The Endless Steppe: Growing Up in Siberia

Book Description

Exiled to Siberia

In June 1942, the Rudomin family is arrested by the Russians. They are "capitalists -- enemies of the people." Forced from their home and friends in Vilna, Poland, they are herded into crowded cattle cars. Their destination: the endless steppe of Siberia.
For five years, Ester and her family live in exile, weeding potato fields and working in the mines, struggling for enough food and clothing to stay alive. Only the strength of family sustains them and gives them hope for the future.

Customer Reviews:

Love this book!.......2007-05-05

I, too, read this book in elementary school and while it took me forever to find it, I'm so glad I did. Esther is a young girl when her family is taken from Poland to the Siberian Steppe during WWII. The story chronicles one of loss, love, and the strength of family in times of need. You also get to take part in Esther's growth from a child to a young woman in the face of adversity. A definite must-read for anyone, young person or adult.

Excellent book!.......2007-04-24

The story of a young girl and her family's trials of living in Siberia during WWII. It is an excellent book to include with a unit study of the Holocaust. The author weaves the truth along with some humor. Excellent!

Courage among evil.......2007-04-24

I read this book in junior high school and was thrilled to find it again, although the reading is no less sad now than it was 30 years ago.

Adolescent Esther is arrested along with her family and sent to labor in Siberia. Given only minutes to pack, she seizes photo albums - and her mother packs her clothes instead. Bereft of her home and all she owns, her memories and her family members are now all she has left.

Her grandfather is sent to a concentration camp and never seen again. Left alone with her mother and grandmother, she struggles to survive yet manages to find some happiness among the desolation. A moving story of the Polish holocaust from the eyes of a teenage girl. Highly recommend for young adults, and everyone else

One of my favorite all time books!.......2007-04-01

This book is a treasure...a true story, and a sad one yet it is filled with so much hope. The author has written such a beautiful story out of circumstances that weren't so beautiful, they are ordinary people with a stong love for one another and family ties that are true committments. This is one that I have read many times and will read again.

A Good Book.......2006-05-23

This is good story of a family who looks to have lost it all but still has their hope and in the end they prevail by.This book teaches us never to take anything for granted because in a flash it could all be gone. A well written book

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Ordinary girl to Queen
"For Such A Time As This"
Another Good Title From The "Great Lives From God's Word" Series by Swindoll
Esther the Ideal Woman
Not this one

Esther Great Lives Series: Volume 2
Charles R. Swindoll
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0849913837

Book Description

Everyone loves a transforming story. Rags to riches. Plain to beautiful. Weak to strong. Esther's story is that, and much more. It is a thought-provoking study of God's invisible hand, writing silently across the pages of human history. Perhaps most of all, it is an account of a godly woman with the courage, wisdom, and strength to block an evil plot, overthrow an arrogant killer, and replace with joy in thousands of Jewish homes. Through Esther's courageous struggle to help her people, Swindoll explains the power of divine providence in volume 2 of the best-selling "Great Lives" series.

Customer Reviews:

Ordinary girl to Queen.......2007-02-27

Chuck Swindoll takes what is seemingly a fairytale story and opens one's heart and mind to see how God is in control of all. What valuable life lessons he teaches us through this inspiring Bible book. I highly recommend using this book as a study reference along with your Bible. I appreciated the way he brought the story to life and made it's messages relate to my life as it is today.

"For Such A Time As This".......2007-02-11

This second book in the 'Great Lives' series is excellent! As a Pastor, I used this book for a small group Bible study. We studied one chapter a week. What strength we all can receive from studing the life of Esther! Here was a woman who had to make a decision to be silent and let her people die, or to stand up and do whats right. It's extremely interesting that God is never mentioned anywhere in the Book of Esther, but as Charles Swindoll points out, He is working "behind the scenes" in all of the lives involved in this powerful book. Use this book as a study guide with the Book of Esther.

Another Good Title From The "Great Lives From God's Word" Series by Swindoll.......2007-01-17

Swindoll continues his legacy of writing great books with "Esther: A Woman of Strength and Dignity". This is the second volume of the biographical series he has written on various Bible characters. In Esther, he describes the life of Esther and the Book of Esther which indicidentally, is the only book in the Bible that never mentions God by name. However, when you read the Book of Esther, you can defintitely see God working behind the scenes as the drama plays out.

Among the important points covered in the book are:

1. Be quiet and know that God is God and be convinced that He is at work.
2. God is not in a hurry and is not a slave to the human clock (I particularly struggle with this one).
3. Some things are important enough for us to stand alone on. One person can indeed make a difference.
4. Stand alone and be courageous no matter what the cost!
5. God notices us when no one else does. God is impressed with a humble heart that comes to Him on His terms.
6. 2 things to consider when discovering how God works.
7. 3 principles for being sensitive to God's interventions.
8. God can break down any wall. No one, no matter how stubborn or strong-willed, can resist God and win.
9. 3 principles from the Book of Esther that we can learn for our lives.
10. 4 things that happen when we wait on God.

