Karen Treiger presents 'Standing on the Crack'

Third Place Books welcomes local author Karen Treiger to our Seward Park store for a conversation about her new book, . Using her own family history as a starting point, Treiger tells the story of Seattle's history through the eyes of Jewish merchants who settled in the area after leaving Central and Eastern Europe.

This event is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book!

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This event is free to attend. For important updates, registration is highly recommended in advance.

Born out of grief after the loss of her father, the author dives into old photos and family histories to search for answers and comfort. Bringing her ancestors to life, the author shares the stories of five immigrant Jewish families who shape Seattle's early years, its retail culture and Seattle's gilded age.

In this delightful book, Karen Treiger places herself in the long arc of history and invites the reader to join her time travel. The story telling is masterful as she describes the origin of each family who emigrated to the United States from central and eastern Europe between 1874 and 1913. It's full of tales, both funny and tragic, about ancestors that she knew and those that she didn't.

Seattle grew from a small ramshackle town with dirt roads to a bustling metropolis with the Space Needle as our symbol. This book tells Seattle's history through the eyes of Jewish merchants who settled in the Pacific Northwest with hopes and dreams for themselves and especially their children. These families transformed Seattle's Jewish community and shaped Seattle's retail culture. The book both educates and entertains.

Karen Treiger was born in Seattle and attended Barnard College and NYU Law School, where she served as the Editor in Chief of the Law Review. She left her law practice in 2015 to write a book about her in-laws' survival during World War II. The book, My Soul is Filled with Joy: A Holocaust Story, won the PNWA Nancy Pearl Book Award for Best Memoir and the Bronze Medal in World History from the Independent Publisher’s Association. Karen’s new book (August of 2025) explores immigrant Jewish families’ unique history and contribution to Seattle’s business and Jewish communities, while guiding the reader to consider the deep importance of knowing their own family history. She has lived in Seward Park for 37 years, raising four children here, and is now loving being a Bubbi (grandmother).

About Third Place Books

Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Third Place Books Seward Park, 5041 Wilson Avenue South, Seattle, United States