Jarmy Books Home

view back cover

Comments on Reflections:

• Mary Christy, author and columnist, says: "You are a role model for me — a woman who’s had the best and the worst life has to offer — and who not only survived but did so with grace and courage and came out of it a warm, compassionate and happy human being."
    
• Liz Nyberg, co-publisher of the Los Altos Town Crier, says: "Proud of her heritage, which includes a rich array of friends and relatives, Charlotte has enriched the lives of countless others in the newspaper columns over the years. Her personal, breezy style is easy reading and enjoyable."
   
• Sara Mallow writes, “I just finished your journey and wish I had your innate ability with words to tell you how touched I was with your book. You’re like a breath of fresh air to the Danielle Steeles of today. As well as your talent with words, you are also a good story teller. In other words, once I got started I couldn’t put the book down. I expect to read it again to really absorb all your thoughts and slants.” 
   
• Dr. Hal Malkin comments, “Your columns were actually an unusual way to write your autobiography…it will always be available to your son and his children through many generations when some of them could ask ‘what was the world like when great grandmother lived during the twentieth century?’”
   
• Reader Zoe Ann Stiver says of Charlotte Jarmy: “You are the master of writing with style and personality and point-of-view.”
   
• Donald Gibson writes, "A sense of personal affirmation can occur when one is able to identify with or learn from another’s experience. Recognizing commonalities with someone else, born out of happiness or sorrow, can guide one to follow his or her own sense of purpose. With wise perspective and compassion, Charlotte Jarmy invites readers to appreciate such commonalities through her reminisces and observations in Reflections: A Columnist’s Journey Through Time.
  
  "In her book, which comprises writings published in the Los Altos Town Crier from 1993 – 2003, Jarmy relates what’s on her mind and in her heart: anecdotes of her family and friends, remarks on current events, and heartfelt memories that serve her equally as inspiration and sustenance. In a foreword passage, she writes, “I see the past as part of our present; it walks with us to light the way.” What’s evident – and most endearing – is that she doesn’t offer this compendium so much as one-sided commentary but rather as a means of forging a connection with her readers. In turn, readers share in the stories of her life, which inspires them to reflect upon their own.
  
  "She speaks of the myriad of roles she has assumed over the course of her life, including (though certainly not limited to) that of a student, teacher, author, wife, mother, and grandmother. She personalizes incidents like the Oklahoma City bombing and the tragedies of 9/11. She recounts how her Jewish heritage has not only shaped traditions in her life, but also her keen appreciation of history (especially of the Holocaust) and its enduring consequences. Her ruminations and reactions are touching, sometimes pointed, and always sincere.
  
  "In perhaps the most poignant sections of the book, she writes about the losses she has suffered, most profoundly those of two sons as well as her first husband. With a refined dignity that many would find difficult to maintain under similar circumstances, Jarmy writes about how she initially dealt (and continues to cope) with her grief. Her ability to articulate her bereavement while not losing sight of her own ambitions stands as a wonderful example of perseverance and human spirit.
  
  "By writing so candidly about her own life, Charlotte Jarmy lets the reader feel like a trusted friend rather than an anonymous observer. She expresses her emotions and wisdom through the lens of her experiences. And while she didn’t discover the Polio vaccine or split open the atom, frankly, neither did most people. Most people live their lives to the best of their ability, with the hope of contributing something of value to those around them. Reflections: A Columnist’s Journey Through Time is one of Charlotte Jarmy’s contributions and it sure is a good one."

Charlotte K. Jarmy, a columnist for the Los Altos Town Crier, shares her insights about national and international situations, friendship, the devastation of losing a child, widowhood and remarriage. Now, she presents her writing collected in her newest book.

Through Reflections, the name of both her column and books, she captures life’s experiences and the human condition. Her writing has a universal appeal and her audience is a blend of people of varying ages, political persuasions and station in life who are encouraged to develop their own opinions and values.

Her writing is insightful and witty, bordering at times on irony and satire. She rages against cruelty toward children, and she expresses compassion and admiration for the courageous people who speak out against chicanery in any form. There are quieter columns that reflect the spiritual beauty of nature and the innocence of children.

In addition to her columns, Charlotte K. Jarmy has been published nationwide in magazines. Her background includes teaching English and writing, and reviewing stage productions for her newspaper.

Five young women’s lives converged at Hunter College during the 1940s. We created a house plan called Reynolds ’47 – named after our teacher sponsor – and our friendship has endured to this very day. There were Bernice and I, best friends from childhood, who continued our determined goals to teach English; Esther and Ethel, also close friends, headed for math and language majors; and Phyllis, who considered teaching but was not sure of her major.

Each of us had a distinct character; Bernice, the acknowledged leader because of the strength of her convictions; me, her first lieutenant with an amiable smile and outgoing personality; Esther, the tall one who could terrify others in the girls’ restroom by deepening her voice to sound like a guy; Ethel, whose acerbic humor kept us all laughing even before heavy-duty exams; and Phyllis, often called the “cute little redhead.”

Central Park served as our campus in those days. But we also spent long hours meeting and chatting in the cafeteria – gossiping about the men in our lives, especially the Marines quartered then in uptown Hunter.

After graduation, our lives changed with husbands, families and careers. Esther and her husband taught math and still live in New York City, truly enjoying being near the museums and Central Park. Bernice moved to Wisconsin for her master’s degree, but eventually returned to New York. Ethel made inroads into an acting sideline. Phyllis worked part-time in edu! cation testing and later moved to Florida.

When I married my first husband, Bernice was my matron of honor. Of course, the other three pals were there as well. Later, I left New York and my family in the Bronx to move to California. But celebrations brought the five of us together both in New York and California, where I even! tually began my twenty-year teaching career and now write a column for the local paper.

Special reunions with the girls were riotous, memories that started with “Do you remember…?” often referring to adventures as Hunter College girls, our trips to the beach, Chinatown, and our quest for male companions.

It is a wonderful and special friendship that has lasted over so many years through good times and b ad.

Sadly, I lost two of my three sons, and my friends wept. As the years passed, Phyllis died and Bernice suffered a stroke. I do most of the talking to Bernice now, with her laughing or singing a bit of an old song. She always ends by saying, “Char-o-lette, I love you.”

Reynolds ’47 keeps us young at heart and strong in spirit.