Summary
An absorbing epic view of daily life in the 1930s through the tragedy of 9/11 - tracing the valiant Schecter family's on-going struggles. The story follows head of the family, Norman fiercely battling for the creation of a Teachers' Union during the crucible of the Great Depression. His beloved wife, Marsa, strives to keep their family fed and clothed. Neatly woven throughout their lives is how their love for each other and their children is threatened yet keeps them together. Moving back and forth in time, we are introduced to the heart-felt stories of a wide group of fascinating people both in the U.S. and abroad. The book is a mirror of the present recession, the moral and economic dilemmas bombarding people today and how through perseverance and hope we can overcome the worst of circumstances. From the beginning of the 20th century to the present, A Penny for the Violin Man is both a panoramic view of those tumultuous times and a fascinating journey.
About the Author
During World War II, Rill spent three years in the South Pacific, Second Marine Division (Saipan, Okinawa and Nagasaki). After the war he began his writing and acting career on both stage and screen. Eli adapted and directed Lee Strasberg’s Actor’s Studio Production of both Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Conversation at Midnight, and James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room and also three successful children’s musicals in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles.He and Philip Yordan co-wrote the screenplay for The Harder They Fall, Humphrey Bogart’s last film. Rill also worked on the film as Bogart’s acting coach. Rill co-founded with Elia Kazan and Arthur Penn, the Actors’ Studio Playwrights Unit in New York. He was Artistic Director of Drama Development for the National Film Board of Canada in Montreal, and for eight years, Chairman of the Drama Department, Ontario College of Art. In addition to Bogart, he has coached and directed Barbra Streisand, Paul Newman, Marilyn Monroe, Shelly Winters, John Candy, Rip Torn and Kevin McCarthy. His acting credits include work with Peter O’Toole, Rod Steiger, Roddy McDowall, Barry Sullivan and Patricia Neal, among other prominent actors. Eli Rill now writes novels in his studio in Canoga Park, California.
