Book picks similar to
My War: The True Experiences of a U.S. Army Air Force Pilot in World War II by John C. Walter
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Struck: A Husband’s Memoir of Trauma and Triumph
Douglas Segal - 2018
Miraculously, his daughter was unharmed, but his wife faced a series of life-threatening injuries, including the same one that famously left Christopher Reeve paralyzed. Following the accident, Segal began sending regular email updates to their circle of friends and family—a list that continued to grow as others heard of the event and were moved by the many emotional and spiritual issues it raised. Segal's compelling memoir is an intimate and honest chronicle built around these email updates, and is a profound example of how people show up for one another in times of crisis.Alternatingly harrowing, humorous, heartbreaking, and hopeful, this is an uplifting tribute to love, determination, and how the compassion of community holds the power to heal, serving as an inspiring testament to the resilience of the human spirit when faced with pain and adversity.
Hold On Edna!
Aneira Thomas - 2020
This heartbreaking, heartwarming, true story following the history of a family in Wales is one of the most important books ever written.
The birth of the National Health Service - the UK's greatest asset - coincided with the birth of one little girl in South Wales, Aneira 'Nye' Thomas, the first baby to be delivered by the NHS.Nye's story follows generations of her family who battled to survive before the NHS was launched, through to those who went on to dedicate their lives to working for the NHS - and also, ultimately, to be saved by it.An emotive, extraordinary and yet uplifting reminder of a time not so long ago, when the value of your life came down to how much you had in your pocket. It is a touching and entertaining human drama, but more importantly - a fierce defence of the most important accomplishment this country has ever and will ever achieve.
My Love Affair With Italy: Memoir of a single woman's travels to Italy spanning 45 years from a teenager to retirement
Debbie Mancuso - 2017
Friendships form with another American student, and with Cesare, an Italian medical student living in the same "hotel." But what transpires is something no one ever expected, especially her mom. Over the next 45 years, Debbie returns 11 more times, mostly alone. Other trips include her two best friends, another with her father, and horseback riding adventures in the Chianti Region of Tuscany with cousins. Some of the places visited include Rome, Tuscany, the Almalfi Coast, Sicily, Capri, and a 2,500 year-old village in Umbria where the only mode of transportation allowed is a moped or donkey. One hundred years after her great grandmother migrated to America, Debbie locates her family in the most unusual way, culminating with a heartwarming reception. Rarely staying in hotels, My Love Affair With Italy describes each of the trips, all the types of accommodations such as the agriturismi (farmhouses), the apartments, vineyards, the medieval villages, monastery, villas, and horseback riding centers she stayed in addition to the romances and friends met along the way. At the age of 50, Debbie learns how to horseback ride English style and takes a 100-mile tour cantering through Tuscany, something she was not nearly qualified to do. Within a year, she becomes an exchange student and enrolls in school in Siena, one of Tuscany's most magnificent cities, to learn Italian and moves in with a local family, she not knowing Italian and they not knowing English. While in school, she befriends a German woman who invites her to stay at her home in the beautiful Bavarian Alps during her next visit to Europe, and Debbie accepts in an attempt to practice Italian with her former classmate, but the trip becomes a shocking revelation. The book also details the "jewels" of Rome not mentioned in brochures such as The Scala Sancta, the Holy Stairs, holy because they are said to be the stairs that Jesus climbed on his way to his trial before Pontius Pilate, and the Aventine Keyhole, a nondescript-looking door on the Aventine Hill, neatly placing the dome of St. Peter’s right in the center. Each trip also details why she returns each time, the struggles endured at home after becoming a caregiver, the 50-year friendships that get her through it all, and the shocking way her father shows his presence in Piazza Navona. Lastly, four decades after it all began, there are very surprising reunions and the most unusual romance.
Love and Fury: The Magic and Mayhem of Life with Tyson
Paris Fury - 2021
Missing
Shelley MacKenney - 2014
An inspirational tale of her journey through extreme personal crisis."You can run, but you can't hide from yourself."Abandoned by her mother as a young child and with a father constantly on the run, Shelley's life was never normal. Her family's involvement with South London's criminal underworld left her isolated, vulnerable and lonely. Falling deeper and deeper into depression and despair - she snapped.Shelley got on the first coach out of London with only the clothes she stood up in and £30 in her pocket. She didn't care where she was going, as long as she could disappear completely from her oppressive life. For years, she lived anonymously in refuges, hostels and on the streets. It would take something remarkable to bring her back to the real world.
