Book Review: Always With Me by Ariela Ben Ari

Title: Always With Me
Author: Ariela Ben Ari
Genre: Memoir, Spirituality
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of a significant life, loving and happiness despite the absent, the break, the loss.

This is the story of a man and woman, a blessed couple, who spent their time together, hand in hand. This is a song about joy, togetherness, and deep faith. This is a story of love that survives separation by illness and then death.

This is a love story. A bigger- than- life love story. This is a story about a love that is resilient and pure in the face of crisis, disappointment and unimaginable health challenges. This is a story of heroism; spirit reigning over the body and its realities.

This is a story of how the movement of life provides us with opposites and how we grow from polarities such as:

Death and Life

Darkness and Light

Spiritual Distance and Closeness

The Hidden and the Exposed

Desperation and Hope

This is a story of dedication, light, the good, grace, hope, faith, confidence and love – Always With Me.

Always With Me is an inspiring memoir about love, faith, about a couple’s dedication toward one another. The book tells the, at times heartwarming, at times heartbreaking, story of author Ariela Ben Ari and her husband Moshe.

The story is very touching, and I certainly recommend reading this for anyone who has ever dealt with the loss of a loved one. As Ariela recalls her life with her husband, and then describes her life without him, you can feel the pain very vividly. I hope that writing this book worked cathartic for the author, and that it made her feel better, even if just a little. I sincerely hope the book helped her with the mourning process, and I can imagine it will also help people who are in a similar situation.

Very touching, very tragic, and brought tears to my eyes more than once.

 

Book Review: When I Fall, I Shall Rise by Dan Shtauber

Title: When I Fall, I Shall Rise
Author: Dan Shtauber
Genre: Memoir, Nonfiction
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It all began in 1944 when the Germans occupied Hungary. This is when Risa Shtauber’s life turned from an ordinary life to one of surviving unspeakable horrors.
Risa was shipped together with many other Jews to the Oradea Ghetto and from there to the Plaszow Labor Camp and later to the Ober-Altstadt Labor camp. And even this was not enough… Risa was sent to the Auschwitz Death Camp to be slaughtered!
But, she survived!
Having survived, she met her husband – Mordechai Tzvi and they created a family which included 4 sons, 22 grandkids and 34 great-grandkids!
At the age of 94 and living her life in Israel, she still feels victorious when remembering those horrible years!
This book is a special gift given to Risa Shtauber during an emotional event, in the presence of all of her descendants: sons, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

I’ve read quite a few memoirs of holocaust survivors last year, and although the subject matter is harsh and depressing, I still enjoy reading them – for in every story, there’s a glimpse of hope, there’s a portrayal of hidden strength that allowed the author to survive and perhaps even more astonishing, that allowed them to live, to continue on living life, even after all the horrors they have witnessed.

Risa Shtauber is one of these survivors, a brave young man who was shipped to the Oradea Ghetto, along with many other Jews, and then was later dispatched to the Plaszow Labor Camp and Ober-Altstadt Labor Camp and eventually to arguably the most famous camp of them all: Auschwitz.

The fact that Risa survived is nothing short of a miracle. In this book, Dan Shtauber interviewed his grandmother, Risa, and was able to write down her experience through these harrowing, traumatizing years. The book was a gift from the grandson to the grandmother, and that alone already makes it unique and inspiring. Risa is truly an awe-inspiring woman, and she definitely deserves such a thoughtful gift. It’s heartwarming to know that, even in the most terrible darkness, the strength of a human soul can survive and hold on to the light. When I Fall, I Shall Rise is a fitting, inspiring title for this memoir.

Book Review: Wood, Luck & Survival

Title: Wood, Luck & Survival
Author: Reuven Govrin
Genre: Historical, Memoir
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

How could Max and his father possibly have survived the Holocaust when so many did not?!

This story is the journey of the author and his brother to discover the happenings of their father, Max Gutkin, and his family during the Holocaust. When the German army invaded Riga, Latvian Jewry numbered about 95,000, of which only about 1,000 survived the war. The story of how Wood and luck somehow enabled Max and his father to survive the Holocaust, unlike so many, is riveting. The family business was engaged with forestry and wood, so Max, his older brother, and their father were forced to work in wood for the Nazis, while his mother and little brother were murdered.

A harrowing journey replete with painful memories…

The book traces their harrowing journey from work camp to work camp, a terrible choice that the father is forced to make, the aftermath of the war in Europe, and finally arrival in Israel. For 65 years Max silently bore the burden of these memories until the author led him on a path of discovery through his painful personal history.

Author Reuven (Gutkin) Govrin retraces his father’s steps during the Holocaust, trying to uncover why his father survived while so many others perished. Only about 1000 Jews in Riga, Latvia survived and somehow Max, his older brother and father did.

