Biography Books

I just loved this book. It is wonderful to read about a person who lives their convictions (not that I necessarily agree with her personally but that is nearly beside the point). She shows a great deal of courage by continuing a work that she believes in even after threats and other difficulties. Any book that makes me think about the shades of gray that exist in the world instead of my more comfortable black and white is a good book.
I hope she keeps writing

Professionally qualified specialist explicates her background and experience of many years in following the pathetic result of females' unique dependence and sexual vulnerability. This problem is clearly attributable to the human condition pre-menopause, regardless of age.
As a specialist in OB-Gyn, she does her best to ensure that her patients
are examined to discuss the patient's decision thoroughly and to ascertain early stage of pregnancy. The setting provided in this way goes
to ensure minimal frequency of complications of the event in the life of the individual both emotionally and physically.
The sacrifices involved for this doctor are beyond personal. She describes the forms of protest against her self and family and the
clinic and the clinic staff.
This book is an opportunity to hear from an insider in the confidential
corridor serving "women's health."

Ms. Wicklund's book is interesting and complex. The author travels to different states to abort fetal tissue. Protesters try to block the entrance to the clinics. They harass her family, and scream slogans in her face, such as, "Murderer, stop killing babies".

Susan Wicklund seems to have genuine concern for her clients. She writes that she lives in fear of doing an abortion for women, who would regret it latter. Instead of simply getting rid of the fetal tissue, she counselor's women so they will not regret their abortions. If a women seems hesitate to have an abortion, Ms Wicklund suggests different options like adoption. In spite of her counseling, I wonder how many women regret their abortions.

The book does a good job of describing the complexities of abortion. I learned from the book, as I suspected, that men have no rights over a fetus. Should a woman decide to end the life of their baby, a man has no choice in the matter.

While reading the book I recall seventh grade, when my teacher, Ms. Glen, taught us during environmental week how we should only have two children per couple (ZPG), and that abortion was just getting rid of useless tissue. I shyly asked "Isn't that tissue going to be a baby?' My classmates all looked at me with disdain. One boy sneered, "You must be a Catholic!"

The teacher explained again, that it was just useless tissue. In other words, the teacher explained abortion, like it was similar to taking out the trash.

In spite of the cliques of the abortion advocates. Abortion is not just about "a women's right to choose." The fetal tissue is a separate entity no matter how much women talk about "their rights."

This generation according to a poll in Time Magazine states, that teenagers' attitudes on abortion are different. They do not glorify abortion, and they recognize that abortion is ending a human life. Abortion should not be celebrated, but discouraged. Not everyone who opposes abortion is a religious zealot.

The book left me feeling sad, but I am giving this book five stars because it was well written and interesting

Hooray for Wicklund's heroic struggle on behalf of abortion! I very much sympathized with her enduring persecution from the anti-choice fascists. Because lets face it--abortions are great! The right-wing Bible thumpers claim that abortion is "killing". But what's wrong with that? Killing, obviously, should be a choice left to a child's mother, not the government.

I was shocked to read that there are so few abortionists available in rural America. O, the trials that these women must go through to abort their fetuses! I wept in triumph as each fetus was--against seemingly insurmountable odds--aborted! Thank God for courageous warriors like Wicklund! Fight on, brave abortionists! Unite, I say! Unite behind Abortion's billowing star-spangled banner! Surely a nobler cause was never championed!

This is a remarkable story about a courageous woman who - despite ongoing threats to her self, family, practice, and property- vigilantly protects a woman's right to choose.

Dr. Wicklund's stories about her patients are both inspirational and heartbreaking; her interactions with abortion stalkers/protesters - who violated her privacy and terrorized her family - are absolutely chilling. Before I read this book, I thought I understood the risks that doctors assumed when they worked at a facility that performed abortions. I didn't have a clue.

God bless you, Dr. Wicklund, for your eloquence, grace, and devotion to woman's health. You are an inspiration.

