Isaac's Story

The year is 2002. Isaac Simon is 102 years old. He is blind and unable to speak or move, but his mind and memory are active and he is telling his life-story to himself; from the Jewish shtetl in Lithuania, through his improbable life-long relationship with Virginia Appleton, the independent-minded daughter of old-moneyed Boston Unitarians, to 9/11.

Isaac's Story is a story of people who live boldly and defiantly through difficult times. It is a history of the twentieth century seen through the lives of those who experienced it in its mud and blood, in its struggles, and in its times of social progress.

The immigrant experience, war, love, religion, art, class conflict, labor struggles, civil rights, women's rights, LGBT rights, family and friendship are explored within the narrative.

Woven through Isaac's recollections, are his limited but critical communications with those who come to see him - his family, friends, and care-givers. These loving and caring interactions are a reflection of the life he has lived and the empathy his life continues to generate.

Isaac's wit, intelligence, warmth, and human frailties are captivating. He has lived a long and fascinating life and, as painful as it sometimes can be, he is unflinching in 'talking' about it.