One January day in 1923, a young boy came across the dead body of a twenty-year-old woman on a San Diego beach. When the police arrived on the scene, they found the woman’s calling card, which read simply, “I am Fritzie Mann.” Yet Fritzie’s identity, as revealed in this compelling history, was anything but simple, and her death—eventually ruled a homicide—captured public attention for months. In Fritzie, historian Amy Absher reveals how broader cultural forces, including gendered violence, sexual liberation, and evolving urban conditions in the American West, shaped the course of Mann’s life and contributed to her tragic death. Frieda “Fritizie” Mann had several identities during her brief life, and the mysterious circumstances of her death raise as many questions as they do answers. She was born in 1903 near the present border between Poland and Ukraine. She and her family were Jewish immigrants who traveled to San Diego to find security and prosperity. In the last year of her life, Mann became locally famous. She had reinvented herself as a flapper and “Oriental” dancer. She claimed to have friends in Hollywood and a movie contract. On the night of her murder, she said she was going to a party to meet her Hollywood friends; instead she traveled to an isolated roadside hotel where she met her death. An autopsy revealed that she was four and a half months pregnant. Absher guides the reader through the intricacies of this true crime story as it unfolded, from the initial flawed investigation to the sensationalized press coverage and the ultimate failure of the legal system to ensure justice on Mann’s behalf. Like other “new women” of her era, Fritzie Mann adopted roles that promised liberation from the control of men. In the end, her life and early death suggest the opposite: she became the victim of a culture that consumed women even as it purported to celebrate them.

Fritzie’s Perfect Picnic by Jeanne Bonham Fritzie the Ant longs to find the perfect picnic—one with fruit, fresh apple pie, and, most importantly, hot dogs! Being an independent ant at heart, she sets off on the journey alone and against the advice of her friends. What challenges await her along the way? Fritzie’s Perfect Picnic aims to instill thoughtfulness and politeness in the hearts of young people, while also encouraging them to trust in God for everything in their lives. As Fritzie discovers on her own adventure, children should learn to recognize the dangers in life, how important it is to allow those who love them, their family and loved ones, to protect them, and the safety there is in numbers.

This intimate culinary food album features 125 Syrian-Jewish recipes, warm family anecdotes, and little-known stories of Syrian-Jewish culture. Syrian-Jewish cooking features meats simmered with cumin, allspice or cinnamon; savory vegetables stuffed or roasted; sweet and sour sauces; and lemony dressings.

Fritzy’s mom has cancer, which is pretty scary. But Fritzy is on a mission to find his mom the perfect hat she can wear to her treatments. What will he find? In this charming children’s book, Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater and bestselling author Scott Hamilton teams up with country music superstar Brad Paisley to share a story that will help parents talk with their children about cancer. The story centers around an ice-skating little boy named Fritzy who learns his mom has cancer. Each new page has him searching for a different hat for his mom to wear as she undergoes cancer treatments. The delightful illustrations by Brad Paisley lend an air of whimsy and thoughtfulness while the gentle storyline by cancer survivor Scott Hamilton teaches children a powerful message of how their love and support can sometimes be the best medicine. Fritzy Finds a Hat can be read to younger children or given to older children to read themselves. Proceeds from the book will benefit vital cancer research through the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation and at Moffitt Cancer Center, as well as Moffitt's Families First Program.

A major new collection by the author of Reckless and A Prelude to a Kiss, this collection includes his most ambitious work God's Heart, which premiered at Lincoln Center Theatre in 1997, and his newest play The Dying Gaul, which premieres this spring in New York. Also included ar 13 one-act plays written over the past five years.

DiLeo ventures beyond the obvious, paying tribute to a collection of acting feats that made priceless but often unappreciated contributions to the art of screen acting. So, no Scarlett O'Hara, Michael Corleone or Margo Channing here. But you will find Vivien Leigh, Al Pacino, and Bette Davis in outstanding performances that have been overshadowed by their signature roles.