“My mind kept centering on the race to find my missing daughter, Triana. I wondered if this search would ever end. I had first lost her when she was one-year-old, and it took me [...]]]> Rosalie Hollingsworth
Destruction of Innocence: A True Story of Child Abduction
iUniverse, 2009, 266 pages, $20.95
ISBN: 978–1–4401–2502–7 (pbk)
(Nonfiction, Biography/Autobiography/Memoir)

“My mind kept centering on the race to find my missing
daughter, Triana. I wondered if this search would ever end. I
had first lost her when she was one-year-old, and it took me
eight months to find her. This time she had been missing for
over two years. I would search for her, and would do so until I
found her, if it took my entire life.”

Rosalie Hollingsworth, a strong, courageous, and determined
woman who lets nothing get in the way once she’s made up her
mind to do something. The something in this case is the
inconceivable journeys to regain her daughter twice after Triana
was kidnapped by her father. This is Rosalie’s story as much as it
is the story of Triana, who as a young child couldn’t understand
what, was happening. But who later learned the facts and
somehow had her mother’s stamina to overcome this horrific
period in her young life and thrive.

Rosalie, as a mother, could only imagine what it was like for Triana,
but she could not fathom the horrors of what life turned out to be
for little Triana. From rabies after being bitten by a dog, to being
raped by strange men, to the recurrent lice infestations leading to
the shaving of her hair, Triana grew up under conditions no child
should have to endure. Adjusting to Franco’s juggling of wives
(sometimes with children of their own), and by far the worst thing a
father can tell his child—that her mother was evil and that she was
dead, Triana amazingly came through it all without a deep scar.

Hollingsworth chose to structure her story as a diary, which suited
the purpose well. She takes you along on the journey to recover
Triana in hope that others in the same situation will see that with
determination and strength, the impossible may not be impossible
after all. Her pace is right on with tension building up where needed
and letting low where relief should be felt. Beginning with the first
retrieval, Hollingsworth uses a back flash in the second chapter to
reveal kidnap what led up to the kidnapping and clues us in to the
relationship between herself and Franco.

I really enjoyed reading the book especially to see the great results
in the end. The rushes of fear, followed by sighs of relief, to end
with the joy of reunion. To learn that through all the negativity
surrounding Triana’s life she went on to study nursing, showing that
her human compassion wasn’t harmed. The only thing I disliked
(having nothing to do with the mechanics itself) was the fact that
the pages came apart from page 1 through 84. It’s a shame that such
a great book couldn’t find a home with a better publishing house.
Other than that it could have benefited for a little additional editing
work but that is a minor issue. My only hope is that a serious publishing
house step up to the plate and offer a contract for a reprint of this
exceptionally well written book. This is a book all parents MUST read.
It isn’t only the parents who suffer when things go wrong; it’s the
victims (the children in the middle) that suffer the most, many too young
even to know that.

Till next time,

Gloria

“Every moment is a choice, and every choice reverberates . . . Every moment presents an opportunity to ‘pay it forward’.”

Abuse is not a chosen lifestyle for the child placed there by the abuser. [...]]]> Sandy Brewer
Pursuit of Light: An Extraordinary Journey
Peach Tree House, 2007, 224 pages, $24.95
ISBN: 978-0-9796554-4-9
(Self-help, Memoir, Inspirational)

“Every moment is a choice, and every choice reverberates . . .
Every moment presents an opportunity to ‘pay it forward’.”

Abuse is not a chosen lifestyle for the child placed there by
the abuser. Sandy Brewer relates the trauma of rejection and
abuse she lived through as a child, and how she chose to reach
a better life where, eventually, she found love and acceptance.

When faced with a situation, in this case abuse based on
rejection by her mother, the way out is by choice. Either
choosing to succumb to the abuse, or to follow the line of abuse
and grow to be an abuser as well, or to come to terms with
oneself, and choose to overcome the abusive environment to
reach the light, the other way of life—the environment of being
loved and accepted by others. But how is this done? For one, it
demands courage, and lots of it. Sandy was a very courageous child,
who withstood harsh, brutal beatings and verbal abuse from her mother.
To be able to bear it is hard to comprehend.

From being kicked and flung into the wall at the age of two, to
being forced by a father to drink a ‘poisoned’ drink, Brewer’s
willpower to survive pulled her through. Yet with all she went
through as a child, she was able to find the courage and
determination to end the familial cycle of abuse, one she was
determined not to pass on to her future generations.