This book is extremely well written and I would highly recommend it. As a former Jehovah's Witness, I was able to identify with so much of the story - not the sexual abuse (although I learned of some sexual abuse that occurred and was covered up by the elders) but I have seen so many mothers who were like the author's mother. One of the reasons I first began to question the Watchtower religion was because of the way the children were treated - or mis-treated would be a better description. Kids spanked who were noisy during the lengthy adult services, pinched when they fell asleep at late night meetings on school nights, etc. etc. But that is mild compared to what the author endured. I enjoyed this book very much.

This book was a bit like therapy. It was helpfull to hear a story so much like my own. She is a powerful writer, and honestly portrays what can go wrong in the JW cult.

Joy's memoir is a stark reminder that abuse in all of its various forms is devastating to individuals and relationships. Because it is her story and she was raised by parents who were Jehovah's Witnesses, it includes much of that lifestyle, religious doctrine, and terminology. Joy does a fair job at explaining some of the little understood doctrines when they appear in her story.

If you are looking for a diatribe or poison pen against Jehovah's Witnesses or the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society you may be disappointed. She neither attacks nor excuses them. She more often reflects on the confused contradictions she experienced trying to make sense of the wide gap between what was taught and how it was lived.

Having studied the Witnesses and their organization for more than two years I was familiar with many of the ways they apply scripture to their lives and Joy's descriptions are fair. The fact Joy's parents and step-father clearly took some of them to the extreme only confirms they were unbalanced people. I have some close personal relationships with a few Witnesses but probably could not get them to read this book as they would likely view it as apostate writing.

The book serves to remind us how men and women in any religious following who fail to use the good minds God gave them to discern good from evil but instead faithfully, but blindly follow a religious organization as proof of loyalty to God, can find themselves quite quickly in horrible circumstances.

Joy's book also gives hope to those who seek a relationship with God rather than an organization.

I felt that the book was very well written and engrossing. Having suffered through a very similar situation in my youth with this particular religion it was a comfort to me to know that during those lonely years that I truly wasn't alone: Other people were going through the same confusion and frustration that I had been through. Mrs. Castro did a great job of explaining the JW thought process and the total lack of respect they have for women. They are very willing to place uneducated men to call the shots in their congregations. They allow these men to make decisions that they have had no training, no experience and no business in. The mere fact that they are men is the only qualification many of them need. I felt Mrs. Castro also did a great job of showing how manipulative the JW's are. The "truth" is not what they are interested in at all. Preservation of their beliefs, right or wrong is what fuels them. The book must have been difficult for her to write but I would think cathartic also.

I could not put this book down. The mental and physical abuse that Ms Castro and her brother received is unbelievable. As we move through her incredible life it is inspiring that she was able to rise above her circumstances and find peace within herself and create a loving enviroment for her son. I have no history with JW, but would recommend this book to anyone. Beautifully written. Can't wait for the next book by Joy Castro.

This personal narrative set in the midst of global history is a tremendous story. A touching and humorous account of an unforgettable era, told with skill. Couldn't put it down until it was finished. One reads it thinking, "This would make a wonderful movie."

This book is a compelling story about a young man who grows up on the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama on his family farm and goes on to serve his country in World War II. Sacco made the unique decision of telling the story in his father's voice, which adds to the authenticity of the account.

This tactic also makes the writing come across as glib in places. While the elder Sacco tells anecdotes about bad food, and seemingly endless hours of drills in all types of weather, he glosses over some of these hardships as the story moves on. The book would have been strengthened a bit if the author had filled in some of those gaps for the reader. The liberation of Dachau gets surprisingly few pages, as one would expect this event to be the pinnacle of the young soldier's life.

However, there are a number of places where Sacco's first hand account proves very effective: The story is full of wiseacre remarks about the shape of a woman, and while these types of comments aren't acceptable in our time, in most circles, they add to the realistic feel of a group of young GIs serving half a world away usually without female companionship.

Sacco's account of the group dynamics in his unit is fascinating. There are a number of anecdotes about race relations in the Army. The elder Sacco seems to pride himself on having been more enlightened than some in his time, in part because he himself experienced prejudice. Finally, his account of falling in love with a young woman named Monique during a stint in a small French village on the border with Germany is truly riveting.

