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ENTERTAINMENT | GOTTA READ
Letters From Linton
(DELRAYAUTHOR)
BY CHARLES HOFMAN
Letters from Linton is the story of Adolf
and Anna Hofman, who arrived in Delray
Beach in 1895 and made it their home.
Originally called Linton, Delray Beach
(and South Florida) was a primitive frontier
filled with rattlesnakes and covered
with scrub brush and palmettos.
The story of the Hofman legacy is told
beautifully through letters sent to their
families from 1895 to 1928. The letters
narrate the planting of pineapple fields, the
excitement of hunting for turtle eggs, and
the fervent real estate sales in the 1920s.
Adolf and Anna captured the bleak beauty
of the Delray landscape while revealing
their strong spirit to triumph over the
harsh realities of pioneer life.
Letters from Linton is illustrated with
photographs from the Hofman family album
and the Delray Beach Historical Society.
The author combines historical research,
the Hofman letters, and memoirs
of early settlers to create an authentic account
of frontier Linton and Delray Beach.
The Author, Charles Hofman is the
grandson of Adolf and Anna Hofman. He
grew up listening to their colorful tales of
adventure and hardship in Delray. He and
50 | JANUARY 2024 | WWW.ATLANTICAVEMAGAZINE.COM
BY LISA MARIE
his wife Virginia spoke at the Historical society
recently about the book and how the
material was discovered.
Nine Months: The
Story of Wilbur
(DELRAY AUTHOR)
BY TANIA TOMYN
Nine Months: The Story of Wilbur is
a small but powerful book by local
author, Tania Tomyn. The book is an honest
portrayal of a couple who so lovingly
wants to have a child, yet despite everything
they do, have not conceived.
So, they adopt. Not a child, but a rescue
dog named Wilbur. Poor Wilbur has so many
ailments that Tania and husband Aaron find
themselves tending to a dog who they love
yet requires a lot of medical treatments.
Perhaps this is a metaphor for loving
selflessly. What is so compelling about
this book – that is measured in months – is
that love is always the anchor for life and
for Wilbur’s trials and tribulations.
Nine Months is the time that the author
had to spend with Wilbur. The bond they
share is undeniably strong and the challenges
they face are the centerpiece for the family.
The book takes you through the emotions
of each month and are shared generously.
It is a heartfelt wish that everything
have a happy ending. And, despite Wilbur’s
outcome, there is love to go around.
That love becomes the centerpiece for
their lives going forward.
Tania and Aaron decide to adopt more
rescue pups and create a happy family of
canines. It’s a beautiful display of dharma
in its ultimate form. You can’t help loving
Tania and Aaron for their tender care of
poor Wilbur, who teaches them that love
takes on many different forms.
The Heaven & Earth
Grocery Store
(2023 B&N BOOK OF THE YEAR)
BY JAMES MCBRIDE
In 1972, when workers in Pottstown,
Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations
for a new development, the last thing
they expected to find was a skeleton at the
bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and
how it got there were two of the long-held
secrets kept by the residents of Chicken
Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where
immigrant Jews and African Americans
lived side by side and shared ambitions and
sorrows. Chicken Hill was where Moshe
and Chona Ludlow lived when Moshe integrated
his theater and where Chona ran
the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. When
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