Haunted Memories Portraits of Women In the Holocaust
Lucille Eichengreen - 2011
Eichengreen exposes the heartbreaks of her closed allies and the brutality of the Jews, prisoners, and women she thought she could trust. Most memoirs about the Haulocaust - at least until about 15 years ago - were written by male survivors. Looking back, both men and women were subjected to various forms of sexual abuse. In female camps there were rapes, as well as sexual favors bartered for a slice of bread or a potato. Do we comdemn these people? Of course not! Driven to both mental and physical limits, anything was and is possible. There were true love stories. There were commitment and devotion. Some of these loves survived separation and war and lasted for years beyond liberation.
To Be Fair: Confessions of a District Court Judge
Rosemary Riddell - 2021
Waiting for a Miracle: Historical Novel
Helen (Wininger) Livnat - 2018
It begins somewhere in Russia in the mid-19th century, and takes the reader into the events during the two world wars, and their ways of existence during the holocaust.
The simple and touching stories are presented from the perspective of a sensitive young boy, fascinated by his surroundings. In a moment of anxiety and fear, the boy is torn from his family, and the journey of his life begins. The story describes four generations that represent the history of Eastern European Jews. The author creates a unique attraction between the book and the reader, by her fluent and vivid language. Historical truths are intertwined with fascinating stories about the power of a violin, and the miracles that occurred during the attempt to survive under impossible conditions in a period where sanity was lost.
“People will forget what I said, people will forget what I did, people will never forget what I made them feel.”
Amazed by Spain: How an Unexpected Legacy Changed our Lives
Susan Shenton - 2019
Before sisters Sue and Linda inherit a village house in the hills they have little interest in Spain, but on travelling out to see their new possession they begin to warm to the idea of spending time there with their husbands Paul and Bill. After an enjoyable summer holiday the prospect of living in the village becomes irresistible and this book describes their transition from visitors to residents and the diverse selection of people they meet along the way. This amusing and informative memoir is an ideal read for those interested in the possibilities of expat life in rural Spain.
Where Am I?: My Autobiography
Phil Tufnell - 2015
Cricket's dressing-room clown is now broadcasting's joker in the pack. Whether it's dining on mealworms on I'm a Celebrity, displaying his ballroom fleckle on Strictly Come Dancing or causing weekly mayhem for the long-suffering host Sue Barker on A Question of Sport, millions of us enjoy Tuffers' lust for life and endearing sense of humour.In Where Am I?, Phil gamely tries to make sense of the wonderful roller-coaster he has been riding these last dozen years, delighting fans with a treasure trove of wonderful stories about the places he has been, the people he has met, the 'things' he has been asked to do but - most of all - the sheer enormous joy he has had doing it all.
When it was Great: A Dealer's Autobiographic Story (Memoirs From Las Vegas)
Jim Sinay - 2015
His “Uncle” Ed Pucci, who was Frank Sinatra’s bodyguard and a close family friend, set him up with an entry level dealer’s job in Vegas. Over the next three decades, Jimmy experienced all Las Vegas had to offer. He dealt craps to famous gangsters in a private game, he interacted with John Wayne, Elvis Presley, Redd Foxx, Debbie Reynolds, Louis Prima and other celebrities. Jimmy was a confirmed bachelor who lived the high life with the ladies, although at times his carousing nearly cost him his life. He saw hundreds of thousands of dollars bet on one roll of the dice, he caught gambling cheaters and had run ins with some very nasty types. ˃˃˃ Folktales from a bygone era Jimmy’s stories are folktales from a bygone era, the 1960s, 70s and 80s when Vegas was still a relatively small town. Back in the day, the “joints” were ruled by men whose names all ended in vowels and there was a good time to be had 24/7. When It Was Great will make you laugh and touch your heart, but most of all it will take you back to the Las Vegas of yesterday, when the Rat Pack played at the Sands, Elvis headlined at the Hilton and working stiffs like Jimmy partied like there was no tomorrow.