In sum, the book seems to serve as a realistic account of military service and of the horror of war. And while I was disappointed by the casual telling of the story in some places, one has the sense that the elder Sacco's sense of humor, combined with his ability to minimize certain aspects of his tough experience, helped to keep him going during some of the most harrowing experiences of his life. Indeed, the author's style provided plenty of comic relief. This book is more for those who like biographies rather than those who want a straightforward account of the facts and dates associated with these historic events.

I concur with the excellent reviews preceeding mine. This is a beautifully written account of the guys from the 192nd Signal Battalion from basic training to the end of World War II. I'd like to identify three significant elements undergirding this excellent account of the incredible fortitude of teenagers turned warriers in a brutal environment. First, Joe Sacco and his buddies had the immense good fortune of being under the capable direction of First Sargeant Ernest Thomas. His presence in the background is a constant element in keeping these young men the best that they could be. Next, Joe Sacco and his buddies were among those who forever identify themselves as members of "Patton's Army". Through Joe's eyes we can appreciate the inspirational leadership he offered in the worst of times. Last, these guys were such good guys--in their treatment of little children, a child German soldier, and others, it makes one so proud of all those very young American soldiers who could see the worst, and yet keep their faith in the importance of each human being.

Superbly written! At once epic in scope and intimate in detail, WHERE THE BIRDS NEVER SING effortlessly transports even a casual reader on an emotional and unforgettable journey. Author Jack Sacco masterfully recounts the true story of his father, Joe Sacco, an American GI in World War II. Instead of using the tired genre of third-person documentary-style writing to tell the tale, the author speaks in the first person, through the eyes of his father. The result is one of the most powerful and honestly moving accounts of the human drama in World War II in recent memory.

The story begins in 1943 on a farm in Alabama, when the young Joe Sacco receives a letter informing him that he has been drafted into the service. From there, it seamlessly moves through his training with the 92nd Signal Battalion, shipping out to England (where the soldiers witnessed the stirring and famous speech by General Patton), landing at Omaha Beach in Normandy, surviving the Battle of the Bulge and fighting their way across Nazi Germany to eventually arrive at the notorious concentration camp at Dachau by war's end.

The book, already powerful and moving up until that point, then takes the reader to a new level of realism as horrifying details of the camp are revealed. Considering all he had seen and experienced since landing at Normandy, the emotional response of the young Joe Sacco to the carnage inside Dachau may leave the reader near tears. Rarely, if ever, has there been a written account of the reality of the concentration camps so graphic, gripping or compelling. As if that wasn't enough, Jack Sacco has included actual historic photographs his father took during the dramatic liberation.

All along the way, the author crafts memorable and beautifully written scenes, from the terrors of battle to the tranquility of a snowfall in the forests of Alsace-Lorraine, from the sorrows of the death of a buddy to the simple joy of decorating a makeshift Christmas tree with gum wrappers. In describing the emotions of the men before leaving Dachau, Sacco writes, "Now, after a year of combat, each of us finally and forever understood why destiny had called us to travel so far away from the land of our birth and fight for people we did not know. And so it was here, in this place abandoned by God and accursed by men, that we came to discover the meaning of our mission."

This is not another book about World War II. It's an intimate journey into the heart of an American soldier, and as such, it is as triumphant as the men it depicts. Readers will not only delight in WHERE THE BIRDS NEVER SING, they will gain a new appreciation for the accomplishments of their own fathers, uncles and grandfathers who may have served in World War II as part of the Greatest Generation.

Where The Birds Never Sing is the story of Joe Sacco's years in the army during WWII as written by his son Jack. From the time he was drafted until the time that he returns home we live with Joe as he experiences everything from basic training to the liberation of Dachau, which left Joe and the men of his company, soldiers who had witnessed everything that war has to offer, speachless and sickened. It also, as Joe so eloquently tells us, brought home, all too clearly, to these soldiers just why they had left their homes to "fight for a people we did not know."

