We are in Exile/Estamos en Galut takes place between World War I and World War II on the island of Rhodes in the city of Rhodes during a world-wide depression. Here the Christian and Jewish Greeks lived together in relative harmony under Italian rule. However, families were forced to send their sons and husbands off the island to earn money for their families back home. Ultimately, the community was destroyed by the Holocaust. This story attempts to revive the lost world of the Rhodelisi, the Jews of Rhodes, a Jewish community with unique traditions. This story follows one particular family that comes to the realization that they must join their oldest sons in America. Through the youngest child, we uncover the stormy side of the relationship between the Jews and Christians and how children can help destroy bigotry. Through the middle children, we learn about adolescent dreams, romance, and the reality of growing up. The grandparents teach us about tradition and how hard it is to let go. The epilogue explains what happens to this family after the Holocaust. All this is told through Ladino, the Judeo-Spanish spoken by the Rhodelisi and traditional Rhodelisi sayings.

Mara W. Cohen Ioannides lives in Springfield, Missouri and teaches at Missouri State University. She enjoys time with her husband and daughter, singing in her synagogue choir, cross stitching, and publishing mostly about American Jews. WE ARE IN EXILE is her second novel on Greek Jews. Her first novel was a National Jewish Book Award Finalist.

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