Escape Books

I couldn't put this book down. I have read quite a few books on the Holocaust and watched the major movies, but I never really felt the connection with an ordinary person living an ordinary life being thrust into extraordinary circumstances like this book has done. While reading, I was imagining myself being awakened by bombs on my wedding night and forced to make the unbelievably difficult decisions made by Ida, Morris and their families in Antwerp, Belgium. I also never really "got" that the US had rejected Jewish immigrants to the degree described in this book. I don't recall ever seeing a movie that addresses this issue and think that one needs to be made. I don't recall the US ever apologizing either...it seems like this is a piece of the Holocaust story that has been overlooked: that of the refugees who tried to get out and the countries that refused to help.

The monoprints made by Ida in the 1980's as a first step to telling her story are also quite extraordinary; now I'm curious about monoprinting and wish I could see someone actually doing it. It's hard to imagine how one could get so much detail with the process!

It could not have been easy to recall such horrible memories for Ida Piller-Greenspan and Susan Branting does an able job at moving the narrative along and maintaining the sense of urgency that Ida and Morris must have felt during their year+ ordeal. I am deeply grateful for this account. I believe these stories of ordinary individuals are priceless reminders of that horrible time and, as Peter Rose writes in his introduction, each provides a "small part in the overall catastrophe."

A great story with very expressive and well chosen prints by the author which encourage the dark but ultimately uplifting tale.
As it's quite a short book the end comes a little to soon for my liking, but I hope that the author will consider making a mid-quel
to add to the story. Fingers crossed...:-)

I was disappointed in this book as I did not find it particularly well written plus I felt it left a lot unsaid about the author's family and how they managed when they came to America. I realize the book was narrow in scope as it covered only the time of their flight to freedom but it still felt me feeling hanging. I wanted to know more.

Michelle and her familey are going to their aunts Beckys cousens for Thanks giveing.Michelle makes friends with a turkey named Tom.She finds out they are going to eat Tom.What does Michelle and her sisters do to save Tom from being eaten thanksgiving?Read the book and find out.I read this book in one day it was so good!

Michelle and her family visit a farm. Michelle sees a turkey that is realy cute. But then she hears they are going to cook him on Thanksgiving. Read the book to see what she trys.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Wayne Carlson on a cross-Canada music festival train trip in April 2004. Many of us on the train bought Wayne's book, and I read it with interest and pleasure. Doing so increased my astonishment that anyone could spend as much of a life in such lousy circumstances and emerge with humanity and humor intact. His narrative proves that he has. In an age when, certainly in the U.S., and probably to some extent in Canada as well, any pretense that the criminal justice system is intended to rehabilitate anyone is nothing but pretense, Wayne's story indicates that rehabilitation is possible. Great compelling read.

Every few months or so I need to read a book or at least an essay such as this account of man surviving the, for most, unsurvivable. Papillon is one such story I would compare to Carlson's, the indomitability of an undefeatable man. That must be redundant, but I'm a bit bleary because I haven't been able to put the book down.

What makes Carlson so winsome, beyond his genius for survival and escape, is his essential romantic innocence and affection for humanity. Despite his decades of imprisonment he seems to have maintained his human spirit, truly a miracle!

A wealth of observational detail on life, friendship and survival. One hopes he does a sequel.

Well written, fast paced, an exciting tale of human endurance, perseverance and ingeniuty. Hard to put down.

Henry Chancellor has written a book about the bad boys of Colditz - the true Houdini escape artists! Although they weren't as successful as Houdini, they showed absolute brillance in devising ways to escape out of Colditz. And the British agents in England were just as devious with respect to smuggling in contraband.

Chancellor deftly writes about the many escape attempts by the French, the Poles, the Brits and others. He captures a "you are there" feel as he describes their fears, their boredoms, and for some, there escape into lunacy.

If you have read other books about escape attempts from the German Stalags, then you are in for a treat with this book. Chancellor also describes how each side (German and Allied) held mutual respect for one another except toward the end of the war when things began to turn nasty for the Germans.

An excellent book and worthy of anyone's library.

This book puts the science in how certain personality types are attracted to different drugs because of the nuerotransmitters they produce. Each personality type, such as an adventurous person who likes to jump out of airplanes, would be susseptible to the addiction of cocaine, because both acts enduce the same endorphines in the brain, thus creating the same high. Each drug is addressed and considered for personality types that might become susseptible to that drug. Fascinating look at how nuerotransmitters and personality types come together to create certain types of addictions and preferences for certain drugs.

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The authors argue for a broad definition of addiction as "self-induced changes in neurotransmission that result in behavior problems." Addictions are grouped into three major categories: satiety, stimulation, and fantasy. Research demonstrates that the biochemical bases for addictions in each group are similar. Thus compulsive use of depressant drugs involves many of the same neurological mechanisms as activities such as overeating and watching television; a similar relationship is found among stimulant use and other thrill seeking activities, such as skydiving and gambling; use of 'hallucinogenic' drugs is related to other activities of compulsive fantastication, such as religious fanaticism and schizophrenia.

