Destined to be a Mahj Classic!

Greetings and salutations from Bubbe, who is a firm believer in “beshert,” the Hebrew word for destiny.

I occasionally get in a zone where the tiles just fall in place--I am confident that I will make a certain hand, that it is meant to be. Sometimes I go for my favorite “junk” Quints hand: quints of any Wind and any number tile, plus a kong of Dragons (or this year, Flowers), even though I have no Jokers. I figure somewhere along the line, I’ll pick up the Jokers I need...and I often do!

Well, I feel a similar confidence that a certain book is going to be a huge hit, and I want to share it with you. It's all about love and friendship, loss and learning, hope and healing, mah jongg and beshert. It's called “Mah Jongg Mondays,” and it was written by Fern Bernstein, a mah jongg maidel from Long Island.

Fern, like many of us, started to play mahj and found she enjoyed both the challenge of the game and the camaraderie that it fostered. Her group met once a week (the titular Mondays), and over time they began to share more than just tiles and snacks. Some of life's greatest joys and pains came to Fern and her friends.

I can unequivocally state that you will enjoy “Mah Jongg Mondays.” I have spoken with hundreds of you, and you have shared both your own stories and your interest in hearing about other players. This is the book you have been waiting for.

You will like Fern. Her writing is very accessible; she shares her childhood, her current life, her friends and family with candor, and in such detail that you will feel that you know her intimately.

They say the specific reveals the universal. Fern's story includes some twists and turns that are extremely personal and yet very relatable. Her camping experiences and her stories about her mother-in-law provide great comic relief; her coping with loss, first for her home, and later for friends and family members, strike a familiar chord for nearly all of us.

It has just become available as an e-book and  in print, just in time for your summer beach bag. I believe in this story, and I know it will find its audience. I am just doing my part to spread the word!!

If you have any questions or comments, I would be happy to answer (or pass word along to Fern). You can always email me at bubbefischer@gmail.com

Talk to you soon!

Bubbe