The book follows them as they go from work camp to work camp, from one tragedy into the next, forcing them to make choices no one should ever have to make.

The book’s message is a harrowing one, one that shows how the world failed the jewish people during World War II. It wasn’t just the Nazis that caused them harm: the entire world failed them because we didn’t stand up to protect them.

Considering the book talks about the author’s own journey, it’s an emotional read – the author’s emotions as he re-lives the horrible events of his childhood practically drip from the pages.

 
 
 

Book Review: I’m Not From Around Here by Ishai Klinowsky

Title: I’m Not From Around Here
Author: Ishai Klinowsky
Genre: Memoir, Hisotrical
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

What could have led to an encounter between such an unsuitable couple as my parents?

This book is a fascinating life diary, in which reality surpasses all imagination. It takes place against the backdrop of the Holocaust, the fate of the refugees at the end of the war, and the rebirth of the new Israel.

The heroes of the plot are unusual, an antithesis of the weak and submissive Jew, sweeping the reader into a whirlwind of events and countless breathtaking adventures.

How does a weak and very naive girl survive for three years in a deadly forced labor camp where others could not survive for more than a few months?

Lola, the mother, whom we encounter as an innocent girl, sweeps the reader close to the hell of the monstrous and notorious labor camp, Ludwigsdorf.

How does an “antithesis Jew” look to the submissive Jew?

Staszek, the father, a street fighter and a tough and hard-working man from Warsaw, is hot-tempered, cunning, and daring. His gypsy appearance and colorful figure lead many women to fall easily into his arms.

What does a spoiled “mother’s son” and “father’s daughter” feel when they see their family collapsing?

From the eyes of an eight-year-old boy, the writer describes a stormy childhood with many heartrending vicissitudes: parents who disappear overnight, living with strangers, being trapped in a tough orphanage … and more…

Written in flowing and sensitive language, the story presents an accurate balance between a personal and family story and the story of a people.

I’m Not From Around Here is a poignant, strong memoir about the life of one family set against the backdrop of the Holocaust, following the life of refugees trying to find a new home.

The story is told from the point of view of an eight-year-old boy who details not just his own life, but also that of his parents. Of his mother, a seemingly frail woman, who somehow survived a terrible labor camp, Ludwigsdorf.

The characters are easy to relate to, and the ordeals they go through, are simply horrible. They show strength and courage through it all, and as such, this is an inspiring memoir about being a survivor, about never giving up, and about somehow retaining a sense of never really belonging anywhere.

Boook Review: Courage and Grace by Yoseph Komen

Title: Courage and Grace
Author: Yoseph Komen
Genre: Historical, Memoir, Nonfiction
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 4,5 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A family’s unbelievable survival in the face of the Holocaust

Yoseph and Itzhak Komem are two young Jewish brothers hiding under fake Catholic identities in the Aryan side of a Polish town during the Holocaust. Their fascinating testimonies are brought together with those of their deaf father, their mother, and others, to convey their life stories and their unbelievable escape from the Nazis.

You’ll read this amazing literary, historical, and biographical document with bated breath

The novel weaves an unbelievable mix of everyday and nightmarish reality, between the ghetto and outside of it, colorfully portraying the struggle to survive on the rear lines of a war between the Wehrmacht and the Red Army. The memories conclude with the period of life after liberation: in the Polish People’s Republic, in an orphanage in France, in a boarding school in England, and in the Land of Israel.

A drama of tragedy and rescue, dare, courage, and grace

Courage and Grace offers a unique memoir of the Second World War, written in the form of a polyphony— a chorus of voices that reverberate with each other, highlighting their differences in experience and points of view. The author recreates a gripping and suspenseful mosaic of daring escapes, concealments, and acts of valor, portraying the struggle for survival in the face of a living nightmare.

Courage and Grace tells the story of Yoseph and Itzhak Komen, two young Jewish brothers hiding under fake Catholic identities in the Aryan side of a Polish town during the Holocaust. This book tells their fascinating testimonies, but also the true accounts of their parents and others who had to hide from the Nazis. And also life after the Liberation: in an orphanage, in a boarding school, and eventually settling down in Israel.

This is an unique memoir, deeply touching, moving, thought-provoking, told by various different voices who together wave an intriguing tale of courage and grace, of survival in the face of perilous odds, of never giving up. Each time I read a book about the Holocaust, my heart breaks, seeing so much innocence shattered, so much hatred and despair. Yet, these books also give me hope and courage, because humanity is strong, and humans don’t break easily, and despite going through horrors, people manage to find their humanity again.

