Local Doctor Pens 2nd Book; Novel About Growing Up On LI
HICKSVILLE, NY — Dr. Elliot Udell has been practicing podiatry for decades, with his office in Hicksville.
But Udell has another passion — writing. He’s a two-time published author. His most recent novel, “It Happened In Long Island: Antics of The Rich and Famous,” was released in September.
“It was a labor of love,” Udell told Patch: a 10-year process bringing the book to fruition.
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As the title indicates, there is a strong Long Island connection for readers to enjoy, with it taking place in Plainview and Oyster Bay.
“It’s about a little girl from a Jewish family who gets a summer job on an aristocratic estate in 1973,” he said.
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Udell, who is from Huntington, said the characters are eccentric, but more subtly throughout the book is “the tremendous amount of racism, bigotry, homophobia and antisemitism.”
The story culminates with a yacht race on the Long Island Sound. Udell hopes to revisit his characters with future installments.
“They were lovable characters,” he said.
In 2019, the doctor made his first foray into literature with “Monticello: A Borscht Belt Catskills Tale,” where his summertime memories dating back to the 1950s became the book’s basis.
You can find “It Happened In Long Island” on Amazon.
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