Read, enjoy, and be encouraged to know that God loves you and knows what you're going through even when others do not!

Recommended.

Esther the Ideal Woman.......2003-11-05

Recently I read this with a group over a period of 8 weeks.
It found it quite insightful and encouraging to the group and believe that there were many good principles that Chuck had to say. You do feel very encouraged after reading this book. It's main focus is on God's providence and soveriegnity over our lives. Esther is the ultimate example of that.
However, I do have a few critisms that would benefit anyone who plans to get the book. First, Chuck does tend to derive alot of principles from the text that you may not necessarily have looked for when you read the book of Esther. I understand why he does this, to allow the reader to sympathize with Esther's character. Second, at times it seems Chuck is making Esther an ideal that we all should follow, that's okey to a certain extent. Third, he really didn't spend much time on the historical background of Esther's time, which I think would allow the reader to understand where she was coming from. (We supplimented that information in our meeting.) Fourth, he did not need 12 chapters to write about principles from Esther. The last two were good, but not too necessary.
With that said, I think this book is a great read for Christians who want to learn about applying God's word personally to their lives, and as a good read for those times when you can't get into a heavy study in the Bible. Esther is a refreshing book that offers much hope and encouragement to those who read it.

Not this one.......2003-07-07

The book has an attractive cover and is well-marketed. Beyond that, it's not worth the investment of time nor money. The well-meaning author writes in a folksy narrative, with flagrant grammar flaws and overuses exclamation marks. The organization and chronology are likewise poor. Worse yet, substantively, the book reaches far and states assumptions which are not Biblically sound. Unfortunately, the author is not clear to point out those incidences when he may be speculating versus citing fact, which makes for some unsound theology. Read the Biblical book of Esther and see how vastly different it is from this book. This read is heavy on extras and tangents that are irrelevant to the theme.

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What a Christian Life Looks Like
Contains some charismatic elements
if i perish
Exciting read with many spiritual lessons
If I Perish

If I Perish
Esther Kim
Manufacturer: Moody Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802430791

Book Description

Ahn E. Sook stood alone among thousands of kneeling people. Her bold defiance of the tyrannical demand to bow to pagan Japanese shrines condemned her to a living death in the filth and degradation of a Japanese prison. This brave woman remained faithful to Christ in the face of brutality, oppression, and ruthlessness of her captors. The story of how she won many of her fellow prisoners to Christ in the most deplorable conditions is an inspiration to all.

Customer Reviews:

What a Christian Life Looks Like.......2007-05-19

Ahn Ei Sook was a living testimony of what a disciplined, prepared and faithful follower of Christ looks like. Her ongoing determination to gain control over her flesh, and also her courage in a time of extreme persecution made this book riveting to read and a true inspiration. The historical account of this time period (Japan and Korea 1939-1945) was also fascinating to read from an eyewitness account. This book was required reading for me, but how grateful I was to have the opportunity to glimpse this remarkable life. Since this book reads very much like a fiction, I had to keep reminding myself that it was in fact a very true and inspiring story.

Contains some charismatic elements.......2007-01-16

I would just like to caution those who are interested in purchasing this book that it contains events such as people believing they have received messages from God.

if i perish.......2007-01-12

a wonderful warrior for the lord who stood up for the gospel.

Exciting read with many spiritual lessons .......2007-01-09

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this biography. The story compells the reader to turn the next page. It is full of excellent spiritual lessons for the reader to apply in their own life. Her courage, determination, and commitment to the Lord are inspiring.

If I Perish.......2006-08-06

An exciting true story. One of the best I've ever read.

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"Give me your tired, your poor,"
worthy work of an unjustly neglected figure
Universal Interest
A Woman I Would Like You to Know

Emma Lazarus (Jewish Encounters)
Esther Schor
Manufacturer: Schocken
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0805242163
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Book Description

Emma Lazarus’s most famous poem gave a voice to the Statue of Liberty, but her remarkable life has remained a mystery until now. She was a woman so far ahead of her time that we are still scrambling to catch up with her–a feminist, a Zionist, and an internationally famous Jewish American writer before thse categories even existed.

Drawing upon a cache of personal letters undiscovered until the 1980, Esther Schor brings this vital woman to life in all her complexity. Born into a wealthy Sephardic family in 1849, Lazarus published her first volume of verse at seventeen and gained entrée into New York’s elite literary circles. Although she once referred to her family as “outlaw” Jews, she felt a deep attachment to Jewish history and peoplehood. Her compassion for the downtrodden Jews of Eastern Europe–refugees whose lives had little in common with her own–helped redefine the meaning of America itself.

In this groundbreaking biography, Schor argues persuasively for Lazarus’s place in history as a poet, an activist, and a prophet of the world we all inhabit today–a world that she helped to invent.

Customer Reviews:

"Give me your tired, your poor,".......2007-06-22

Interesting book about activist and poet Emma Lazarus, the lady who wrote the Statue of Liberty poem. "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

worthy work of an unjustly neglected figure.......2006-10-23

A worthwhile biography by a scholar who blends critical insight with sheer enthusiasm in a very appealing manner. By the late 1870s and 1880s, Browning, Whitman, Henry James, Emerson (the latter two among her many ardent correspondents) and many others had all praised Emma Lazarus's groundbreaking translations of Heine as well as her own verse that appeared in Lippincott's and the Century. But she was fated to be memorialized exclusively for "The New Colossus," her great paean to American largesse, and by Jewish Americans for the few years of poetry, essays and political activity dedicated to their cause. Representative of this trend, Henrietta Szold (1860-1945) would celebrate her as "the most distinguished literary figure produced by American Jewry and possibly the most eminent poet among Jews since Heine and Judah Loeb Gordon." Certainly as far as Jewish women of Szold's generation are concerned, Lazarus demonstrated previously unimagined ways of intervening in American public culture. Nevertheless, her achievements have been largely forgotten; among late twentieth century scholars, Lazarus's contribution to Jewish-American history has been condescendingly noted at best. Though Lazarus played a significant proto-Zionist role, she is even ignored in major studies of American Zionism. And yet to fully understand the unusual literary and polemical pedigree of American Zionism, one must begin with a careful consideration of Lazarus's assimilationist strategies--and an acknowledgement of her cultural force. By far the most influential Jewish-American literary figure of the nineteenth century, Lazarus's reflections on the status of the Jew in gentile society and on the question of the Jews' return to Palestine offer a rich literary and historical context for examining later imaginative responses to the perpetually conflicted nature of Zionism in America.

Readers who want to explore Lazarus's poetic vision in greater depth may be interested in Ranen Omer-Sherman's Diaspora and Zionism in Jewish American Literature (Brandeis UP 2002)which at times offers a deeper engagement with the poems themselves than Schor attempts. Omer-Sherman explores the poet's lack of complete confidence in the viability of Jewishness in America and demonstrates how Lazarus was torn between her belief in universalism and her proto-Zionist program, between her desire to assimilate and her pained recognition of her marginality in the wake of Emerson's rejection of her work. As for the poems themselves, the best available one is Emma Lazarus: Selected Poems and Other Writings edited by Gregory Eiselein.

Universal Interest.......2006-10-23

Esther Schor has done us all a great favor by her exploration of a "forgotten" figure in American history.

We all know the poem at the Statue of Liberty - certainly the last lines of it. And yet very few people know who wrote it, or what its historical context was. As is the case with many deeply ingrained elements of culture, this poem is assumed to emerged whole from a member of our citizen community.

We learn here that Emma was a very, very remarkable woman. Long before women in American had anything approaching "equal rights," she asserted herself into many political dialogues and won recognition for the intellectual strength of women in America.

Her life is instructive to us all - I learned a lot from this book, which is engagingly written and a real exploration of a vital element of our national culture. It's especially poignant in the current political debate about restricting immigration from Mexico...

A Woman I Would Like You to Know.......2006-10-10

With the words of the title of this review, Esther Schor introduces the reader to Emma Lazarus (1849 -1887)in her newly-published biography of this late-nineteenth Century American poet, essayist, novelist, critic, and social activist for newly-arrived immigrants. Schor is Professor of English at Princeton University, a poet in her own right, and the editor of the Cambridge Companion to Mary Shelley. Her biography of Emma Lazarus is part of a series of books called "Jewish Encounters" edited by Jonathan Rosen and "devoted to the promotion of Jewish literature, culture, and ideas."

Emma Lazarus is known to most readers only as the author of the sonnet "The New Colossus" which ultimately achieved iconic status with its inscription on the Statue of Liberty. But there is much more to Emma Lazarus than this great poem, as Schor convincingly demonstrates.Schor writes in an accessible, colloquial style that shows great affection and understanding for Lazarus. Although Schor's book includes a substantial amount of analysis of Lazarus's literary work, the focus of the book lies in bringing Emma Lazarus herself to life. Schor's biography, while not constituting the last word on Emma Lazarus, fulfills its goal of showing why Lazarus is worth knowing. Even with this book, and other studies of Emma Lazarus, she remains a complex and elusive figure.

