Podcast Summary: Totally Booked with Zibby — Rebecca Wolf, ALIVE AND BEATING
Host: Zibby Owens
Guest: Rebecca Wolf
Date: September 1, 2025
Episode Overview
In this emotionally resonant episode of "Totally Booked," Zibby Owens hosts Rebecca Wolf, author of Alive and Beating. This deeply personal conversation explores Wolf's debut novel, inspired by the tragic death of her high school friend in a suicide bombing in Israel and the subsequent impact of organ donation. The discussion ranges from the intricacies of crafting a multi-perspective novel, ethical storytelling, and the transformative power of loss, to research methods, publication challenges, and the ongoing power of shared humanity.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Genesis and Structure of Alive and Beating
- Rebecca Wolf’s novel centers around six recipients of organ transplants from a victim of a suicide bombing, inspired by the true story of her friend Elisa Flato.
- Wolf’s choice to avoid a conventional protagonist was deliberate — she aimed to respect her friend’s privacy and highlight the diversity of Jerusalem and shared humanity.
- Rebecca Wolf [04:59]: “I wanted to honor my friend, but I was also very concerned with sort of writing her story when it wasn't my story. So that's why I didn't want to have the traditional main character... It would be an opportunity for me to sort of sow the diversity of Jerusalem and to show how I think we're actually all much more similar than we are.”
2. Setting as a Character
- Jerusalem’s unique geography and diversity played a pivotal role in the story, with hospitals and neighborhoods used as powerful metaphors for isolation and transformation.
- Rebecca Wolf [07:14]: “The settings in some ways are another character of the book... If someone hasn't been to Jerusalem, it's hard to believe you could walk almost 10 minutes in either direction and be in a radically different neighborhood...”
3. Personal Connection & Inspiration
- Wolf recounts the life and tragic death of Elisa Flato: their high school friendship, Elisa’s exuberant personality, and the aftermath of the 1995 bombing.
- Elisa’s parents’ decision to donate her organs was groundbreaking, helping shift Israel from a nation with donor shortages to one of high donor rates.
- Rebecca Wolf [09:15]: “She became famous pretty much overnight because she was the first American tourist to be killed by a terrorist in Israel. And to also be the first religious Jew to do this was just really... she was all over the newspapers. And Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin spoke... he said, Elisa's heart is alive and beating here in Jerusalem.”
4. Processing Loss and the Shock of Sudden Tragedy
- Both Zibby and Rebecca discuss the life-altering effect of losing a friend while young, particularly to violence, and the difference from illness-related grief.
- Zibby Owens [13:26]: “Of course teenagers have to be soldiers because they're the only people who believe they're invincible. ...when someone in our peer group... is killed by terrorists... it is hard to fathom.”
- Rebecca Wolf [14:26]: “It's different, I think, than when someone dies from an illness... This just had this element of just pure evil... I actually still try to wear my rose colored glasses... I do actually think most people are good... so for something like this to happen... why would someone do this?”
5. Medical Research and Empathy
- Wolf immersed herself in medical research (organ donation, patient memoirs, conversations with doctor friends) to accurately portray the lived experiences of chronically ill characters.
- Rebecca Wolf [15:41]: “I'm a librarian's daughter... I just kind of went on, you know, National Kidney foundation and started reading and you read a lot of patient stories, watch a lot of those videos... Not only do I have to not take that for granted in myself, I have to appreciate that in these people and say that is resilience.”
6. Writing Process & Genre Shifts
- Wolf transitioned from journalism to fiction, using real headlines and experiences as inspiration for many storylines.
- She discusses her slow, research-intensive writing process, and the difference between writing under deadline as a journalist and working creatively as a novelist.
- Rebecca Wolf [25:19]: “You don't feel like you're procrastinating because you think, well, but I really need to do this for the book. But it a little bit is because you can keep reading and reading and reading. I also used... a lot of the stories in my book... are true. Like, they're all sort of read from the headlines.”
7. Publication Challenges & Goals for the Book
- Publishing Alive and Beating was an uphill battle, particularly as an indie writer on a Jewish topic.
- Wolf expresses hope that the book will reach audiences outside her natural community, sparking empathy and a broader view of Israel and humanity.
- Rebecca Wolf [28:06]: “I hope the target audience would be someone who isn't necessarily thinking like me, because... I would be so happy if somebody that really didn't know anything read this and said, you know, why are we only focusing on the bad stories?”
8. Future Projects
- Wolf is sketching ideas for a new novel with a dual timeline, acknowledging her slow, research-intensive process and the emotional difficulty of leaving her debut’s characters behind.
Memorable Quotes & Moments
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On Jerusalem as a Living Setting
- “It almost feels like the weather is different and it's not. And so I felt like the setting was important. And even in our last chapter, the hospital room as a setting, because talk about, you know, stifling and claustrophobic...”
—Rebecca Wolf [07:14]
- “It almost feels like the weather is different and it's not. And so I felt like the setting was important. And even in our last chapter, the hospital room as a setting, because talk about, you know, stifling and claustrophobic...”
-
On Sudden Loss and Invincibility
- “Of course teenagers have to be soldiers because they're the only people who believe they're invincible.”
—Zibby Owens [13:26]
- “Of course teenagers have to be soldiers because they're the only people who believe they're invincible.”
-
On the Impact of Organ Donation
- “Her death and subsequent donation really changed the way people looked at things... Israel has gone from being a country that was leading in donor shortages to being a country leading in organ donations.”
—Rebecca Wolf [04:59]
- “Her death and subsequent donation really changed the way people looked at things... Israel has gone from being a country that was leading in donor shortages to being a country leading in organ donations.”
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On Compassion and Chronic Illness
- “For some people, literally moving from the bed to the couch is a major accomplishment in the day... that is resilience.”
—Rebecca Wolf [15:41]
- “For some people, literally moving from the bed to the couch is a major accomplishment in the day... that is resilience.”
-
On Creative Process
- “I'm also not so good always at saying, okay, every day from 9 to 12, I'm sitting down and I'm going to put out at least a thousand words... I tended to write a lot in a few days and then take a few days off and then go back to it.”
—Rebecca Wolf [24:00]
- “I'm also not so good always at saying, okay, every day from 9 to 12, I'm sitting down and I'm going to put out at least a thousand words... I tended to write a lot in a few days and then take a few days off and then go back to it.”
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On Hope for the Book’s Reach
- “Maybe if those people, you know, we focused on them more, we could have something good happen.”
—Rebecca Wolf [28:06]
- “Maybe if those people, you know, we focused on them more, we could have something good happen.”
Important Timestamps
- [04:33] — Rebecca describes the premise and structure of Alive and Beating
- [08:23] — Rebecca details her friendship with Elisa and the real-life events that inspired the novel
- [13:26] — Discussion on youthful invincibility, the shock of loss, and the unique pain of a terror attack
- [15:41] — Rebecca describes her medical research and its influence on the novel
- [22:29] — Transition to Rebecca’s career background and the evolution from reporting to fiction
- [26:33] — Reflection on catharsis, publication challenges, and the desire for broader impact
- [30:04] — Discussion about potential future writing projects and creative processes
Tone & Language
The tone throughout the episode is empathetic, reflective, and deeply personal. Both Zibby and Rebecca share with vulnerability, balancing the specifics of the creative process with universal emotions surrounding grief, resilience, and hope. The conversation is marked by mutual respect and warmth, with Rebecca’s humility and Zibby’s supportive curiosity shining through.
Summary
Alive and Beating serves as both a tribute to a lost friend and a broader call for empathy, human connection, and understanding amid difference and tragedy. Rebecca Wolf’s debut is a meticulously crafted, hope-infused narrative—one that Zibby Owens enthusiastically celebrates for its literary merit and emotional depth. For those interested in stories about loss, resilience, cultural landscapes, and the redemptive power of art, this episode and Wolf’s novel offer much to consider.
For more information on Rebecca Wolf or to order Alive and Beating, visit ZibbyMedia.com or follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens.