Thorne

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Lore & Background

Thorne's literary work draws on her personal travels, archaeological findings, and academic research. Her novels reinterpret stories from the perspectives of unnamed women of the Bible, such as the wives of Noah and Lot. She carried a monthly column in Birmingham's Synergy Magazine for seven years and has written poetry, short stories, and screenplays. Her nonfiction book *Last Chance for Justice* details how investigators uncovered new evidence convicting the Birmingham Church bombers. She has also spoken on lecture circuits, including at Columbus State University, Colgate University, and Wake Forest University, about the Birmingham bombing.

In Their Own Story

Thorne's grandmother, Dorothy Merz Lobman, encouraged her passion for reading and social reform. After completing a Master of Social Work at the University of Alabama, Thorne interned with the Birmingham Police Department and was hired as their first Jewish female officer in 1977. She retired as a captain and became Executive Director of City Action Partnership (CAP) in Birmingham. Her novel *Noah's Wife* won Gold in the Historical Fiction category for the 2009 Foreword Independent Books reviews. A short film from her screenplay 'Six Blocks Wide' was a semi-finalist at the international A Film for Peace Festival in Italy.

Reader's Guide

Thorne currently resides in Springville, Alabama, with her husband, two dogs, a cat, and a horse. She is the step-mother of three children and a grandmother of four. She holds a Yondan (4th degree black belt) in Tomiki Ryu Aikido. Her father, Warren Katz, was a WWII veteran and civilian engineer at the Charleston Naval Shipyard. Her mother, Jane Lobman Katz, was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 2002 for her lobbying and activism. Thorne has a brother and sister.

Did You Know?

• Thorne was the first Jewish female officer hired by the Birmingham Police Department in 1977.
• Her mother, Jane Lobman Katz, was inducted into the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 2002.
• Thorne holds a Yondan (4th degree black belt) in Tomiki Ryu Aikido.
• Her novel *Noah's Wife* won Gold in the Historical Fiction category for the 2009 Foreword Independent Books reviews.
• A short film from her screenplay 'Six Blocks Wide' was a semi-finalist at the international A Film for Peace Festival in Italy.