Please help me welcome today’s guests, Joyce Sanderly and Patricia Weiss…
Character Interview with Patricia Weiss, protagonist-narrator of Wild Irish Yenta
1. Tell us a bit about yourself and the title of the book?
Wild Irish Yenta, yes, that’s me, Mrs. Patricia (nee Reilly) Weiss, wife of a Jewish cardiologist and daughter of good Catholic parents. My Italian-American mother is a nurse and a dynamite cook. I followed my mother’s path into nursing. Unfortunately I did not inherit her culinary gene, much to the dismay of my foodie husband and my adorable four-year-old son. My Irish- American dad was a detective in the Randolph, Massachusetts police force and I did inherit his love of solving crimes and puzzles.
My addictive attraction to puzzling is one of the reasons I was compelled to investigate the mysterious death of Roberto Gomez, the custodian at my family’s temple in suburban Maryland. His body was found in the temple’s parking lot squashed against a garbage bin. I had been tutoring Roberto with his English language skills. Roberto was struggling to be adopted by a new country, learn a new language, and hold down a job to support his family. I felt a kinship with him. I, too, felt like an outsider. As a recent convert to Judaism, I was trying to gain acceptance into the Jewish faith, the temple, and my husband’s family (especially my mother-in-law). In spite of my overly cautious doctor-husband’s wishes, my temple buddy Brenda and I designated ourselves the Yenta Patrol to unravel the mystery.
What is a yenta you may ask. As with most Yiddish words, there is no precise English equivalent. My buddy Brenda defines yenta as a wise and knowledgeable female who distributes essential information to parties who have a need to know, kind of like an analog version of social media. A less complimentary definition of the term yenta might be “busybody.” In any event Brenda and I made a great detecting team, and we had good intentions at heart.
2. What made you choose nursing as a profession/career?
I was encouraged to follow my mother into nursing. My mother managed to take good care of both her patients and her family. She cooked amazing meals – lasagna and peach pie – and made sure she was home while my father worked long and unpredictable hours. I followed my mother’s nursing path in hopes that I could simultaneously pursue a caring profession and raise a family. Although other women of my generation were going into law and medicine, none seemed to live in Randolph. I enjoyed my nursing responsibilities in the hospital. Plus I met my handsome husband when he was a resident in cardiology at the hospital. But when my son Danny was born, I decided to be a full-time mom. My husband was just establishing his cardiology practice in Maryland, and I wanted to ensure I was available to give Danny hugs and meet his needs.
In retrospect, I might have chosen differently. If I had been a boy I might have followed my father into the police force and become a detective. However, a detective can be put in compromising situations where she has to intimidate witnesses and bend the truth to obtain the truth. It’s not like being a firefighter. No one is happy to see a detective on the doorstep with a search warrant. In an ideal world with unlimited resources of time and money, I think I would have pursued a medical career. Perhaps I would have become an infectious disease doc or a pathologist who unraveled medical mysteries. In any event, I am going to encourage my son (and hopefully more children to come) to follow his heart and mind when choosing a career.
3. What is my biggest fear?
My biggest fear is not being the best mother I can be for Danny, my four-year-old son. He is such a smart, sweet child. He shares with friends and asks lots of questions. I want to encourage him to be curious, to try new things, but I don’t want to pressure him or stress him out. I wish I could ensure him a happy life, but I know that is impossible. He will have to face many challenges by himself. I can only provide a safe and loving environment and give him as many opportunities as possible. I wish I knew when to protect and when to pull back. My parents were good parents but they were very traditional, and I was raised in a different era. The world has become a much complicated place, what with social media, global warming, and pandemics. I hope I can raise Danny to be a caring person and to have the tools he needs to make fulfilling choices.
4. Who are my favorite fictional character and why?
Growing up, I loved reading Nancy Drew mysteries and the Hardy Boys. I watched Cagney and Lacey reruns and Murder She Wrote on TV. My favorite character is Detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order SVU. She is compassionate and works for victim rights. She is not only a relentless pursuer of crime but also a single parent raising a young son.
5. What is the best piece of advice I have ever received?
The best recent pieces of advice I have received come from my mentor Rabbi Deborah who guided me through the conversion process and from my buddy Brenda. Rabbi Deborah has convinced me that I need to be more accepting of my husband’s behavior, my mother-in-law’s behavior, and my own behavior. No one is perfect, and I need to learn to be more forgiving of all of our flaws. At the same time, Rabbi Deborah has emphasized that I should not give up on pursuing my own interests outside of the family. Rabbi Deborah has also emphasized that a married couple must be loving and beloved friends, passionate partners for life. Brenda, the most experienced spouse of the three of us, has made clear that marriage is a 50/50 proposition – both partners must share the responsibilities and the fun times equally.