A remarkable story about a remarkable man. This book must be read by all who are interested in "The Greatest Generation."

Ever since I was a child, I have dreamed of going to visit or to live in Africa. I don't know why. I have this fascination with Africa, its culture, history, and its wildlife. But at my age and with my income the dream may not ever be possible except this one exception.

Wilderness Family is the first book that truly made me feel that I actually living in the bush of Kruger National Park. The stories shared in the book drew you into this family's lives. Rather than looking at them as an outsider peering through the window at their lives, you felt as though you were part of the family.

You could sense Leo the lion, Wolfie their dog and the way those two animals had a real relationship. It was so humorous to see Leo, this growing lion being submissive to the dog and actually thinking it was a dog at times.

It is a book that I will feel a need to pick up and read again and again as my thoughts will surely wonder to Africa and I will use it to slake my desire to be there personally.

I recommend this book to everyone. There is joy, laughter, sadness, all the emotions there is in this book, but it will happen because it dares you to live their lives with them.

I agree with all of the earlier reviews of this book - it is a must-read! My family had the privilege of visiting Kruger Park last November. Ms. Kruger does a wonderful job of capturing what it feels like to be there. I highly encourage anyone who can to make the trip - South Africa is a beautiful country that shouldn't be missed.

The question is - where do you go from here? After this book you have to take a break before launching yourself into any other read just because there's so much verve and life to this book, it lingers in you for days. You laugh with it and you cry with it. Extraordinary book!

This is one of my favorite excape reads. I've read it many times and each time get just a bit more out of it as well as the feeling of being there and wishing I was. It's an incredible adventure written with humor and honesty. Life was not easy and it certainly wasn't dull. Ms. Kruger displays the courage and humility it takes to survive, sometimes alone, as part of Africa's protector. The interaction between humans and animals, even the fearful-for-her snakes speaks volumes. It's a book I don't want to end. Imagine raising children to appreciate life in this incredible location! Wonderful.

Probably one of the most touching and stirring non-fiction books I've ever read, I finished it far too quickly. Kobie Kruger is a very talented author, with a natural talent for engendering empathy to her deepest maternal love for both animals and her children.

I found myself in tears at their losses and beaming at their joys, and craving a life in Africa, far from telephones and the other modern annoyances of society.

Katherine Martin has compiled a detailed collection of feminine courage and real-life stories of going beyond one's comfort zone.

An inspirational feminist guide for young girls and women. Wonderful resources to finding a personal or impersonal mentor.

Katherine Martin's collection of stories reminds me that every woman, young and old, has natural talents and abilities to bring about supernatural results. A wonderful book that is sure to inspire readers to help make the world a better place.

There is a heartfelt need among women and girls to celebrate women's history. In her outstanding work, Katherine Martin has put before us a diverse group of role models from which every woman can learn and be proud.

41 women are featured in this thought-provoking book: some have names we recognize immediately from politics, medicine, spirituality & literature. Some for their derring-do & some for their expressions of inspiration. Some have made no headlines as they work with our homeless citizens or live with HIV, poverty or teach welfare mothers. One filmed documentaries in dangerous poltiical places. Another survived imprisonment at the hands of rebel bandits in a little known nation only to go to work, upon release, with refugees in ethnic-cleansing zones. Another stepped out of the shadow of a best-selling husband & learnt to speak her own piece while another is a pilgrim upon her walk toward spiritual knowledge.

Listening to their words, remarking upon Katherine Martin's commentary, I have found myself in good company & would willingly offer any one of these brave women my seat by the fire & a cup of hot tea! A wonderful read & a keeper! Do check out my full review!

In "Women of Courage", Katherine Martin has done a superb job of depicting forty courageous women who have followed their dreams, lived their commitments and made a difference in the world. These women are of all ages and are drawn from all professions: from art to politics; from explorers to activists. Some are famous and high-profile; some are relatively unknown. Each of these women has evinced a remarkable courage, openness and determination not to give up her dream - whether writing about the feminine identity of God, crossing the South Pole, or adopting a baby girl from China.

