ICE CREAM & PRETZELS
AND OTHER STORIES
A MEMOIR BY CYNTHIA CLAUS
In a series of candid vignettes and one poem, Cynthia takes us into her family of origin to revisit her physician parents, whose lives were impacted in unexpected, far-reaching ways by her father’s service in World War II, and into her life with them and her two younger sisters, covering several decades. We meet grandparents, lifelong friends, and mother substitutes. Dark family secrets are revealed. Questions are raised. Other tales explore Cynthia’s work history in such divergent places as her father’s medical office and a seminary. We are with her during the dissolution of two marriages and a nostalgic look back at a high school romance. Always honest, Cynthia tells it like it was—the good, the bad, and the very bad—with feeling and understanding, and eventually forgiveness.
“Told in a series of beautifully crafted personal vignettes, this book is a delicious peek into a Philadelphia childhood. Divided by religion, losses, and addiction, a dynamic and sometimes-ecclesial doctor and his long-suffering wife raise three lively daughters who must walk a careful line between their parents.”
and "Remember the Moon: A Novel."
“Cynthia has a winner here! We learn from reading “Ice Cream & Pretzels” that life writes its own script, often with surprising twists unpredicted and undesired. In this book, Cynthia records life up, down, and sideways. She covers parents, spouses, children, friends, relationships, and human needs. This series of essays is an easy read and actually educational, as they reveal not only the learning of life, but human and religious influences. These reflections on birth, life, and death are universal. As you read this book, you will be making comparisons to your own life history.”
"The Hidden Congregation," and "The Brother Voice."