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My Eyes Looking Back at Me: Insight Into a Survivor's Soul
Menucha Meinstein - 2015
Rejoice over the bonds of love, friendship and forgiveness, of finding relatives, and share the triumph of unexpected turns in Leah's story that will inspire you, leaving you breathless. "How did she do it?" You'll find it all here, as you follow Leah through the many phases of her life, her redemption and revenge against Hitler's evil, and to grateful happiness during her 90th year. When Leah Cik Roth decides to write her secret memoirs for her children, writer, Menucha Meinstein, walks into her life as a volunteer. The two develop the deepest of human bonds as together they uncover Leah's lifelong bitterness and suppressed Holocaust memories. Through Soul-Writing, they struggle to relive Leah's stories, revealing heroic patterns of resilience from the young age of five. Her memories bring out fresh pain, and renewed feelings of loss and loneliness. The Holocaust is merely a backdrop to Leah's life. Together, the two women share joy in the legacy that Leah leaves for the world.
Bring the Joy
Jessica Janzen - 2020
From the bliss of her dramatic, romantic saga with her now husband, to the trials and triumph of her career journey as a young women, to the devastating loss of her son when he was only six months old, Jessica's commitment to follow the nudges of her heart have seen her through every season. Through her hilarious, inspiring stories and refreshing honesty, Jessica will challenge you start looking for ways to brings more joy to your life and the lives of those around you. Life lived to the fullest can only happen when you bring the joy.
They Call It Pacific (Annotated): An Eye-Witness Story of Our War Against Japan from Bataan to the Solomons
Clark Lee - 1943
They Call It Pacific is an insightful account of events leading up to the war and beyond from an authority on Japanese-American affairs at the time. It is also a thrilling journal detailing Lee’s unbelievable real-time escape from the Philippine Islands with the help of the Filipino resistance. The book contains extensive accounts of the battle for the Philippines on Bataan and Corregidor, interviews with soldiers including General Douglas MacArthur, talks with Japanese prisoners, and descriptions of combat as the author accompanied Navy pilots such as Swede Larson on flights over Guadalcanal. This new edition of They Call It Pacific has been updated with footnotes and images from the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. *Includes original footnotes. *Includes photographs from World War 2.
Twenty-Eight Snow Angels: A Widow's Story of Love, Loss and Renewal
Diane Dettmann - 2011
With honesty and a clear perspective, Diane reveals her daily struggles as she faces the difficult realities of grief. The reader feels her pain and at the same time rejoices in her commitment to tackle the daily challenges of life on her own and succeed. Her heartfelt story inspires hope as readers discover they can build a meaningful life-alone or with someone new-after a devastating loss. This inspirational story vividly portrays the painful depths of grief that many people experience with a loss in their life. Diane's descriptive writing captivates the reader and engages them in the journey through her painful loss. Alone for the first time in her life, she realizes the healing powers passing strangers provide as they float in and out of her life. Along the way, she discovers personal strengths and skills she never knew she possessed. With sparks of humor scattered throughout her story, she provides the readers with a glow in the darkness that inspires them to keep going. Twenty-Eight Snow Angels is a book that will leave the reader thinking, "Someone finally gets it " Even counselors, family members and friends who read this book can gain a deeper understanding of how ravishing grief can be to people who have experienced a traumatic loss in their life. "A keenly observed story of the sudden death of a husband. The reader feels the grief and the hope that follows." %u2013Adair Lara, author of Hold Me Close, Let Me Go "Writer Diane Dettmann's grief makes small events, like the sale of a beloved piano, become as momentous as the sale of a national treasure. In the process, she rediscovers faith, community and love." -Susan Parker, author of Walking in the Deep End "In Twenty-Eight Snow Angels, writer Diane Dettmann gives us a poignant account of a life badly rent and ultimately revitalized in a way we can take to heart." -Peggy Lang, award-winning ghostwriter "The reader is drawn in and captivated by Diane's vivid account of her grief after the death of her loving husband . . . a powerful story of love, grief, hope and faith all can learn from." -Mary Jacks, M.S. Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist "Diane's piano move was one of our most memorable. It really touched us all" -Paula Soukup, Manny's Piano Company, Inc.