Too often, as Mary Pipher (the author of "Reviving Ophelia," and one of the women profiled is this book) says, courage has been defined as courage in the face of physical danger, the courage of a superhero or of Rambo. With this book, Ms. Martins suggests that courage comes in many aspects, all of which are important and valuable. I would especially recommend this book as a gift to young women, although both genders and all ages should find it enjoyable.

I hate the Yankees but have tons of friends that give me Evil Empire books because they know I love baseball and that I HATE THE YANKEES. But thsi book is great. If you love the Yankees then you need to buy this book. Bobby Murcer is a legend that all young fans should know about. Bobby was also mentioned in New York Yankees: An Interactive Guide to the World of Sports (Sports by the Numbers) great companion guide to any Yankees book.

Bobby Murcer has always been one of my favorite Yankees. This was a fast-read book and enjoyed every page of it. It was a bittersweet read, though. Brought back a lot of memories and left me feeling happy and sad at times, but would definitely recommend it.

Recommended reading....YANKEE FOR LIFE by Bobby Murcer with Glen Wagoner.

Less than two months before Bobby Murcer died from brain cancer (July 12th of this year), Harper released his book YANKEE FOR LIFE. While the sub-title ("My 40-Year Journey In Pinstripes") makes it sound like a baseball centric journal, which of course most of it is, it goes far beyond that of a glory days bio.

Murcer was diagnosed with brain cancer on Christmas Eve 2006.

As Bobby wrote in the prefix:

"But here's the pay off pitch: within days, miraculously, I was enveloped by a calming sense of peace, acceptance, and trust.

Peace. Acceptance. Trust.

Those three words sustained me until I could regain my footing, and have been with me ever since."

Knowing how this story ends makes it all the more sadder based on the humor, hope, dignity and class Bobby Murcer has always shown. Whether you are a baseball fan or not, it is a story you will want to read. Two of Murcer's goals---To broadcast about fifty games in 2008 and to throw out the first pitch at the NEW Yankee Stadium in 2009---were, alas.......

Most book dedications are mere last minute publisher forced fluff, but this one is different. If Murcer's opening dedication "TO KAY" (his wife) doesn't move you, nothing will.

What follows from there is highly recommended.

Paul (see below)
==========================================================================
On June 30, Murcer's family released a statement that he had suffered a relapse:

" Bobby Murcer continues to recover from the effects of cancer and shingles, which caused him to cut short his broadcasting work and his book tour earlier this month. He has been under medical care in Oklahoma City.


The cancer treatment over the last 18 months has been intensive and has, as a side effect, somewhat compromised his immune system and made the fight all the more challenging. While he has shown some measured improvement in recent days, this is clearly a major battle, as all who have been through it understand.

Bobby remains hopeful that he will be able to resume his broadcasting work down the road, but for now, is appreciative of the thoughts and prayers of his fans, and wants them to know that he is aware that he is in their hearts, as they are in his.
"

Two weeks later, on July 12, Nancy Newman of the Yankees' YES Network reported that Murcer had died due to complications related to brain cancer. He was reportedly surrounded by family in his deathbed in his home in Oklahoma City. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner issued a statement following his death: "Bobby Murcer was a born Yankee, a great guy, very well-liked and a true friend of mine. I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife Kay, their children and grandchildren. I will really miss the guy." Baseball commissioner Bud Selig eulogized, "All of Major League Baseball is saddened today by the passing of Bobby Murcer, particularly on the eve of this historic All-Star game at Yankee Stadium, a place he called home for so many years. Bobby was a gentleman, a great ambassador for baseball, and a true leader both on and off the field. He was a man of great heart and compassion."

