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| November 21, 2005 |
INTERVIEW: Rochelle Krich
 Rochelle Krich was an unlikely author. The Orthodox Jewish author was raising six children when she embarked on her writing career. A high school English teacher, she admitted to having fantasized about becoming a published author for years.
"I think my husband said stop kvetching about it and do it," Krich says during a recent phone interview. She admits, however, there were difficulties.
"Sometimes when I would be a way on a book tour and I would miss some of my children's events at school, I hated that. You make choices, and you don't know if it's the right one," says Krich, a hint of regret sneaking into her words. After a pause she adds, "My youngest, he was three or four when I started writing. I would sing lullabies to him on the phone, but it's not the same as being there."
Fifteen years and thirteen novels later, it's hard to argue that Krich made the wrong choices. Her first book, Where's Mommy Now? won the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original, and she's gone on to win or be nominated for plenty more. Still one wonders why Krich took on crime novels.
"As a child, I was an avid reader of mysteries," remembers the author. "I'm a puzzle person, I love trying to figure out whodunit. More than that, I've come to appreciate the whodunit, the thought that justice is restored, that the world is set to order."
For Krich, and her readers, the crime novel becomes a form of therapy. As Krich describes it, in a world where "so often the bad guys even if they're caught aren't convicted" writing a mystery novel allows the author an opportunity to "put the bad guys away." As therapy goes, it's not bad, though maybe not as good as mah-jongg, which Krich has played weekly for thirty years.
This brings us to the Jewish side of Krich, who has increasingly worked Jewish characters and subject matter into her novels. As an educator prior to being an author, I ask her if she sees a chance to bring the Orthodox Jewish world to a larger audience of readers.
"I love telling stories, and in the framework of the story, if I can take the reader on a journey, and expose him or her to things that I am trying to become exposed to, thing that don't necessarily have answers, that's a bonus," says Krich.
She points to Angel of Death, "the second in my Jessie Drake series. She's a homicide detective, who finds out that she's Jewish, that her mother was a hidden child in the Holocaust. I wrote that book because I'm outraged and appalled by Holocaust deniers." Some reviews, including one from Publisher's Weekly, took umbrage and criticized the book as being to preachy.
"I didn't really care. It's my feeling there are many people, good people, not anti-Semitic people, who may not have the opportunity to come into contact with Jews, who might buy into Holocaust deniers. They may not pick up a non-fiction book, but they may pick up my book," argues Krich. She actually received a letter some time later from a woman in North Carolina who had exactly that reaction and promised to stamp out some bigotry in herself. "I was crying," says Krich.
In her recent book, Now You See Me, the author continues her Molly Blume series and her dive into Jewish topics. The Jewish crime reporter, Blume is married to Rabbi Zack, and when a former teacher (and rabbi) shows up desperately seeking help in finding his runaway daughter, Hadassah, the heroine ends up with plenty of regrets and (obviously) plenty of mystery on her hands.
"One of the reasons I chose to make the runaway teen an Orthodox Jewish teenager is because I wanted to show that no community, no matter how sheltered, are invulnerable to the dangers that are lurking out there for teenagers," says Krich. Once again, the author is writing a message into her text. And once again, critics are mixed. Publisher's Weekly has once again taken aim, calling the book "lukewarm" and lamenting that "Krich's usual solid plotting suffers."
The book, which includes chapters written from the perspective of the runaway girl, isn't as tight as earlier releases. This much is true, but it still retains suspense and most of all becomes another example of Krich's greatest strength as an author: her ability to portray a world foreign to most American readers, the world of Orthodox Jewry.
Her early books didn't include Jewish themes, or at least Jewish characters. "My agent showed me a rejection letter from another publisher that said great book, great story, but is there really going to be a market for this overtly Jewish story," remembers Krich of her early experience. She nevertheless had a desire to write overtly Jewish stories.
"I wanted to write about my world. I wanted to share my Orthodox Jewish lifestyle, the very mainstream lifestyle that I have," says the author with a sense of passion in her voice. "I guess it took me a while to get comfortable enough. Lots of people are responding to it. I'm really gratified by that response."
Plus Krich sees the Jewish milieu of her books as an advantage. "I know when I read mysteries, I love reading about some exotic world that I would probably not come into contact with outside the pages of the book. I would hope readers who read my book would experience that as well," she argues.
Considering the quality of her writing, I could hardly disagree.
You can learn more about Rochelle Krich by visiting her website, RochelleKrich.com. She also blogs for your reading pleasure.
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