Brewer uses a technique of flashbacks to take the reader back to
her abusive childhood. By doing so, she is telling two stories
side-by-side: the first story is the one of her horrific childhood living
in an abusive environment, the second her life as an adult and her
journey out of the dark into the light. Brewer is proof that miracles happen.

I liked the way I was drawn to keep reading, the realization of
questioning what else could possibly follow as if this (whatever was
mentioned) wasn’t bad enough. I found a connection to the uncertainty
an adoptee experiences, even in the best stable and peaceful family
surroundings, where Brewer writes, “. . . I was aware of the blank,
missing pieces of my life. I just didn’t know what they were, and I had no
one to turn to, no one to ask about it. . . “

The heavy use of dialogue throughout helps us see the characters
much more in depth than had she chosen to use simple prose. The
combination of lessons Brewer intends to teach the reader weaved
into the story line makes for an easy read of a very disturbing and
otherwise difficult to read subject.

I highly recommend that every new parent read Brewer’s book to
experience the effects of parental abuse on children and hope it will
lead to the correct choice, and an end to parental abuse. The world
will be a better place to live if only this could be achieved.

To learn more about the author and the book visit

www.PusuitOfLight.com.

What do you think–is parental abuse a cycle passed on from
generation to generation? Have you read this book? Leave a
comment or questions for Sandy below.

Till next time,

Gloria

“Within the turmoil of fears, fury, self-righteous fervor and demonization, nobody in Israel worth his salt would willingly embark on a campaign of atonement.”

As I began reading Nennhaus’s book I had [...]]]> H. Peter Nennhaus
Quo Vadis, Israel?
Outskirts Press Inc., 2008, 113 pages, $11.95
ISBN: 978 -1- 4327- 1459 – 8
Current Events, Jewish

“Within the turmoil of fears, fury, self-righteous fervor and demonization, nobody in Israel worth his salt would willingly embark on a campaign of atonement.”

As I began reading Nennhaus’s book I had no idea where it would lead. Why? Simply because I didn’t know that Quo Vadis meant “Where are you going?” Throughout the entire book there is no explanation as to why the author chose to use Latin, a language no longer in use, in the title, nor did Nennhaus give the phrases meaning. After reading this book and still confused about its meaning I Googled the term to learn what it meant. Furthermore, as a title – Where are You Going, Israel? – as someone who has lived in Israel for fifteen years including the period of the Yom Kippur War, I say to everyone that Israel isn’t going anywhere. Whether you like it or not the state of Israel is here to stay.

Nennhaus’s solution of moving the land of Israel to the Kaliningrad Oblast is a joke because it isn’t even up for sale; at least I could find no proof of this claim. In 2002 the Deputy Governor of Kaliningrad Oblast, Vladimir N. Prudnikov said, “From 1991 when the market transformation started in Russia, Kaliningrad Oblast is developing as one of the centers for the Russian Federation’s integration into European economy. This was precisely the original concept aimed at developing the region as a bridge connecting the economies of Russia and Europe.”
http://www.cbss.st/documents/cbsspresidencies/7lithuanian/committeeofsenior/
dbaFile488.html

Why would any country put money into large-scale developing of an area they supposedly would be willing to part with, especially when it is the only non-freezing port on the Baltic Sea? If that is too old proof that it isn’t for sale, Kaliningrad hosted the Belarus exhibition just two months ago [Feb 2008]. Sorry but Kaliningrad will never be the new Jewish homeland, though it may once again come to be known as Koenigsburg.

To clarify the main point in the issue I’ll paraphrase the words of a man I highly admire and listen to on a regular basis, Mr. Dennis Praeger, who said just a few days ago on his talk radio show “Israel has always been the land of the Jews known as the first Jewish commonwealth (the First Temple), the second Commonwealth (the Second Temple), and now the state of Israel. There will never, ever be an Israel without Jerusalem. The proof of our existence on the land of Israel was shown many times through archaeological digs. Israel was never, ever, ever Palestine.”

Nennhaus assigns twenty-nine pages to the Kaliningrad Oblast, more than any number of pages allocated to any chapter in the book relating to the topic of the solution to the Israel-Arab conflict. I found this very distracting and it left me wondering whether he really knew what he was talking about.