This book is strong and powerful, and reading about the young boys’ struggle to survive was heartbreaking. Despite that, it deserves to be read and reflected upon, so we remember the atrocities of war and continue fighting for a better world, a peaceful world, where fights are settled with diplomacy and compromises rather than taking up arms.

Book Review: Are You There, Krishna?

Title: Are You There Krishna, It’s Me Reshma. Or Rachel. Or Whatever.; Essays on Talking to Ghosts, Accosting Celebrities, One-night Stands Gone Wrong, Sexism, Race, and First-Generation Woes
Author: Rachel Khona
Genre: Memoir / Humor
Rating: 4 stars
Purchase: Amazon
Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel knew even as a young child that she wasn’t like the rest of her Indian family. While her parents were plotting how she could make it into med school with her mediocre grades in chemistry and biology, she had other things on my mind.

Including such gems as:

  • Why can’t she go to the temple on her period?
  • Why don’t her Indian cousins like her?
  • Why was it OK to be sexualized at a beauty pageant but not for herself?
  • How can she straddle two cultures while retaining her sense of self?
  • Why are women considered sluts and men considered studs?
  • Why do people keep asking her if she was born in India?
  • Should she wax down there?
  • Why does she have crazy eyes?

After leaving home, Rachel got high in Amsterdam, met her pop singer idol in a bathroom, argued with a ghost and got lost in the Pyrenees. But that didn’t stop her from questioning while men still tell her to smile. Are You There Krishna, It’s Me Reshma. Or Rachel. Or Whatever.; Essays on Talking to Ghosts, Accosting Celebrities, One-night Stands Gone Wrong, Sexism, Race, and First-Generation Woes weaves stories of Rachel’s life with observations on race, class, sex, feminism and culture with humor and candor.

In Are You There, Krishna? Are You There Krishna, It’s Me Reshma. Or Rachel. Or Whatever. author Rachel Khona describes her life in a humoristic, down-to-earth style that makes it easy for the reader to connect with her, and the story she has to tell.

The book is part memoir, part criticism on today’s society, and for the most part, an account of the author’s searc for herself, who she is, her culture, her identity, and how who she is compares to what society wants her to be. The author includes a lot of clever, insightful obvervations about topics like race, sex, culture, and more.

One of my favorite parts was the chapter about the ghost, which included a picture of a ghost that looks pretty scary.

Rachel’s writing style is simple and down-to-earth but it works really well to tell this story. I loved the author’s sense of humor, which shone through clearly throughout the book. I even laughed out loud a few times.

An insightful, hilarious memoir about life and its perils.

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Book Review: Sister Surrendered by Darla M. Grese

Sister Surrendered Ebook Cover jpgTitle: Sister Surrendered

Author: Darla M. Grese

Genre: Memoir

Rating: 4 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

When you’re a twin, loneliness is somewhat unfamiliar because you’ve always had each other. So when a twin passes, the other is left unprepared. Our loyalty was steadfast and our devotion to one another, solid. Our love was unconditional no matter what the circumstances. I’m so grateful every day for the memories of the joy and laughter that we shared together. I know the bond that Kelli and I shared is impossible for anyone to replace. This memoir has become something so much more than initially intended. It’s become a documented journey barely scratching the surface of the love between two sisters. And surprisingly, it’s also become an outlet for me to speak candidly and honestly about my struggles with the cause of Kelli’s death. This is a love story turned tragedy. An exposure of one of the greatest healthcare failures killing Veterans and civilians, and a cry for help to remedy the fiasco. I’ve stressed about who I would mention in this book, nervous that I would hurt someone’s feelings by not mentioning their names. But I’ve realized that it’s impossible to do. Kelli had so many great friends, some I’ve never even met. I need each person to know who has taken the time to reach out to me in whatever capacity that if it weren’t for your heartfelt show of support and love, I don’t know that I would be able to muster the energy to even get up each day. Kelli, we did it.

The starting chapters of Sister Surrendered brought a smile to my face. It’s the story of two twin sisters who spent all their time together, who shared the same friends, memories and dreams. But soon the book took a darker turn, and the laughter turned to tears. What happened to Kelli was horrible. The book is about mental illness, about addiction, about the love of two sisters, about how lives can be ruined because of healthcare failures, and about how easy it is to claim not to be responsible for medical errors made. Most of all it’s a story about sisters, about their unique bond, about losing that bond and how hard it is to go on after that.

This book also infuriated me. Because of the medical errors, because of how Kelli’s life could’ve been saved if someone stood up and took responsibility, and if healthcare wasn’t so mismanaged.

Either way, it’s a great book, and that one that should be read, and deserves to be read by everyone. The writing was great, and from the start, I felt a connection with Kelli and Darla, which made the book all the more interesting, but also all the harder to read.

A must-read for just about anyone, and a real eye-opener.