Will Sam Fox Purge His Guilty Conscience Before It's Too Late?

Perhaps Roni Robbins, author of the award-winning novel Hands of Gold, will spill the beans when she talks about her book as the Table Lodge speaker at our April 21 OLM at Congregation Or Hadash.

Loosely based on true events, Robbins pulls from the original cassette tapes left by her maternal grandfather, Sam, who survived TB, a workplace shooting and an accidental killing, and walked thousands of miles across several countries to flee antisemitism in pre-Nazi Europe.

Covering nine decades and five generations the book weaves together Sam’s love affair with his “girl,” Hannah, and his immigrant adventures. From his early days as a self-centered hustler – a character you’ll love to hate – to his travails as family provider, Sam ultimately gains our sympathy as he exposes the frailty of life and proves his strength as a survivor in the face of unmistakable odds.

Sam’s path takes him from war-torn Europe at the turn of the 20th century through Prohibition, the Great Depression, labor union reforms and the golden age of radio and television in America. He’ll face a number of financial, emotional and health challenges along the way. Namely, he’ll contract tuberculosis, accidentally kill a man in a trolley collision, and lose a grown son to leukemia.

The story begins and ends in a nursing home with a remarkable secret, a past worth chronicling, and a cherished treasure that was buried for years and uncovered.

The novel won the 2023 Global Book Awards, gold medal, for biographical survival and the 2023 International Book Awards for multicultural fiction.

Currently a freelance health reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Medscape/WebMD, Robbins was an editor/writer for Medscape and previously associate editor of the Atlanta Jewish Times with a seasoned history as a staff reporter for daily and weekly newspapers and as a freelancer for national, regional and digital publications.She speaks to book clubs, synagogues, community centers, and other groups on such subjects as the value of preserving family history and the existence of antisemitism in the world today.

Our OLM is open to HOD Brethren only. Table Lodge and dinner are open to all. RSVP required.

Snacks and Schmooze: 7 p.m.
OLM: 7:30 p.m.
Table Lodge: 8:15 p.m.
Dress Code: Business Casual