Ayelet Waldman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ayelet Waldman
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Waldman in 2009
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| Native name |
איילת ולדמן
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| Born | December 11, 1964 Jerusalem |
| Occupation | Novelist, essayist |
| Language | English |
| Nationality | Israeli-American |
| Education | Wesleyan University (BA) Harvard University (JD) |
| Notable works | Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, Bad Mother: A Chronicle... |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
Ayelet Waldman (Hebrew: איילת ולדמן; born December 11, 1964) is an Israeli-American writer. She is known for writing seven mystery novels in the series The Mommy-Track Mysteries. She has also written four other novels and many essays about her life.
Before becoming a writer, Waldman worked for three years as a federal public defender. A public defender is a type of lawyer who helps people who cannot afford one. Her experiences as a lawyer often inspire her stories.
Contents
Personal Life
Ayelet Waldman was born in Jerusalem. Her grandparents were Jewish immigrants who moved to North America from Ukraine. Her father was from Canada and met her mother in Israel. After they married, they lived in Jerusalem.
When Waldman was a child, her family moved to Canada and then to the United States. They finally settled in Ridgewood, New Jersey. She grew up in a Jewish family and attended Hebrew school. When she was in tenth grade, she lived on a kibbutz (a type of community farm) in Israel for a year.
Waldman went to Wesleyan University and graduated in 1986. She later went to Harvard Law School and earned a law degree in 1991.
Since 1993, Waldman has been married to another author, Michael Chabon. They live in Berkeley, California, and have four children. The couple shares an office in their backyard. They often help each other by reading and editing each other's work.
Many of Waldman's fictional characters are Jewish. Her novel Love and Treasure is a story that takes place during the historical period of the Holocaust. She has also written about her personal health challenges.
Career as a Lawyer and Teacher
After law school, Waldman worked for a judge and then at a large law firm in New York. She later moved to California with her husband and became a criminal defense lawyer. For three years, she worked as a federal public defender.
From 1997 to 2003, Waldman was a professor at the law school at the University of California, Berkeley. She found writing articles for law journals to be uninteresting. This led her to start writing fiction instead. She has said that she would not return to being a lawyer.
Writing Career
Waldman began writing articles about her experiences as a mother. She decided to become a writer because it gave her a flexible career while raising her children. She found that writing was a fun way to use her creativity.
The Mommy-Track Mysteries
In 1997, Waldman began writing mystery novels. She thought they would be fun and easy to write. Her husband encouraged her, and she published her first book, Nursery Crimes.
She wrote a series of seven novels about a character named Juliet Applebaum. Juliet is a "part-time sleuth and full-time mother." Waldman has said that the character is a lot like she was. Like Waldman, Juliet is a former public defender who becomes a stay-at-home mom. To make life more exciting, Juliet solves crimes as a part-time detective. The series is known for being funny and clever.
Other Novels
Besides her mystery series, Waldman has written other novels.
- Daughter's Keeper (2003) was inspired by her work as a defense lawyer. It tells the story of a young woman named Olivia and her relationship with her mother. The book was a finalist for the Northern California Book Award.
- Love and Other Impossible Pursuits (2006) is about a lawyer dealing with a sad family loss. The book was made into a movie starring Natalie Portman and Lisa Kudrow.
- Red Hook Road (2010) is about two families in a small town in Maine. It explores how a tragedy affects their lives and relationships.
Nonfiction Writing
Waldman has written many personal essays for magazines and websites. She writes about family life, parenting, and her own experiences.
In 2016, Waldman and her husband worked on a special project with the "Breaking the Silence" organization. They asked writers from all over the world to write about the Israeli occupation. The collection of essays was published in a book called "Kingdom of Olives and Ash: Writers Confront the Occupation."
Television Work
Waldman has also worked in television. She co-wrote an episode of the show Star Trek: Picard with her husband. She is also listed as a co-executive producer for five episodes of the show.
Activism
Waldman is active in social and political causes. During the 2008 U.S. presidential election, she supported Barack Obama by volunteering and speaking at events.
In April 2024, she joined a group of activists, including rabbis, to bring food and aid to Palestinians in Gaza. Her husband, Michael Chabon, said she was there to show the world that Judaism teaches "justice, lovingkindness, peace, mercy, liberation.”
Published Works
"Mommy-Track" mystery novels
- Nursery Crimes (2000)
- The Big Nap (2001)
- Playdate With Death (2002)
- Death Gets a Time-Out (2003)
- Murder Plays House (2004)
- The Cradle Robbers (2005)
- Bye-Bye, Black Sheep (2006)
Other novels
- Daughter's Keeper (2003)
- Love and Other Impossible Pursuits (2006)
- Red Hook Road (2010)
- Love and Treasure (2014)
Nonfiction
- Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace (2009)
See also
In Spanish: Ayelet Waldman para niños
