I loved the recollections of
Lawrence Anthony as he takes ownership of a wildlife refuge in Africa. He
describes in rich detail the many challenges he faces. He adopts a family of
elephants who have been “difficult” to keep from escaping. It was either he
took the elephants, or they would be killed.
This wonderful story brings the
reader along on his journey as Lawrence learns about the distinctive
personalities of each elephant and how to gain their respect. Every chapter describes one of the ways he is
faced with a seemingly unsolvable dilemma. This is a true story of a man’s
dedication to the elephants and how he uses his compassion and diplomacy to
work with the local tribes.
The similarities between my book
and this book are that both are about compassion and rescuing those in need. As I read the book, it did not leave my mind that Lawrence died
prematurely. His elephant family, who was miles away, knew he had died. They made
the trek to his home to pay their respects.
I cry whenever I think about
elephants and how they are devoted to their herd, whether it be an adopted human
or another elephant.
When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of "rogue" wild elephants on his Thula Thula game reserve in Zululand, his common sense told him to refuse. But he was the herd's last chance of survival: they would be killed if he wouldn't take them. In order to save their lives, Anthony took them in. In the years that followed he became a part of their family. And as he battled to create a bond with the elephants, he came to realize that they had a great deal to teach him about life, loyalty, and freedom.…
This book brings to life the struggles that women had in
the 1960s when they wanted a career.
The protagonist, Elizabeth Zott, is an
outspoken, very intelligent woman with credentials in her field who is not
taken seriously even though she is more brilliant than most of her bosses or colleagues.
This distrustful, fiercely independent chemist finds herself needing help as
she navigates many challenging obstacles.
I loved her resilience. The story is unique and compelling, and I was
drawn to her character: strong and nontraditional. Many women, like Elizabeth, have been demeaned in their workplace by bosses and colleagues who see them as
easy sexual prey or who feel threatened by their intelligence.
This book
appeals to men and women because it offers a great plot, interesting characters, and humor.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • Meet Elizabeth Zott: a “formidable, unapologetic and inspiring” (PARADE) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show in this novel that is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel. It reminds you that change takes time and always requires heat” (The New York Times Book Review).
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Newsweek, GoodReads
"A unique heroine ... you'll find yourself wishing she wasn’t fictional." —Seattle Times…
This book has it all: wonderful characters, a mystery
that slowly unravels, and a plot that leaves you unable to stop reading.
Eleanor was severely traumatized as a child, and slowly, we learn the extent of
the trauma. Yet she is upbeat and remarkably resilient.
She clumsily embraces
the help of caring people and allows them to teach her how to interact with her
world. I am drawn to people who have experienced
trauma, and I am fascinated by how they cope and how they are rescued by
relative strangers.
The sessions with her therapist are powerful and moving.
How is it that some people can be so caring and others be so evil? My book is about evil, trauma, coping, and rescue,
which is perhaps why Eleanor’s story resonated so deeply with me.
"Beautifully written and incredibly funny, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is about the importance of friendship and human connection. I fell in love with Eleanor, an eccentric and regimented loner whose life beautifully unfolds after a chance encounter with a stranger; I think you will fall in love, too!" -Reese Witherspoon
No one's ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine.
Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she's thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of…
“Low flying planes began to direct their machine gun fire at the refugees. All four of us had crawled into a large culvert. We heard the bullets crackle again and again. Then the ground trembled under the hooves of shying horses breaking away from their fully laden carts. They raced above our heads sounding like wild drum beats. I was lying in the culvert, pulling snails from the walls, as unconcerned as if all this had nothing to do with me. It was an almost euphoric feeling.”
Three young Jewish sisters from Leipzig, Germany huddle together in the cold darkness of night waiting for their smugglers to rescue them and bring them to freedom in Belgium. Their mother, in a state of shock following Kristallnacht, is left behind, sedated in a psychiatric hospital. November 1938 begins the four-year ordeal of the seven member Kroch family who endure unfathomable conditions in their fight for survival: imprisonment in French internment camps, hiding in a tiny tool shed, and adapting to the deplorable conditions of a Nazi prison. The memoirs of Alexandra, age 11, and her sisters, 15-year-old Eva and 14-year-old Judith, interweave as they recount the true story of their escape from the Nazis.
Leaving behind their life of luxury, the girls describe unimaginable hunger, deprivation and fear. Family love, music, and the close friendship of strangers are the essential ingredients that sustain them through the hardships they face at every step. Two factors ultimately saved them: rescuers and enormous luck. A narrative backdrop threads through the story, providing the socio-political context. From a historical perspective and from the three sisters’ witness accounts, the reader will come to understand the progression of antisemitism in Germany and France, the course by which Hitler dismantled democracy, the role France adopted as Nazi collaborators, and how the Swiss policies towards Jews were executed.
This story of resiliency and courage will inspire and uplift. By reading Three Sisters, a testament to the human spirit, you will bear witness, and in so doing, keep the memories of the Holocaust alive.
“When you listen to a witness, you become a witness.” ― Elie Wiesel
