Lily Poritz Miller brings us this story of family, love and displacement with the same vivid, haunting prose and skilled storytelling as In a Pale Blue Light, her critically-acclaimed debut novel.

Recently-widowed Sara Hoffman is filled with dreams of a new beginning. She is bringing her children from South Africa to join her brother, Meyer, in a small New England town. World War II has ended, all of their loved ones have perished and the estranged siblings long to be close. But Meyer has abandoned his youthful passions while chasing the American dream. Determined to gain standing in his community, Sara’s family is presented as his charity case. Small-town life becomes even more difficult for the new immigrants when Libka, Sara’s eldest daughter, is courted by a well-positioned older man. Under the watchful gaze of her family and community, Libka must choose between a dull, traditional future or the insecurity and freedom of escape. The Newcomers is a tender and sharply funny portrayal of one family’s frustrations, hopes and loyalties during the uncertain beginnings of their new life.

Lily Poritz Miller was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and came to the United States with her family when she was fifteen. She began her editorial career in book publishing in New York at The Macmillan Company and later McGraw-Hill, then moved to Toronto, where she was senior editor at McClelland and Stewart for eighteen years. She has written three plays, which were performed in New York and Toronto, and received a Samuel French national award for her play The Proud One. Her short stories were published in the anthology American Scene: New Voices. She has also written for film. In 2009 her novel In a Pale Blue Light was published to critical acclaim. She presently divides her time between Toronto and Mexico.

Lily Poritz Miller's profile page