Kober continues to carry on his wife's literary legacy

Date: 12/29/2008

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



EAST LONGMEADOW Nadia Kober worked on her book, "Life Has Given & Taken," for two years, collecting inspiring stories from individuals ranging in age from 80 to 101.

Nadia, at age 51, passed away in September, only a week after the first printing of her book. Her husband, Peter, has decided to carry on her legacy by promoting the book to local audiences.

"This [publicizing her book] is the least you can do for someone," Peter said. "I want to make sure her legacy continues and that she's remembered in a good light."

He added that with all the work his late wife put into "Life Has Given & Taken," "it would be a shame to put it aside."

Earlier this month, Peter and his and Nadia's son, Philip, hosted a talk about the book at the East Longmeadow Public Library. They spoke both about Nadia's life and summarized the lives of some of the people profiled in her book.

In an interview with Reminder Publications earlier this year, Nadia had said, "The book is a thoughtful and heartfelt work that relates to personal philosophies and individuals who have lived through a great deal." She said the purpose of the book was to follow a few life journeys of people who have been alive for more than 80 years.

"I want to share what I've learned [from my interview subjects] with a broader audience," she said. "We should learn from each other."

The lessons offered in her book can be read by East Longmeadow Public Library's patrons. The library carries two copies of the book. Peter hand delivered a copy of "Life Has Given & Taken" to Library Director Susan Peterson earlier this year and two days later, she requested more copies for the collection.

"It's a local book," Peterson said. "Because of the local interest, I thought it would work well in our library."

One copy of the book is in the library's local history room and another is currently being entered into the library's system for circulation.

"The book is very well-written," Peter stated. "It's of high literary quality. I think it's better written than the books some of the big names put out."

Peter will continue in his mission of promoting Nadia's book at another talk schedule for Jan. 15 at Reeds Landing, 807 Wilbraham Rd., in Springfield. He's also looking to set up a talk at Storrs Library in Longmeadow.

"Life Has Given & Taken" will be available at local Barnes & Noble bookstores after the New Year, and Peter is also selling copies of the book from his home. Anyone interested in purchasing a copy is encouraged to contact Peter at 525-3403.