The memorial service for Bobby was held in Edmond, OK on August 6, at the Memorial Road Church of Christ. Among the some 2,000 attending the memorial were Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and Joe Girardi. Also in attendance Diana Munson, widow of Yankee captain Thurman Munson. The August 6 date was 29 years, to the day, since Murcer gave a eulogy at Thurman Munson's funeral and is also the 25th anniversary of Bobby Murcer Day at Yankee Stadium. The uniform worn by Murcer at his final Yankee Stadium Old Timer's Day appearance in 2007 was presented to his spouse Kay. His tomb can be located in Rose Hill Mausoleum, in the left side of the building.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Murcer

Execellent book for everyone, not only baseball fans. Murcer tells a compelling story of how to keep your priorities in order and maintain your faith. Very easy read, and well worth it.

Bobby Murcer was my hero. I bought an advance copy from Amazon and waited months for it to arrive. It did not disappoint. It is one of the best books I've ever read about sports.
I miossplaced the boof for a couple of months, half-read. I found it again just after he passed away and started reading it again.

I'm saving the last few pages for when I need the strength.

Whether one is interested in the plight of children, or simply wanting an interesting read, this book is for you. I was never familiar with the name of Cherie Clark, but now I am, and feel like a better person for it. This woman demonstrated incredible passion and love for the helpless when no one else would - or could. There are probably no monuments or special trophies established in Cherie Clark's name - but there should be. This book accompanied me on a trip to Hawaii, and I found myself unable to detach myself from it while in paradise! The famous biblical verse, "Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life for his brother," was probably written with Cherie Clark in mind!

I was born the year Cherie Clark left Vietnam with a plane load of babies. A remarkable woman. Her words describe life for a Humanitarian Worker in Vietnam so matter-of-factly, so astoundingly matter of factly! There is no time for sorrow it seems, only for action, and for bringing joy and changing lives. Must be something to change 200 babies lives forever, but to sum it up in 200 pages of simple language, eloquence is not needed in a battlefield. Wonder why there is no movie about this book? Emotions are generated by the reader vision of the bleak scenary of war, a fight of life against death, and of activisim against evil and maddness. Her anger, sorrow, happiness are all suppressed by the overwhelming events she chose to be part of. A remarkable book by a remarkable woman. Can't wait to get hold of the rest of the trilogy. Her Sorrow, other's joy.

This book is truly awe inspiring. We are adopting a child from Vietnam and hopefully will have the pleasure of meeting Cherie when we travel to pick our baby up. For anyone who has adopted or is adopting from Vietnam it truly puts perspective on what happened during the war. I simply could not put this book down. Make sure you have plenty of Kleenex when you read this.

Cherie gave 100% of herself to the children of VietNam and, later, India. I couldn't put this book down. I also have adopted internationally and want so much to drop everything and go to work with children without families overseas. The difference: I don't have the courage, Cherie did. I only wish she had the time or resources to write the sequel she had planned to this wonderful book.

This book is necessary reading for anyone who wants a complete picture of the Vietnam War. Cherie Clark's memoir succeeds where so many other memoirs, histories, and journalistic accounts fall short. While most books lose interest in events after the final American troop pullout in 1972, Clark's book provides a vivid depiction of life in South Vietnam during the frantic final years of the war. The book also fills the gap left by so many accounts in its description of the desperate conditions endured by regular Vietnamese caught in the middle of the conflict. While issues of global politics and military strategy comprise the vast majority of books published about Vietnam, Clark's book is exceptional in its unflinching view of how the consequences of those issues affected the lives of so many women and children. From beginning to end, After Sorrow Comes Joy is gripping, honest, and interesting. But perhaps its most valuable contribution to the field of books about Vietnam is the surprising level of decency and hope evident amidst all of the suffering. Many of the Americans and Vietnamese described in the book go on to use their wartime experiences as launching pads to careers in humanitarian work throughout the world. And for that hopeful quality alone, Ms. Clark's book is a rare standout. As a Ph.D. student concentrating on Southeast Asian history, I would recommend After Sorrow Comes Joy as an important contribution to the canon of works on America's involvement in Vietnam. I would also recommend it as a great read for anyone interested in stories of unheralded but heroic Americans doing the anonymous humanitarian work that is so often overlooked in books about soldiers, protesters, and policy makers. It is a different Vietnam story, but it is one that should have been told a long time ago.

