Tania Elfersy (left) & Andrea Katzman (right)

 

Tania Elfersy (mother of 3) and Andrea Katzman (mother of 2) first became friends almost fifteen years ago. Tania was single and “child-free.” Andrea was already married and happy to share her “trying to conceive for the first time” tales.

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Through most of their friendship they have resided on different continents. Keeping their friendship strong has been a challenge, especially since Andrea prefers to ignore developments in modern modes of communication (everything from social networking to the simple landline phone).

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In 2009, circumstances arose that allowed Tania and Andrea to live in the same city for a precious 11 months. Within that time they created Purple Leaves, Red Cherries.

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More about Tania

 

When Tania turned 40, she looked back and celebrated her life so far: a happy childhood in suburban London spiced with her Moroccan and Austrian heritage; a bachelors degree in Economics and Social Science from the University of Manchester; time spent teaching English first in Paris, then in Vietnam and a refugee camp in Thailand; passion-driven work promoting young women’s leadership in small communities; career-driven work in international marketing for a number of hi-tech companies; and the most transparent and kaleidoscopic work of all, being a full-time “at-home” mom.

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Then, happily married and a mother of three children, Tania had a vision of a book for mothers that became Purple Leaves, Red Cherries. With the skills collected from her life, a treasured friendship that became a creative partnership with Andrea and a dedication to working nights (when the house finally fell quiet), Purple Leaves, Red Cherries was born. Tania established Flower Cap Press and self-published the book (her first), which went on to win four international book prizes.

 

These days, Tania spends her mornings working on The Wiser Woman Project, raising awareness about perimenopause and helping women cure their symptoms naturally. In the afternoons, Tania happily hangs-out with her kids.

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More about Andrea

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Cherishing the magic of the Wizard of Oz and the warm and eclectic community of her home town, Andrea stayed in Lawrence, Kansas and received her BA and MA from the University of Kansas. Her graduate research was on the impact of gender and ethnicity on identity construction, a topic that remains close to her heart, sprinkled in her conversations and laden on her bookshelves.

 

After moving to the East Coast, Andrea became an “at-home” mom. Gradually re-entering the workforce a few years after the birth of her second child, Andrea taught in the Education Department of Rhode Island College, volunteered in the Providence public school system, coordinated a youth philanthropy program and worked for many years as a PreK teacher.

 

Andrea lives with her husband and two daughters. Purple Leaves, Red Cherries is her first book. She is currently the Principal of a community day school and an instructor in the Shoolman Graduate School of Jewish Education at Hebrew College. She also has an extensive snow-globe collection and regularly perpetrates acts of “guerilla gardening.”