My lay opinion is that some of these parallels may not be quite as strong as they are argued to be in the book; nonetheless the thesis is generally valid, and the broad scope of addiction is a concept worthy of further exploration. Certainly it represented a refreshing and progressive development at the time of the book's publication. It will be interesting to see how the authors incorporate new developments in the field of addictions research and in clinical practice when their new work (Craving for Ecstasy: How Our Passions Become Addictions and What We Can Do About Them) is published.

The work includes a good deal of technical information and many interesting anecdotes from the lives of people whose behaviors have taken over their lives. It also contains a good deal of practical information and advice on recovery for those with more than an academic interest in the subject. Considering that it was written by two people, it also reads quite well.

Forced to flee France, young Daniel's Huguenot family finds itself on the Lily, a ship transporting cargo to Africa. Daniel is shocked to find that in Africa, the cargo they've been carrying is replaced by live cargo - captured slaves. He is faced with the horrific truth of slavery and the brutal conditions in which these slaves are transported. He befriends one of the captured girls, and their friendship continues throughout the story.

Though fictionalized, this story includes real details about the slave trade and the founding of the New Rochelle communty in the colony of New York. Readers will gain an understanding of the hardships of life in colonial America, the difficulties of language barriers that immigrants faced, and the the moral complexities of slavery. This book would be a good addition to a classroom study or homeschool unit on colonial America.

Kris Bordessa, author of Great Colonial America Projects You Can Build Yourself

Katherine Kirkpatrick is an increasingly beloved author of children's historical fiction. Having published the widely read Trouble's Daughter and other books, she now tells a story based on history of the escape from France in 1686 of a Huguenot or French Protestant weaver's family, persecuted for their religion. The King's soldiers destroy the father's loom in a heartbreaking scene; then trying to escape, the weaver and his wife conceal their son, ten-year-old Daniel Bonnet, in one of the donkey's side packets, or panniers. A soldier, testing to see if any small child is hidden there, drives his bayonet through the leather and into the boy's leg.

During the several month's sea voyage in escaping France, Daniel deals with the pain of the leg wound which slowly cripples him but comes face to face with a greater pain: the ship which takes them proves to be a slave ship. He is horrified at the cargo they carry and his desire to rescue and make life better for a tiny captive slave girl makes him understand troubles greater than his useless leg. How they all manage to reach New York and religious freedom and how he matures as a young man through his compassion is the story of the book...and how finally, how he somehow returns himself and his father to weaving and makes a better life for the little girl.

As with all of Katherine Kirkpatrick's books, this one brings a world long gone to vivid life. Slaves ships, weavers' rooms, sugar plantations, and one brave boy who grows up on his voyage to freedom and the new world.

I think this is a great book that with all the interest in the Middle East today should be republished. Each chapter is about different story from the East told around a caravan campfire. Many of the stories could be shared in the home, especially giving those from the West, a real appreciation of Middle East culture and traditions.

This is a great little book with a misleading title. The book has nothing to do with "escape from central asia." What the book is is a wonderful collection of short stories, held together by the clever theme of stories told around the campfire along a journey, a caravan, a pilgrimage from Istanbul to Mecca. The first short chapter sets the stage for the caravan, and how, to entertain each other, they would tell stories along the way. After that, there are 20 wonderful short stories all pertaining to the middle east, central asia or India. While some of the stories date themselves to post World War I, most of these stories are timeless. Its an easy read, and is quite captivating.

No one this reviewer knows is more capable of writing Escape From Planet Earth: The
Soul's Journey Home. Carol Powel-Smith brings a unique combination of talent,
learning, experience and compassion. Thus she can give us a superlative understanding
about the "...possibility for escape from the cycle of life, death and rebirth."

Bringing 30 years of training in Spiritual Astrology, Numerology, Tarot and Qabalah to
bear, Carol investigates "...the possibility that an all-loving Source exists, a Being who
wants to experience all possible modes of existence and so projects Itself into countless
individual manifestations. These modes of existence encompass not only life on this plane
and planet, but on infinite others, beyond anything we can even imagine."

This well-written and exciting new book explains the 12 roles of souls on earth, shows
how mythology and history explain our life roles, and helps the reader to discover how
astrological sun signs relate to our roles. Indeed, Carol has incorporated not only the
examples of a hypothetical group of souls through many lifetimes, she offers the reader the
opportunity to explore his/her own escape from planet earth.

Author, spiritual healer & counselor, and ordained minister of the Universal Brotherhood
Movement has given us the tools for a journey to new levels of personal and soul
awareness. Escape From Planet Earth: The Soul's Journey Home can enable you to
raise your consciousness while in your human body; a never-ending journey. In this
reviewer's opinion, Escape From Planet Earth: The Soul's Journey Home is more than
a book, it is an opportunity!