I received this book for my 10th birthday from my parents, many years ago. At the time, I was very impressionable and this book made a significant impact on my life. I learned then that what we as fallible humans consider to be "imperfect" according to our standards of ignorance and bias is usually the most precious of all things to God.

Now, I have a two-year-old son with Down Syndrome and I can relate in so many ways to this book. As I look back over my life and various correlating events that have taken place, I see that God was preparing me to be the mother of a special needs child all along. And it all started with this one little book.

I doubt even Dale Evans knew how much this little book would touch lives. It was published in 1953 and my 6th grade teacher read the book to all of us in her class years later. Of course, we were all Dale and Roy's fans so we could not wait until the next day when she read another chapter. It is one book that I have read over and over again. It is amazing how Dale got Robin's message which was told from her point of view. If you want to read a book that is life touching, then read "Angel Unaware". The Bible verse from Hebrews is still my favorite verse.

I bought this as a present for my wife and it moved both of us to tears. Wonderful.

I first read this book shortly after I learned to read, at my grandparents house. The book was hardcover with a pink cover page.

Every time I went to my grandparents I would reread the book.

This book will bring tears to your eyes, and it shows that you are truly not alone.

Karen

A brief story of a child with Downs Syndrome, born to Dale Evans & Roy Rogers, this story reaffirms the obvious...God makes no mistakes, & uses all things to draw us closer to Him.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Bernstein over the weekend at a book fair, and what a classy and kind woman she seems to be.

Since I am a librarian, I've read all manner of holocaust stories, and this remains the most moving I have experienced. This is the story of one family, in hiding. OK, that's the case for many holocaust stories, so what makes this great?

It's personal, no generalities; it is the simple yet piercing account of only this group of people. It doesn't pretend to speak for the masses, and yet it speaks _to_ me, far away from the sad, horrible experience.

It makes real people out of all the characters. If there's a hero, it's Jozef, who hides them. But he has his flaws, even comical ones. He can do no better than to hide people under his floor. He pretends to be a simpleton to avoid suspician from the Nazis. But his wife knows he is NOT a simpleton and suspects, correctly, that he is hiding something from her. Of course she thinks it's a lover and makes her husband's life miserable and endangers the family with her right-minded mistrust. When her husband comes clean to her, she is unexpectedly kind to the family.

Most telling at all, (hinted at in the title) is that they didn't live happily ever after. The symptoms of post-traumatic stress (not diagnosed at the time)led to life-long health and nerve problems even for the survivors. Yet you know, reading the book, that survival is worth the harrowing things that were experienced to get it.

A beautiful, simple, touching book that makes me appreciate my life.

A very powerful story about the Holocaust that is well-written and gives intimate detail. It's marvelous that the mother wrote down her entire story in 1959 and then was able to live to see it published. I also enjoyed the Afterward, written by the daughter, giving her impressions and what she remembered from this utterly tragic period from which almost no Jew escaped. The fact that each town was carefully named, each incident described in detail, made the story come to life for the reader who could well imagine himself/herself there at the time. The copy-editing done on this book was excellent; I only found two tiny errors.

I just finished reading Bitter Memories, and this is a definite for everyone to share with their family. What this family saw and lived through is awe inspiring and will leave you looking at your own lives. It will make you appreciate where we live and gives a new look at what the Holocaust victims went through. There are so many who will deny that the Holocaust ever took place, but Mrs Wallach and her daughter will help you see through their memories just how horrible it truly was.

