N E W S M A Y 8 L E H A V R E A “Box” of Rich’s Author Richard Rapp autographing a copy of his new book, “A Box of Sand,” at a recent signing LeHavre resident author releases latest novel BY STEPHEN VRATTOS “It’s not quite true; it’s been enlarged to make better reading,” says LeHavre resident and author Richard Rapp of his latest novel, “A Box of Sand,” which hit the stands in February. The story follows the close relationship between a Jewish boy, Richard, and his grandfather, Sam Brandeis, whose story as a young adult is remembered by his grandson in flashback. Sam lived with his wife, Eva, and young daughter in a European shtetl when he made the fateful decision to flee his homeland where Cossacks were killing and raping Jews. They escaped on a ship bound for New York City, where Sam builds a successful business in Brooklyn. Growing up under the love, wisdom and guidance of his beloved grandfather, impressionable Richard takes inspiration from the unfortunate events that led to his grandfather’s coming to America, and upon his 20th birthday, returns overseas to join the struggle for an Israeli state. For the Brooklyn-born writer, “A Box of Sand” marks the tenth book published and his most personal, and Rapp is not shy in revealing that he is the main character. As to the title’s mysterious “box,” however, Rapp is less than accommodating, preferring to keep the titular object’s enigma a secret for readers to discover for themselves. In the 1950s, Rapp was a piano teacher with aspirations of being a great American songwriter. He also happened to have a knack for bookkeeping. This facility with numbers resulted in his getting recommended for a job in Frank Sinatra’s Manhattan office in 1954. “Frank had just won his Academy Award for ‘From Here to Eternity,’ which pulled his career out of the dumper,” says the outspoken Rapp. Rapp saw the move as an ideal opportunity, putting his music within a hairsbreadth of the Chairman of the Board, as well as many other iconic crooners—Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Connie Francis, Sammy Davis Jr.—who passed through the doors. “Everyone wanted a ‘Sinatra song’.” Though Rapp never wrote a tune worthy of Sinatra, a niche seemingly monopolized by lyricist Sammy Cahn and composer Jimmy van Heusen, he did have some success. Ed Ames of the Ames Brothers, who portrayed Mingo the Indian on television’s “Daniel Boone,” had a minor hit with “Dio Mio,” a song, which Rapp composed with lyricist Sol Parker. 8 LEHAVRE COURIER | MAY 2015 | WWW.QUEENSCOURIER.COM LeHavre resident Rapp standing before a poster of his latest book
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