To learn her new religion and keep memories of her birth faith, to improve her marriage to a cardiologist and his Jewish mother, to solve a mysterious death and disappearance at her temple—she wants it all—the Wild Irish Yenta!
Blurb:
Set against a backdrop of a suburban Maryland synagogue, Wild Irish Yenta dishes on interfaith marriage, misbehaving clergy, Biblical myth, and the beauty of religious traditions. When the body of custodian Roberto Gomez is found in Temple Israel’s parking lot, Patricia Weiss, nee Reilly, exchanges her suburban-mom sneakers for gumshoes to investigate the hit-and-run. An ardent new convert to Judaism, Patricia is grappling with her outsider status at the upscale
Reform congregation. For Roberto, the stakes had been much higher. He was struggling to be
adopted by a new country and learn a new language. Inspired by her detective dad, Patricia is compelled to find out who-dun-it and why.
This novel takes a wry look at marriage, insular suburban cliques, and the politics of religious institutions. While poking fun at cultural stereotypes, the novel interweaves biblical stories with questions of contemporary concern. Can a nice Catholic girl find happiness with a Jewish cardiologist even if she converts? Can Patricia’s yenta patrol detect a connection between a custodian’s death and other troubling happenings at the Temple?
“In Wild Irish Yenta, Philip Roth meets Agatha Christie, and the result is a page-turner that also explores the interlocking dynamics that exist within an interfaith marriage, a family and a Maryland synagogue.” — Michelle Brafman, author of Swimming With Ghosts.
“This keenly observed, funny mystery … combines an insightful look at interfaith marriage, the complexities of friendship, and the politics of religious institutions.” – Susan Coll, author of Bookish People
Excerpt:
Patricia owed it to Roberto to try to figure out exactly what happened the night he died. She felt a kinship with him. Like her, he had been an outsider trying to fit in. While she was trying to gain acceptance into the Jewish faith, the temple, and her husband’s family, for Roberto the stakes had been much higher. He was struggling to be adopted by a new country, learn a language, and hold down a job to support his family. He’d described to her how he left his home and many of his relatives in El Salvador, because of gang violence perpetrated against innocent people. He’d worried the M-13 gang would try to recruit his son to sell drugs. Anyone refusing or complaining to the police could be subject to retaliation.
Patricia’s paternal grandfather had told her how he emigrated from Ireland in the middle of an economic panic that devastated the family farm. He fought for a longshoreman’s job and a decent place to live in Boston. Neither of Patricia’s parents had earned college degrees, and Patricia could see she had taken a leap upon arriving on the shores of Potomac Pines. Roberto had a much higher bar to clear but he was on his way, improving his English fluency and learning computer skills.
The blare of her cellphone’s Real Detective ringtone made her jump. It was Michael.
“Just checking in. I was worried—that hit and run—your friend Roberto’s death. What a waste. Did you park close to the entrance?”
“I’m fine. I’m leaving.”
“Please, use the phone flashlight to get to the car. Be careful. Danny and I are hoping for good night kisses.”
Patricia smiled at the plaintive note in Michael’s voice. “Be there in ten minutes.”
Home in time for bed check and kisses—what more could she desire? Nice to feel her presence was missed. Coming from a big family, that had not frequently been the case. She appreciated Michael’s concern, but his protectiveness could be overbearing. Like having her own personal Jewish mother.
On the other hand, their contrasting backgrounds contributed to that mysterious je ne sais quoi—the irresistible magnetism that attracted her to him physically and intellectually. She was drawn in by his deep eyes, abundant curls, forthright opinions, intellectual prowess. And considering prowess, when it came to sex, his caring and tenderness were great assets. No denying that appeal. The old myth about relationships being based on having lots in common was dubious. More important, they were able to relate to each other and navigate life together. Admittedly they did need to work on their problem-solving abilities.
Plus Michael was a good provider. His cardiology practice gave her the freedom not to work, at least for a few years. But was nursemaid the only role she wanted? She sighed. She would have to consider what choices lay ahead. But tonight she was tired. She couldn’t wait to hug and kiss her warm boys before they fell asleep.
Buy links:
Available at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Irish-Yenta-Joyce-Sanderly-ebook/dp/B0CVXW6H8K
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-irish-yenta-joyce-anderly/1144882468
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/book/9781509250936
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/books/wild-irish-yenta-by-joyce-sanderly
About the Author:
Joyce Sanderly is a Pushcart-nominated poet and an attorney. She retired as a Senior Counsel at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Her poetry (written under Ellen Sazzman) has been published in numerous journals, and her poetry collection, The Shomer, was selected as a finalist for the Blue Lynx Prize, a semifinalist for the Elixir Press Antivenom Award and the Codhill Press Poetry Award. She has lived in Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County, Maryland for the last forty years where she raised her family and practiced law for the federal government. Wild Irish Yenta is her debut novel.
To learn more about Joyce Sanderly and her writing go to:
Author Alicia Dean 