This is an incredible story which while simply written,
encompasses all of the best and worst of what humans are capable of. The unbelievable love between and mother and her child is the overwhelming power that pervades the narrative. A gift to anyone who needs to understand what that period of history was all about.
Patti Sacher

Bitter Freedom
Jafa Wallach
Paperback: 209 pages
Publisher: Hermitage Publishers; First edition (April 25, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1557791570
ISBN-13: 978-1557791573

Although I have read many first-hand account books written by holocaust survivors, I found Bitter Freedom to be the most compelling story of it's kind since The Diaries of Anne Frank. The book moved me like no other.
Bitter Freedom is written in straight-forward prose by a mother survivor (Jafa Wallach) who shortly after the WWll ended, sat down and wrote the personal history of her family's lucky and often miraculous survival of the Holocaust. In letter form to her daughter- (Rena Wallach Bernstein) too young at the time to know the adult horrors of in which they survived, Mrs. Wallach pens an incredibly honest and poignant memoir.
"The years have gone by and yet the memory of how it all began remains vivid, fearfully close, as though it all happened yesterday. We were at home, apartment #3 Jagielonska Street in the town of Sanok Poland, listening to radio bulletins of Hitler's attack. You, my daughter, were just one year old. You looked up at our anxious faces, your father's and mine, but you could not have understood how deeply frightened we were. You repeated after us, in your baby lisp, "war, war"-the ugliest word in human speech. It wasn't long after that German planes began to pay their deadly visits to our little town of Sanok."

The book transports you back in history allowing you a glimpse of what everyday families were seeing, feeling and experiencing during this horrific time of war. The Jews of conquered Europe were taken by surprise never dreaming that civilized man could do to their fellow human beings what was now being done to them. Terror and mayhem swept Europe, and so swiftly had Hitler come east and so complete was his control of the lands he occupied- there was literally no where to run-no where to hide. Those hunted were now trapped in their own villages.

Escaping the terror was made especially difficult because many people of the Nazi controlled villages were deeply and historically ingrained with hate for certain groups of their fellow countrymen. The Nazis used this hate to their advantage by turning neighbor against neighbor, friend against friend. Christian against Jew. Those of the hated lucky enough to survive, did so only with the help of others who chose to put their own lives, and those of their families at risk to save their friends and neighbors. Very few were willing to take that risk.

Fortunately for the Wallach family One Christian man- a mechanic named Jozef "Jozio" Zwonarz did choose to put his own life and family at risk to save five fellow human beings. As he concealed four adults under the very noses of the Gestapo, he desperately schemed to save the life of the fifth family member, a four year old child. (Rena Wallach)
With parents and daughter now separated, the nightmare for this family was complete. There was nothing left for them to do. Their very lives were now in the hands of God and an auto mechanic named Jozio.

Bitter Freedom is a touching memoir, a suspenseful thriller, and an accurate historical novel all in one. Although the story took place more than 60 years ago, Jafa Wallach's messages to the reader are timeless and wonderfully relevant in today's world where war is in the news every day.

I predict that Bitter Freedom will eventually be on the top of every school's reading list. There are lessons here for all of us.
A must read.

This is an insightful book into the psyche of abuse and denial. A tough read for the soft of heart. But both a page turner and a must read.

the author provided an excellent bit of history of living in an orphanage as an african american in a segregated situation, her decription of that life was just well written and the information was just a winner.. I would recommend this to all... i BECAME hooked on blue popsicleS....
a great reaD

What a page turner. I could not put it down once I started reading. It is a heart warming testimony to the resilience of human beings. It is amazing that the author remained in tact after such a terrifying childhood. My heart went out to little Nancy, I cried for her and wished so many times I could have reached in and held her. What a remarkable story, what an amazing woman, what a "must read" book. I certainly hope she will write a sequel so that I can find out what happened to the rest of her life. NeAnni Ife is a true example of the not mythical strong black woman.

Having also grown up in this Home, I know the strife that NeAnni felt having to tell her story. But tell it she did!!

I was much younger when what happened to her took place. Making her story public helped change the way we were punished in the years to come. The public was now aware, and started paying close attention to what was happening to those poor kids up on the hill.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you NeAnni. Know how proud I am of you!!!

What courage it took for you to stand up against the abuse. What soul searching and anguish you must have gone through to be able bring this story life.

This book is amazing! It's hard to believe that people could be so cruel to children. If a parent today did to their children what was done to the children of the OS&SO Home, they would be in prison. It's good to know that Nancy/NeAnni is doing well. I hope that other "orphans" are too. I'm recommending this book to my friends, and I look forward to other books from this talented writer.