Deeply moving.........a historical must-read
355078
Since a friend of my mother's was held in a consentration camp, I have always wanted to read something from someone who was there and witnessed it.  Cohen, through family history, allows us this glimpse.....I could not put this book down.  I believe that it will change the outlook of the reader and that the freedom we take for granted will be given a new appreciation.  His descriptions, though painful to read, take you back to a time that is was so terrible, the acts so inhumane,......you may weep in remorse and stand in the gap, pleading for forgiveness, for those who commited these awful crimes. Don't miss this one.
1255397
This is a touching, moving story, with characters you'll come to love and care about. I read it slowly - it's one of those books you get involved in, and hate to come to the end of. McCartney's Iboga visions give the author, Jim MacGregor, a vehicle which allows him to interweave an intriguing historical narrative with his main story line. I had an opportunity to interview Jim about the book, and can add some details that aren't in Tom Cahill's excellent review, above.

There's a mystical thread to the story that I found quite exciting. Tom's visions are more than hallucinations. He sees details in the visions that he could not have known about, but which are corroborated by his friends who can recall the details. This makes the historical accounts much more real to the reader, which is well justified by Jim's extensive research into the period. Not only did he research the war and its causes, but the Glasgow characters are based on Jim's genealogical research into his own forbears. There's a very strong sense of reality in every part of the book, almost as if it were a documentary. Jim even spent much of his childhood on the very spot where most of the action of the story occurs. His descriptions are full of life and color, and his craftsmanship makes it hard to believe this is a first novel.

For me, the most moving part of the book are the descriptions of the lives of the families in Glasgow, struggling to survive in wartime conditions while their men are off dying on the fields of Flanders. The tenements, the poverty, the exploitation by landlords, the play of the children, the hard life of the women, and the indifference of the government to their plight - all of these things come to life as if you were there yourself on the freezing streets of Glasgow. This is an important part of the reality of 'war to end all wars' that is seldom portrayed.

The descriptions of trench warfare are also very well done, and the idiocy of the British officers, ordering their men to certain death in the face of German machine guns. Jim succeeds in bringing this to life with words, in a way that I've only previously experienced in films, such as Gallipoli and Jules and Jim. Another thing Jim describes - and which is always left out of the many British war-glorifying documentaries - is the asymmetry of the trench warfare. While the British soldiers were in muddy trenches, with no protection from the shells, the Germans were in hardened bunkers, with showers, beds, electrical power, doctors, and the whole nine yards of comfort and protection. (This reminds me of the fact that the German pilots were supplied with parachutes, while the British pilots weren't. The inhuman British government was afraid the pilots might bail out prematurely, when the planes - more valued than the pilots - might have been saved.)

And then there's the main story line, about how Tom, a strong believer in patriotism and soldier's duty, gradually wakes up to the reality of the warmongering leaders who start wars for profit, with no concern for cost in millions of lives.

A good read, and educational, for these cold winter days.

- Richard Moore
- Author of&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Escaping-the-Matrix-How-We-the-People-can-change-the-world/dp/0977098303/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Escaping the Matrix: How We the People can change the world</a>
2207506
This is an amazing read.  Truly a can't-put-down book.  Others have told of the author's writing style and immersive story line, and I agree, but I am especially surprised at the facts presented that involve the plight of Jews before and during WWII in Italy.  In addition to a great book this was a history lesson to me.  I had no idea!  To live in constant fear for one's life comes to life in this book.  I felt the fear myself as I read what the Italian government did to persecute Jews at that time.

Finally, it is a very moving love story that transcends religions and cultures.

I passed this along to my 95 year old mother and it brought her to tears.  My sister is reading it now and my daughter is next.  So far, nothing but raves!
2037053
"The Help" is a true masterpiece.  Cathryn Stockett weaves a poignant and eye-opening tapestry of historical fiction that is truly unforgettable.

Jackson, Mississippi, 1960's: Abelene and Minnie are two African-American maids working for two very different white women.  Skeeter is a young, white woman striving to become a writer.  Disturbed by the racial injustice and inhumane treatment surrounding her, Skeeter expresses a desire to compile a book of interviews.  Because of this desire, the women from very different backgrounds embark upon a heartfelt, harrowing, and surprisingly humorous journey of self-discovery.

This book is truly unique because of the alternating narrations.  Each key character tells portions of the story, so the reader is priveleged to learn from differing perspectives.  I learned so much from reading this novel! The inhumane treatment of "The Help" was truly sickening.  You hear so much about the sit-ins and other public occurrences during the Civil Rights Movement, but its easy to forget about the daily humiliations experienced by women who were simply trying to survive.  How heartrending that human beings were treated like animals simply because of the color of their skin.  Thank God for His merciful love and His provision of courageous fighters, (both black and white), who daily stand against the Satanic poison of racism and injustice!

The audio version of this book is truly magnificent! Each pivotal character has a different narrator who brings vibrancy and brilliant depth to their portrayals.  Stockett's novel is one that is destined to become a true classic.  Happy reading, and God bless you.
4178168
As the story came to life my interest in the historical events described was peaked. This is the most moving book I have read in a long time. I can only recall one other book, "Song of The Loon" by Richard Amory, that has moved me as much. It is one of those books that one cannot read without being forever changed.
561823
I so enjoy reading historical novels and this one is Sue Monk Kidd's best to date.  It can be dark but it provides one with an element of determination and hope for greater things.  You won't want to put it down. Very moving.  Inspirational as well.  Sad part of our country's history, a part that we don't want to repeat.  Loved this book. So much history on one of the best historical places in our country, Charleston, SC.
1436472
The poetic vivid writing style of this story is deeply felt, each short chapter draws the reader irrevocably deeper into the lives of the three main chacters a father and his two adolscent children. The book weaves through the tapestry of their lives with background only given for a fuller understanding of the multiple dimensions of their character. It is an amazing testiment to the problems of war heros reintergration into their lives and even if it is a posibility. I only put it down in order to sleep or eat!  It is that compelling. A story i will not forget!!!
808777
I thoroughly enjoyed Barbara Arnold's novel. She has crafted a moving account of love, loss and survival, told through the voice of ten year old Tony. The story is unforgettable and resonates long after reading the final chapter. I highly recommend it as a must-read novel and also as an historical account of the thousands of children displaced through the British Migration Policy, which co-opted bewildered orphans and turned them into indentured labourers.
4218177
Deeply moving and well-written. The tandem chapters kept me on my toes.  Historical fiction is one of my favorites and this book was greatly enhanced by the author's notes.
1331500
Fascinating read.  Deeply moving with detail known only to historians.  I could hardly out it down. I highly recommend this book!
2432561
This is an awesome book from page one to the end. I was thoroughly absorbed by this beautifully written, poignient story. the authors portrayal of the historical period and its prejudices were extremely well done. This book will make you travel through a gamut of emotions and at times it will anger you at how unjust society can be. It truly is a moving story which has been crafted so well.
4461438
This book is one of the best books that I have read in a long time. A compelling, deep, and complex story that had me reading for hours. At times the story was hard to read because it was so sad, but I still could not put it down.

The author intrigues the reader immediately by the perspectives she gives through three Ukrainian characters and one Nazi. Each of their stories are intense as they are dealing with how the tragedies around them are affecting them personally. Also, this book was a history lesson for me as I learned so much about Ukraine and their history during WWII. Beyond the moving storylines the author provides rich and informative details about what was actually happening during that time. If you haven't read it yet, please add this to your summer reading list. You won't be sorry. I find myself continuing to look for more books by Stuart but this is only her first one. I hope to read much more from this author in the future and I am already looking forward to what her next book will be.

I was given this book from Litfuse in exchange for a review.
441580
A very moving story of love, separation and survival during wartimes.  Joan Brock carefully curated the letters of Helga in such a way as to bring history to life for us in a rich emotional fabric of everyday worries woven through the love of family life.  A must read!!
4641977
This is a book that stays with you long after the last word is read.  Wetherholt brilliantly weaves together multiple themes that powerfully touch the heart and soul. The horrific realities of the WWI front; the unlikely bond between two front-line journalists, one Irish the other English; and their respect and love for an American nurse serving amidst the backdrop of the war itself.  As the reader becomes enraptured in the factually based story-line, one is also learning, as the book is chocked with historical facts and truths about the "war to end all wars."  My view of WWI will never be the same, and not a day passes when I don't think about one of the journalists final "battles" - his quest for absolution after the war's conclusion.  I highly recommend this work for its historical integrity, powerful human themes, and as a needed reminder of the "forgotton war."
139201
This is a powerful, beautiful and moving novel that keeps one enthralled to the very end.  I could hardly put it down and was sad to see the book end.  The characters and places are so original and so well developed that one gets to know them on an intimate level.  Mr. Doerr also gives the rare gift of insight into places one may not have discovered otherwise.  I gained a deeper understanding about WWII and the events leading up to it than I had before, and yet this remains such a remarkable character odyssey.  A must read!  An mesmerizing tale.
3063510
A well written and rivting account of a young woman's journey to free herself from the shackles of a traumatic past. The writer simultaneously tells a moving and deeply personal story inside an important and intriguing historical story while providing a map for deep healing of family relationships.

Highly recommend.
1481933
I highly recommend this book.  There is not a step missed in this historical novel about the pains and triumphs of WW 2 during France's occupation and resistance.  I was naive enough to think that I read so much of that time period that there was nothing left to surprise me.  The beautiful reveal at the end makes this book realistically poignant.  The Nightingale will enrapture and haunt you. The triumphant power of women, hearth and love makes this one of the few books I will re-read.  It is destined to be a classic.