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet. I am an Artist in Education with the NH State Council on the Arts. I am a professor of Writing and Theater at NHTI- Concord Community College. My play, Shadow Dancing, earned an award from the CT Playwrights Collective.
I finished my memoir at VCFA and have had more than 90% of the essays published in literary magazines, as well as many short fiction stories as well. Right now, I have completed my first novel, Sadie and Irving Fix the World. It's a humorous exploration of what happens when God becomes terribly disillusioned.
“With God suffering burnout and on strike, the human race has become a puzzle only Sadie and Irving can solve. An everyday hero’s journey, Davis’ fiction is smart, witty, and profound with characters who linger humorously past the final pages. I only wish they were real. I’d love to have Sadie and Irving take a crack at fixing our world.”
Brunonia Barry
NY Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader
I finished my memoir at VCFA and have had more than 90% of the essays published in literary magazines, as well as many short fiction stories as well. Right now, I have completed my first novel, Sadie and Irving Fix the World. It's a humorous exploration of what happens when God becomes terribly disillusioned.
“With God suffering burnout and on strike, the human race has become a puzzle only Sadie and Irving can solve. An everyday hero’s journey, Davis’ fiction is smart, witty, and profound with characters who linger humorously past the final pages. I only wish they were real. I’d love to have Sadie and Irving take a crack at fixing our world.”
Brunonia Barry
NY Times bestselling author of The Lace Reader
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 15, 2013
Jewel Davis is an actress, and apparently also a very good writer. This collection of stories and recollections of her life is a wild ride - at times hilariously funny, at times heartbreakingly sad, and always entertaining. She is brutally honest about her bouts of depression, her insecurities, her family issues, etc. Sometimes I liked her a lot, other times I couldn't stand her - but I kept on reading and I'm glad I got to know her!
February 20, 2020
Here are twenty-three, poignantly observed, witty stories about a woman growing up in New England in the 50s and 60s. As one of three children of parents obsessed with education and upward mobility, Jewel suffered as the youngest and only female. To the author’s credit, she treats her family members with wry and gentle humor, seeing them through the lens of time with forgiveness and even love. Yet, her eye for the ironies of what it meant to grow up in such a competitive environment – the consequence of her parents’ agenda and Jewel’s need to express herself as an actor and dancer – is a window into the Baby Boomer Generation. Growing up, family secrets abounded, with a predictable toll. Once Ms. Davis was tipped off about an aunt who committed suicide, she never let up getting at the truth. In the memoir’s bookend story, “What I Didn’t Know,” she recounts this mystery with objectivity and generosity – as she does throughout her book. Jewel: A Memoir, an engaging read, will leave the reader reflecting on their own journey to adulthood. Reviewed by EH Davis, author of My Wife’s Husband: A Family Thriller (Amazon)
August 7, 2020
I had reader's block for several months. Then I began reading Jewel's memoir and literally could not put it down. Such honesty, such a wondrous writing style. Jewel plumbs into the depths of despair and the heights of joy, both in her life and the lives of others. She hides nothing and divulges aspects of her life with courage not always seen on the written page. She shares both her demons and her delights. I was taken by her in-depth descriptions of people, nature, and her innermost thoughts. Identifying with her family made the book an even more fascinating read. Where else could I have come across the word "puchke"?!?.. a memory/word from my own childhood. Realizing that I was nearing the end of Jewel's memoir, I rued finishing the book but was impelled to know the ending. Jewel... I so look forward to your NEXT chapters! Thanks so much for allowing readers such as myself the opportunity to enter into your life. Keep up those good spirits!
March 5, 2023
I needed a tissue box close both for tears of sadness and of deep laughter! The pages couldn’t be turned fast enough to see what in the world would happen next to beautiful Jewel. Her “lay-it-all-out-there” honesty caught me off guard with a catching of my breath and intrigued me all at the same time. I have an even more generous compassion for those dealing with depression. Thank you, Jewel, for being real and for sharing your life stories with us.
June 25, 2020
Great Read
Loved getting to know Jewel through her book. Her writing is witty, poignant, brings one to laughter and tears. I could not put this down. Kudos Jewel!
Loved getting to know Jewel through her book. Her writing is witty, poignant, brings one to laughter and tears. I could not put this down. Kudos Jewel!
March 21, 2023
Insightful and honest
We all could use a book like this of our lives. Jewel is very talented with word and story, you will find it riveting!
We all could use a book like this of our lives. Jewel is very talented with word and story, you will find it riveting!
November 5, 2012
I really enjoy reading memoirs and this one was no exception.
The story starts off slowly in her childhood, setting the foundation and it picks up steam as she enters into an early adulthood with the passing of her father. This is not a typical memoir in that it starts at point A and is linear to point B. Often times I was not sure of the timeline of events, but in this case, it didn't take away from the experience. It was written as a selection of stories that stood out in her life. It felt written in a way that people get to know someone in real life. You don't always get the whole life story but bits and pieces as you spend time together until you can get an understanding of the person and their life.
Some of the quotes that I enjoyed:
"But if you never do something that's forbidden, something frightening and courageous, you may never break away. You may never grow up. You may never become.
"It is the reaching, the longing for the world unseen that drives us to work and interact in a way that matters."
The only thing I didn't like was the ending and her final statement in the epilogue. I don't think that is true and it was very abrupt. I hope she continues to write and share.
The story starts off slowly in her childhood, setting the foundation and it picks up steam as she enters into an early adulthood with the passing of her father. This is not a typical memoir in that it starts at point A and is linear to point B. Often times I was not sure of the timeline of events, but in this case, it didn't take away from the experience. It was written as a selection of stories that stood out in her life. It felt written in a way that people get to know someone in real life. You don't always get the whole life story but bits and pieces as you spend time together until you can get an understanding of the person and their life.
Some of the quotes that I enjoyed:
"But if you never do something that's forbidden, something frightening and courageous, you may never break away. You may never grow up. You may never become.
"It is the reaching, the longing for the world unseen that drives us to work and interact in a way that matters."
The only thing I didn't like was the ending and her final statement in the epilogue. I don't think that is true and it was very abrupt. I hope she continues to write and share.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews