Fern Schumer Chapman

About

Fern Schumer Chapman is the author of books including Brothers, Sisters, Strangers: Sibling Estrangement and the Road to Reconciliation and The Sibling Estrangement Journal: A Guided Exploration of Your Experience through Writing. Her memoir, Motherland — a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, and a BookSense76 pick — is a popular choice for book clubs. Two of her other books, Is It Night or Day? and Like Finding My Twin, are used in middle school classrooms. In 2004, the Illinois Association of Teachers of English (IATE) named Chapman the “Illinois Author of the Year.” Twice, Oprah Winfrey shows have featured her books. The Junior Library Guild named two of her books, Stumbling on History and Three Stars in the Night Sky, as August 2017 and August 2018 selections. Recently, she published two picture books about the pandemic, Happy Harper Thursdays and The Return of Happy Harper Thursdays. She gives dozens of presentations each year at schools and events.

As a journalist and reporter, her work has appeared in many publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Forbes, The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, Fortune, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, she has taught magazine writing and other seminars at Northwestern and Lake Forest College.

Fern Schumer Chapman offers private, one-on-one coaching sessions to those who struggle with sibling estrangement issues.

Books by Fern Schumer Chapman

Recent Posts

Broadening National Siblings Day to Include the Estranged

The founder of National Siblings Day defends her idea, more broadly defines "sibling," and offers programs for those who step into the role of a brother or sister.

How Religious Shunning Ruins Lives

Religious shunning—an institutionalized form of estrangement—is a social death penalty that results in helplessness, depression, low self-esteem, and suicidal ideation.

What Research Is Telling Us About Family Estrangement

The topic of estrangement has been largely overlooked by researchers, but this study quantifies the deep emotional pain behind these family divides.

Why Siblings in Holocaust Families Struggle to Get Along

Sibling estrangement often occurs in Holocaust families because trauma in general, which defines the Holocaust experience, is a risk factor for estrangement.

Betrayal Blindness: Not Seeing What’s Obvious

A betrayed individual who has "betrayal blindness" goes numb, never confronting the loved one or withdrawing from the relationship.

The Fine Line Between Sibling Rivalry and Abuse

Violent, bullying behavior between siblings is often overlooked or dismissed as "normal." Here's how to tell what's rivalry and what's abuse.

15 Ways to Cope with the Holidays After Family Estrangement

The holidays bring estrangement into sharp relief. Here are a few tips on how to cope, whether you choose to stay home or go to your family gatherings

Why Black Families Feel Intensely the Stigma of Estrangement

Black families may not admit, especially to white people, that some relatives don't talk to each other. They may fear that estrangement is another failing that needs to be "fixed."

New Study Finds Half of LGBTQ+ Are Estranged From Family

A new study finds that nearly half of LGBTQ+ young adults are estranged from one family member, and one-third are “not confident” that the family will accept them if they came out.

Can Narcissism Be Identified in Children?

Certain narcissistic behaviors, such as monopolizing conversations, belittling friends, overreactions, and a lack of empathy, may appear in childhood.