This is what Israel is really about:
• Pre-statehood we overcame Pharaoh, the Greeks, the Romans, the Spanish Inquisition, the Pogroms in Russia
• Over 60+ years ago the Nazis herded the Jews like sheep to slaughter. We survived.
• With statehood but no army, Israel, a new state with 650,000 Jews, was attacked by seven Arab nations. Israel’s population was a tough people with nowhere to go but we prevailed. We still are a tough people and we will prevail again.
• Israel became a state on land which was mostly desert. Look at it today. Proof of survival.
• Three of the strongest armies in the Middle East, bearing modern armies and Soviet Russian weapons, attacked Israel in what became the Six Day War (1967). Israel prevailed.
• Today Israel is a thriving country, with its own army, a strong Air Force and a high-tech economy. Israel exports millions worldwide. Large U.S. companies such as Intel, Microsoft and IBM develop their products in Israel
• As stated on the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, “From state-of-the-art surgical lasers and intelligent sensors to unique computerized monitoring systems, Israeli devices save lives every day.” Have you heard about the Pillcam? Guess what – it was developed in Israel.
• The only countries in the world to send satellites into space were the U.S., Russia, China, France, England, Germany and Israel.
• The world’s nuclear power family includes the US, Russia, China, India, France, England and Israel. (Israel doesn’t admit it but everyone knows it)

Look back at history. Every nation or culture that messed with the Jewish people was destroyed – but we survived and thrived. If you doubt this than try to answer the following questions: Where has the Egyptian empire disappeared? What about the Romans – who speaks Latin these days? Any news about the Third Reich today? The Jewish people are a Nation from the Bible. From the slavery in Egypt to this day we still speak the same language. Yes our morale is low, so what? Wouldn’t yours be, too, if you were losing so many innocent people including children? But we still celebrate festivals, go on living, and visit friends. We will overcome and win after all. Israel is here to stay, where it is, not in the Kaliningrad Oblast.

Till next time,

Gloria

“This is my third date with the knife,” she jokes as she sees the surgical resident come in to prep her on the afternoon of October 21. “You ought to put a zipper in. It’d be much easier to [...]]]> Shireen Jeejeebhoy
Lifeliner: The Judy Taylor Story
iUniverse, 2007, 186 pages, #16.95
ISBN: 978-0-44544-8
Nonfiction, Biography

“This is my third date with the knife,” she jokes as she sees the surgical resident come in to prep her on the afternoon of October 21. “You ought to put a zipper in. It’d be much easier to unzip me when you want to play with my innards.”

Lifeliner is the amazing, unforgettable story of a young woman who becomes seriously ill at a young age and with the devoted care of her gastroenterologist survives for over twenty years.

Judy Taylor was a woman of great courage and a natural fighter. She was also the first patient ever to be treated with in-home alternative feeding techniques and the first such patient to survive the longest.

Lifeliner is Judy’s story, but it is also the story of her devoted gastroenterologist, Dr. Jeejeebhoy, who improved upon early records of alterative feeding methods and created the Total Parenteral Nutrition system (TPN) and it’s portable versions for home care. For this Dr. Jeejeebhoy was dubbed “King of TPN”.

Judy, trained in nursing, married with three young daughters was put on a new birth control pill in 1966 which caused the development of intestinal blood clots. These clots eventually led to the loss of her digestive system. Until then, this situation meant starvation and death, but with Dr. Jeejeebhoy overseeing her care Judy became his test subject and survived long enough to be able to return home with a brand new home method of alternative feeding. Using this system Judy survived for over twenty years. For Judy this meant being a mother to her daughters, a wife to her husband and the opportunity to live life as she wanted.

Jeejeebhoy, the doctor’s daughter met Judy when her father was invited to a BBQ at Judy’s home and was asked to bring his family. Knowing Judy personally enabled the author to contact people Judy knew and to produce a story that will live on for a very long time.

Jeejeebhoy’s style of writing sets the right pace as we follow Judy’s medical difficulties. If you like reading about medical developments and down-to-earth humanitarian doctors and the relationships that develop between them and their patients, than this book is for you. It is truly a fascinating and eye-opening story which was well written.

What I found especially entertaining was the nicknames Judy came up with for her devoted doctor — Dr. Cowboy and Dr. JeeJee which she later shortened to Dr. Jeej. A very ill woman indeed but her sense of humor shines out throughout her ordeal. This is a must read for anyone suffering from a similar condition as well as any terminal illness that might require alternative feeding such as AIDS, some cancers, etc. If you want a book you can’t put down, get Lifeliner into your hands, you’re in for a wild ride with one awesome woman and the genius of a devoted doctor.

Till next time,

Gloria