@tamshapwrites
Tamar Shapiro’s debut novel, Restitution, was published in 2025. Her writing has also appeared in Poets & Writers, Electric Literature, and Literary Hub.
Home - Tamar Shapiro
Home - Tamar Shapiro
Tamar Shapiro is the author of Resitution, a novel that takes place against the backdrop of German reunification, Restitution asks urgent questions that resonate today. What remains when people leave entire lives behind? What happens when personal histories are erased? And what – if anything – can heal these wounds?
The 49 Best Books of Fall 2025
The 49 Best Books of Fall 2025
Personal Essays and Related Writing
Literary Hub » Mother Tongues: Reflections on Memory, Language, and Love in Germany
Literary Hub » Mother Tongues: Reflections on Memory, Language, and Love in Germany
I worry that I am forgetting my mother. If anyone asked, I would tell them she was funny, a bit raucous, sharp and direct, immensely warm. I would say it was her irreverence I loved most. Or maybe …
When the Personal and the Political Intersect | Washington Independent Review of Books
When the Personal and the Political Intersect | Washington Independent Review of Books
The Independent is an important voice in the community of readers and writers dedicated to book reviews and writing about the world of books.
8 Books About (Literally) Divided Countries - Electric Literature
8 Books About (Literally) Divided Countries - Electric Literature
These stories powerfully illuminate the lingering personal and political damage of countries that have fractured
An Autobiography of Place - Twc Magazine Fall 2025 - Page 10
An Autobiography of Place - Twc Magazine Fall 2025 - Page 10
Tamar Shapiro’s Book Notes music playlist for her novel Restitution – Largehearted Boy
Tamar Shapiro’s Book Notes music playlist for her novel Restitution – Largehearted Boy
Interviews and Articles
A Mighty Blaze: Debut Spotlight with Tamar Shapiro
A Mighty Blaze: Debut Spotlight with Tamar Shapiro
A Mighty Blaze host Ellen Comisar welcomes Tamar Shapiro for a conversation about "Restitution," a debut novel that writer Julia Phillips calls "rich, immers...
A History We Thought We Knew: An Interview with Tamar Shapiro — TriQuarterly
A History We Thought We Knew: An Interview with Tamar Shapiro — TriQuarterly
In a recent interview, I talked with Tamar Shapiro about her character-driven writing style, about how families can resemble countries, and about what we, as citizens of a politically divided America, stand to learn by taking a deeper, more intimate look at a history we thought we knew.
GCL Book Club: Tamar Shapiro, Restitution | WGCU PBS & NPR for Southwest Florida
GCL Book Club: Tamar Shapiro, Restitution | WGCU PBS & NPR for Southwest Florida
In Tamar Shapiro's debut novel Restitution, a family wrestles with the personal consequences of the reunification of Germany.
Lingering effects of history: Restitution by Tamar Shapiro - Historical Novel Society
Lingering effects of history: Restitution by Tamar Shapiro - Historical Novel Society
BY SHAUNA MCINTYRE Tamar Shapiro’s novel Restitution (Regal House, 2025) follows the story of Kate, an American woman with a German mother, from childhood to parenthood and centers on her relationship with her brother and how that has been shaped by history and sense of place. After spending many years living in Washington, D.C., Shapiro […]
Tamar Shapiro: Writing Has Become My Daily Joy - Writer's Digest
Tamar Shapiro: Writing Has Become My Daily Joy - Writer's Digest
In this interview, author Tamar Shapiro discusses how fulfilling one life dream helped lead her to another: writing her debut novel, Restitution.
Authors Interviewing Characters: Tamar Shapiro - Women Writers, Women's Books : Women Writers, Women's Books
Authors Interviewing Characters: Tamar Shapiro - Women Writers, Women's Books : Women Writers, Women's Books
RESTITUTION As children in Central Illinois, Kate and Martin were never told much about their mother’s childhood in East Germany. And they rarely asked questions. Decades later in 1989, when the Berlin Wall falls, Kate and Martin are faced with a difficult decision: Should they try to reclaim the house in East Germany from which their grandparents fled […]
Craft Essays
Real Life as Experiment: Letting Characters Play in Your Life | Poets & Writers
Real Life as Experiment: Letting Characters Play in Your Life | Poets & Writers
The author of Restitution (Regal House Publishing, September 2025) recommends writers use their own memories as a testing ground for their characters.
Historical Details: Approach With Caution! | Poets & Writers
Historical Details: Approach With Caution! | Poets & Writers
The author of Restitution (Regal House Publishing, September 2025) recommends writers refine their research and examine which details actually serve their characters and plots.
Using Time to Create Emotional Tension in Fiction | Poets & Writers
Using Time to Create Emotional Tension in Fiction | Poets & Writers
The author of Restitution (Regal House Publishing, September 2025) recommends writers use time as a tool to shape the emotional stakes of novels.
Instagram
Instagram
View on mobile