Richard Fuller
Senior Editor
Metaphysical Reviews

The never-ending question: Why are we here? A new and unique look at human physical existence versus spiritual existence; Ego versus Soul and the battle for soul to succeed in a very egotistical environment.

Carol Powel-Smith uses the twelve signs of the zodiac to describe and relate the twelve roles originally assigned to beings on Earth. To their very beginnings, challenges and talents and their journey to the present time. Each sign is followed from the beginning of time, their experiences described and their success at achieving spiritual growth explored. The book is a most interesting concept, which readers will find enjoyable and entertaining.

Anyone with an interest in Astrology will be fascinated with the zodiac references and journey of each of the signs. Whether you look at only your own sign or all of the signs, you will definitely be left with questions to our existence here on planet earth. Is it truly possible to escape? How many incarnations must we endure? You will have to read the book to find out.

Author, Carol Powel-Smith is an expert in Astrology, Kabbalah and Numerology. Her studies in these subjects have laid the groundwork for this book. She is a talented teacher and writer, expressing her subject easily and concisely. She has studied Buddhism and experienced different cultures in her travels with her husband, who is associated with the World Health Organization.

Well written, and a recommended read by Shirley Roe, Allbooks Review.

While I used to love the Race Against Time series, I think this one was just about the only one I didn't love, although I still liked it a lot. It was a pretty good entry in the series as Stephen and Uncle Richard battled the bad guys in Scotland. The Kronom KD2 watches were cool, as always. I think you might like it.

THE PLACE: Scotland, where an ancient castle houses up-to-date horror - and a lethal loch harbours a monstrous menace from the Nazi past.

THE RACE: Young scientist Annie Mackenzie fights alongside Stephen Lane and his Uncle Richard Duffy against the forces Jonathan Fell - the "death merchant" who's crazy as a fox, deadly as a rattlesnake, and inhuman in his ambition to rule the world... or destroy it.

Even though I'm 14 years old, I still enjoy reading the "Race Against Time" series, though the books are mostly for reader 9 to 12. Plenty of humor, action, adventure, and Uncle Richard ALWAYS gets the girl. Especially in this book, "Escape from Raven Castle". I love the end where he has to leave Annie! I love the whole idea of the "Race Against Time" series, how Stephen and Uncle Richard always go on an adventure while Stephen's parents are gone, save the world during the weekend, and be able to get back home before his parents get home.

I also love the Kronom K-D2 watches! They're so cool, almost better than any of 007's gadgets. Sadly though, in "Escape from Raven Castle", the watch wasn't used very much.

These books are limited availability but if you ever get have a chance to borrow these books at the library or buy them, I'm sure you won't regret reading the "Race Against Time" books!

Donna McFadden's debut novel is rich with secrets and revelations that are slowly dished out, page by page, like a delicious Thanksgiving feast you can't seem to walk away from, no matter how full you think you already are. "Escape From Yesterday" could be a Cinderella story, but the heroine, Billie, won't allow herself the luxury of escaping into the arms of her Prince Charming. While Billie has managed to hide from the painful memories of her past, she's also preventing herself from accepting the promise of a happy future. How far can she run, and for how long can she hide, before she pushes Jack, her own knight-in-shining-armor, out of her life forever? That's the last secret I couldn't wait to turn the last page to find the answer to. And now I find myself looking forward to turning the pages of whatever story Donna McFadden manages to cook up next!

[-DM Kraft, author of "Somewhere on the Edge of Words"]

Escape From Yesterday
by Donna M. McFadden
Publish America
ISBN# 1-4137-1099-9

Dealing with a tragic occurrence in life is one of the most difficult situations an individual must work through. It is only with the love and support of family, friends, and their faith that will help them along the way.

Still, it can be a long road to healing; especially if the person has mentally blocked out that part of their life, due to an accident, for example.

Such is the case for our heroine, Billie Randall. She learns there is a dark, secret past which haunts her dreams, and until she finds the courage to face her fears head on, they will continue to eat away at the core of her very existence.

She meets ranch owner, Jack Landson, who takes on the role as her protector, and ultimately believes the only way he can save her from her inner demons as well as those who would stir up troubles from her past is to marry her.

As much as Billie loves Jack, sometimes that isn't enough as her past begins to unfold and take on new meaning. Can Billie find the strength and the courage to face the painful memories in her past?

This was my first contemporary romance to review and I was delighted with Ms. McFadden's inventive ways of using description in her writing.

The sexual tension between the couple was clear from the beginning and there is a scene where the two are sexually intimate with each other, but this doesn't happen until they are married. I feel the author handled the scene in a tactful manner and showed the love the two had for each other, even though they hadn't expressed that love verbally.

Escape From Yesterday is a story of courage, love, and determination. This is a must read for anyone who loves contemporary romance. I am looking forward to reading more of Ms. McFadden's works.