Marsha Denison was born in Boston and grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. She received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts and her M.A. in Gerontology from St Joseph’s College in Connecticut. She has published two books, Grisha’s Loop in 2016 and My Name is Buttons -and this is My Story in 2023. Grisha’s Loop is a memoir of her immigrant father’s life and escape from Russia in 1922. The author has two daughters and now lives in Maine.



Marsha will begin her 90th year in April. Although she is not a professional author, she felt compelled to share her father’s story after discovering an old, dusty box in the basement of their home following her parents’ deaths. The box contained many Russian documents, including her father’s original manuscript of My Slavic Saga, which she published unedited as a significant component of the book Grisha’s Loop.



She was motivated to write the book by her then fourteen-year-old grandson, who needed to write a school paper on an ancestor. He focused on his great-grandfather, a figure his grandfather had told him about. Her grandson received an “A” on his paper, prompting Marsha to delve into the old box and write his story. In doing so, she aimed to honor her father’s memory and provide readers with an intimate glimpse into history through a personal lens. As a gerontologist, Marsha believes preserving family histories and narratives is essential. This preservation offers others a window into past eras and ensures that the courage and resilience of previous generations are not forgotten.