RHS Teacher's New Book to Benefit Scholarship Fund

In the face of tragedy, and even in the final months of her life, Jean Palombo was known for the endurance of her spirit.

Louisa Luisi, a Ridgewood High School English teacher who spent two months last summer interviewing Palombo before she lost her battle with cancer in August, strives to capture that spirit in a new book, Together.

Proceeds from the book, Luisi’s second, will benefit a scholarship fund in the Palombo family’s name.

“As a writer you write a lot of different stories, and I meet this woman and her story is true,” Luisi said. “She has a beautiful story and there’s no need to fabricate anything, and that’s amazing.”

“To hear all the things she’s been through and the way she feels about life just made me feel about life in a different way,” she added.

Palombo’s husband, Frank, was one of 12 Ridgewood residents killed on Sept. 11. A New York City firefighter, he perished in the Twin Towers during the search and rescue operation following the terrorist attacks, leaving behind the couple's ten children.

Together, Luisi said, is a series of episodic chapters based on her conversations with Palombo, vignettes detailing both the events of her life and the philosophy she brought to challenging moments.

Luisi remembered going into the project hesitant to delve into the personal details of a woman she hardly knew, but Palombo being ready to tell her story even without the prompting of an author’s prepared interview questions.

“I knew she was dying and I wanted to spend some time with her before she died, because I wanted to get her story out there,” Luisi said.

"I wish I had had more time with her but I think she told me everything she needed to tell me."

Shelly Hogan, Palombo’s sister, said the book presents a “beautiful story” that, though sometimes painful for her to revisit, captures the positivity and faith her sister maintained.

“The way things turned out, the way my sister, nieces and nephews have managed to be so peaceful about all the stuff they’ve gone through, is a testament to their faith,” she said.

Her sister would come to her in times of pain, Hogan said, but hardship never defined Palombo.

“She would always talk things through and manage to pull herself up by her bootstraps,” Hogan said. “And she always had an incredible sense of humor.”

Together is available for preorder through Dec. 2, with all the proceeds going toward the Palombo Family Scholarship, to be awarded to graduating seniors of Ridgewood High School.

Luisi said her profit from the book has already been earned, in the experience of connecting with Palombo and the opportunity to bring a powerful but “universal” story to readers in Ridgewood and, she hopes, beyond.

“As the author, I benefitted a lot from this book,” she said.  “I met a woman who completely changed my life.”