Elizabeth Rodenz
When Elizabeth started putting words and thoughts on paper, she realized she had been writing all her life, if only in her mind. All that ruminating was leading up to this time. Now, writing is a magnet pulling her into the world of words. She didn’t decide to write. She writes because she must.
Elizabeth’s journey throughout her life culminated in a burning desire to write Not A Father’s Daughter. She has had an eclectic career as educator, editor, entrepreneur, executive coach, and author, and as a daughter, she had a heartfelt relationship with both her mother and father. Writing across a variety of genres, she shares her many and diverse interests. Her passions include Jungian psychology, politics, storytelling, and history that should not be forgotten.
Through her writing and speaking, she exposes the injustices to those marginalized and helps people build bridges in their lives with their own writings and the study of Jungian psychology.
--∞∞--
Elizabeth’s call to action requires a dismantling of the acquired gender differences and the bonding together of both men and women of all ages, of all ethnicities. This call to action requires the soul and spirit and the compassion and courage of each of us to decimate the efforts of those who pummel and plunder our institutions, our cultures, our country, our world.
NOT a Father’s Daughter
NOT a Father’s Daughter is an intimate portrait of a woman who unknowingly declared at the age of eight that she would not be a puppet on a string, not a father’s daughter. Unaware of why her resolve to reject patriarchal dogma was so strong, Elizabeth reflects on how she observed the world around her. Interwoven into her memories and experiences, an inspiring manifesto springs forth for women and men.
Through thought-provoking analysis, she sheds light on the ways the acquired mind upholds traditional gender roles and thereby the patriarchy. With a powerful and engaging voice, Elizabeth exposes the clandestine, venomous practices that keep both women and men oppressed and struggling, relegated to the shadows. Through provocative questions, readers will participate in a lively, thoughtful reflection of their own lives and the issues swirling around them.
--∞∞--
Other Publications
--∞∞--
Odd Ducks and Birds of a Feather
--∞∞--
Collected Writings from the Storybook House
Explore a collection of essays and literary reflections from the Storybook House, where historical narratives and the resonance of family legacy are captured through beautifully observed poetry and prose, offering an intimate look at the intersections of memory and place.
Imagine a walk through an English village before Hitler started dropping bombs; finding comfort in the heartfelt moments between grandfather and grandson; experience the heartbreak of a little boy lost; encounter a child’s despair when she finds out she is not allowed to play with others; marvel at a world of wonder in Sicily; remember the sorrow of the loss of millions; reminisce with a trip to the local sweet shop; chuckle at an HOA’s antics and a nun who manages a bed and breakfast with aplomb; ponder the evil in man, the plight of women, and love that comes to us in many ways; laugh at the message from an irate mother when her son chooses an unsuitable woman as a bride. All this and so much more.
--∞∞--
Josephine: A Woman of Indomitable Spirit
Have you ever felt lost, disconnected, out-of-place? Have you ever felt like an odd duck, out of the mainstream while everyone else was of the same mind, like birds of a feather who flock together? Maybe growing up you felt you belonged or maybe not. Feeling out of place occurs because you are indeed different, with your own unique personality. It doesn’t make you BAD different, just different, with different preferences. These differences are gifts in certain situations and can cause conflict in others.
Odd Ducks and Birds of a Feather: A Mystery of Type (personality that is) teaches you about personality type preferences and gives insight into why you connect easily with some people, struggle in certain situations, and the wondrous gifts you bring to any relationship. Throughout the book, you will pick up clues to the personality of the characters; thereby solving the mystery of type.
All this is within the context of the entertaining, character-driven fictional story of sixteen memorable characters who live in the small town of NeverWas (but it might have been).
Elizabeth’s unique, ground-breaking style of presenting personality type information within a fictional tale makes for a memorable and enjoyable learning process.
Josephine chronicles a time in American history that has rarely been told, and if an attempt has been made, most often it is riddled with romantic distortions and glorification. A critique of greed, power, and servitude north of the Mason-Dixon line, this saga of social injustice captures the indomitable spirit and tenacity of the women who stood beside their husbands and sons, balanced against the misery of living in a western Pennsylvania coal patch.
Set from the late 1880s to the early 1920s, a prosperous time for some, Josephine’s efforts to shape a meaningful life that sets her afire are thwarted time and again by forces around her. The death of her grandfather is the second time in her fifteen years that her life is hijacked. Although she rebuffs society’s mandates and wants to carve out her own destiny, circumstances compel her to marry Joseph, a miner battling for his dignity and welfare.
T
For centuries, many men and women with an indomitable spirit lived in the shadows of society. Their stories have been lost, no one to sing their praises. Throughout history, their determination sustained their families. They were pushed and pulled by the constant threat of poverty and by a society of imposed limitations.
Their contributions should not be diminished because we don’t know their names and because there were no headlines. Josephine celebrates the coal miners and their families, and most specifically the women, who persevered in spite of injustices and hardship.
This beautiful book spans forty years in the life of Josephine, seamlessly interweaving her personal narrative with actual events in a Pennsylvania coal patch, beginning in 1885. The structure of the book—short, chronologically dated chapters interspersed with snippets from actual history along the way—make for an easy and very enjoyable reading experience. The heart-rending, day-to-day details of Josephine’s life as she ages, along with her friends and family members are interesting and engaging. Although the characters are mostly fictional, you get caught up in their lives, and it seems as though you are reading actual history. I was very sorry when the I finished the book; I didn’t want it to end!
Review from Amazon
BOOKS
All Elizabeth's publications are available at Amazon and at your local bookstore:
Josephine
Odd Ducks and Birds of a Feather
Samson and Delilah, My Two Loves
Samson and Delilah Plus Twenty
Collected Writings from the Storybook House
My Distinctive Father will be published in May of 2026
NOT A Father's Daughter will be available in April 2026
ACCOLADES
"Elizabeth Rodenz doesn't just write books; she crafts experiences. Her prose is elegant yet accessible, revealing the profound depth of her characters' emotional landscapes with surgical precision."
Elizabeth Rodenz provides us with a rare historical and political perspective of life in a coal patch town using the voice of Josephine as the family matriarch. This book should be read by all young women as it is a testimony to important role women have played in history.
Rodenz’s beautiful book spans forty years in the life of Josephine, seamlessly interweaving her personal narrative with actual events in a Pennsylvania coal patch with the history of the beginning of the industrial age, beginning in 1885
Collected Writings from the Fifth Avenue Writers is a delightful read. Each piece draws you in to want to read more. A great book to consider as a gift. You can pick up and put down and go back and reread your favorites. I love that it's a collaboration of several writers each with their own unique style.
"Captivating and emotionally resonant. A mandatory addition to the library of any serious lover of contemporary literature. Rodenz has solidified her voice as one of the most important of her generation."
GET IN TOUCH
Thank you for visiting my website.
I hope you found it interesting.
I would love to hear from you if you would care to email me.
If so, please email your name, your email address and a brief message to:
elizabethrodenz@gmail.com
Elizabeth