Santa Fe Love Song: A Family History Novel

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I am delighted to announce that my newest novel, Santa Fe Love Song, has been published and is available in both paperback and e-book format on Amazon here. Like my first novel, Pacific Street, Santa Fe Love Song was inspired by the lives of real people—in this case, my great-great-grandparents Bernard Seligman and Frances Nusbaum—and informed by my family history research. But as with my first book, Santa Fe Love Song is first and foremost a work of fiction.

Bernard Seligman, my great-great-grandfather

Frances Nusbaum Seligman, my great-great-grandmother

It is a double love story—a story of Bernard’s passion for his newly adopted home in New Mexico and of his deep love for a young woman in Philadelphia. How will he resolve the conflict between those two loves? That is the heart of the novel.

But this is also an adventure story because the first part of the book tells of Bernard’s arrival from Gau-Algesheim, Germany, his adjustment to life in Philadelphia, and then his challenging and exciting trip on the Santa Fe Trail when he moves out west to work with his brother Sigmund. On that trip Bernard faces many different obstacles and learns to love the American landscape. He transforms from a German Jewish immigrant into an American pioneer and businessman.

Upper left, Bernard Seligman with other merchants and Indians on the Santa Fe Trail

As with Pacific Street, I wrote Santa Fe Love Song with my children and grandchildren in mind. This time I also decided to get my grandsons involved in the project. Nate, 10, and Remy, 6, became my illustrators. As I told them stories about Bernard and Frances, they created drawings that told those stories visually. I am ever so grateful to my two wonderful grandsons for their work, and I hope that someday their grandchildren will cherish these books and the illustrations and honor the memories of their ancestors Bernard and Frances.

I hope that you also will find Santa Fe Love Song a worthwhile and enjoyable read. If you do, please leave a review on Amazon. Thank you! I appreciate all your support.

38 thoughts on “Santa Fe Love Song: A Family History Novel”

    • Hi Peter! Great to hear from you, and thank you so much for your kind words about Pacific Street. I hope you and your family are all well. I hope you enjoy the new book even though your grandmother isn’t in this one!

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  9. Did not know about your writing. Do you know where/how your books can be purchased?

    On Tue, Feb 23, 2021 at 7:57 AM Brotmanblog: A Family Journey wrote:

    > Amy posted: “I am delighted to announce that my newest novel, Santa Fe > Love Song, has been published and is available in both paperback and e-book > format on Amazon here. Like my first novel, Pacific Street, Santa Fe Love > Song was inspired by the lives of real people–” >

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    • Hi Jo! It’s great to hear from you, and I do hope you enjoy the book. I think with your ties to the family and to Santa Fe it will be a lot of fun for you to read it. Drop me an email and let me know how your own search is going!

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  14. Hi Amy, congratulations on your new book! I’m awaiting it’s arrival… sometime in March apparently, and am very much looking forward to reading it. So poignant that your grandson’s
    were involved in what will be a great memory for them both.

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  15. Wow! So much to love here! First, congratulations and mazel tov!!! Then, what a setting and subject! The icing on the cake is the involvement of your grandsons! I downloaded the kindle version and it’s in the long reading queue lol. I am so excited for you!

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  17. It would be a pleasury to contact you to talk and learn more about Seligmann family. My grandfather was born in Germany, but he imigrated to Brazil late 1930s where my father was born.
    How can we get in touch?
    Cheers Lucio Seligmann

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