Lazarus was born to an assimilated family of wealthy New York Jews who had lived in the United States for at least four generations. Lazarus received an outstanding private education and became known as a prodigy when her first volume of poems, written between the ages of 14 and 16 was published by her father. As a young woman, Emma Lazarus attracted the attention of Ralph Waldo Emerson and had a complicated relationship with him, as Schor discusses at length. Lazarus visited Emerson in Concord twice near the end of his life and became friends with his daughter Ellen. Lazarus was a highly connected woman with friends, male and female, among the most culturally and politically influential people in the United States.

Lazarus made impressive contributions to poetry besides "The New Colossus" and wrote influential essays and reviews as well. Her best work, such as "The New Colossus" deals with her vision of America and with the place of Judaism in the United States. In fact her work tends to fuse together these two subects. As Schor suggests, Emma Lazarus became the first of what would become a long series of Jewish-American writers who would try to express what they deemed to be the ideals of Judaism in secular and literary rather than in traditionally religious terms. Schor argues that Lazarus's work shows an interpenetration of American and Jewish ideals, with America providing freedom, liberty, and economic and cultural opportunity, while Jewish ideals expanded upon concepts of social justice and ethics within the American framework.

Schor argues that there was a Jewish undercurrent to Lazarus's works from its earliest stages, beginning with her poem "In the Jewish Synagogue at Newport." Lazarus translated Heine and medieval Jewish poets, and, in 1881 published a volume of poetry titled "Songs of a Semite" which expanded upon Jewish themes. She wrote influential essays which exposed anti-semitism and the Russian Pogroms and considered the meaning of Judaism in American. She worked actively for the well-being of Jewish immigrants to the United States and was among the first to champion the idea of a homeland for Jews in what was then Palestine to escape the ravages of European anti-semitism.

Lazarus remained secular throughout her life, and her own religious convictions can, I think best be described as a sort of nebulous theism. She described herself as an "outsider" to both Judaism and Christianity and, as Schor points out, anticipated the choices and the ambiguities that many American Jews struggle with today in considering their own relationship to Judaism. The complexities of Lazarus's views of Judaism are well-illustrated in a poem she wrote late in her life, "By the Waters of Babylon", the first prose-poem to be written in English. Schor gives a good analysis of this poem, and of many others.

As Schor emphasizes, Lazarus was a paradoxical figure in that she never lost her aristocratic, bearing as a member of America's privileged class and yet worked tirelessly for the health, education and culture of the new immigrants and, with her poem on the Statue of Liberty, redefined the meaning of this national symbol before it was even constructed. For all her activism, Lazarus never quite lost her basic conservatism -- a paradoxical combination that I continue to find fascinating. Emma Lazarus also remains difficult as a person, behind the ambiguities of her friendships with men and women and her Victorian reserve. Lazarus never married. She wrote, but did not publish, a remarkably suggestive sonnet, titled "Assurance" which for many readers, offers insight into Lazarus's own sexuality.

Emma Lazarus has been an inspiration to me for her vision of the United States and for her commitment to an ethical, active Judaism with a deeply secular cast. Schor's book will introduce the reader to an American writer who deserves increased recognition. Schor's book also includes an excellent sampling of Lazarus's poetry. Readers who would like to read more of Emma Lazarus may be interested in the selection of her poetry titled "Emma Lazarus" edited by John Hollander in the American Poets Project series of the Library of America.

Robin Friedman

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My Life With Bonnie and Clyde
History Crime Buff
A Good Book
A dramatic and very insightful look into another era.
Like being there with the Barrow Gang!

My Life With Bonnie And Clyde
Blanche Caldwell Barrow
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0806137150

Customer Reviews:

My Life With Bonnie and Clyde.......2007-08-21

For anyone looking for new surprises and a new angle on the story of Bonnie and Clyde, this book is a must. Blanche Barrow bears the facts of her life with the Barrow Gang right down to the bone. You can almost smell, see and hear this story as it plays out before your eyes.
It was also great to see what happened to those who survived past 1934, following Blanche through her prison sentence and into her later years, with Billie Moon (Bonnie Parker's sister)beside her. A must for all Bonnie and Clyde researchers.

History Crime Buff.......2007-06-29

Blanche Barrow gives a first hand account of life on the run. As she says it was pure hell which ended with the death of her huband; prison for her and a loss of an eye. It was very intresting.

A Good Book.......2007-05-03

This is an interesting book for anyone who wants to learn about Bonnie and Clyde. It is written by someone who was there and witnessed the inside of the gang. The reader should be warned that Blanche Barrow wrote this in prison so some things in the book do not agree with proven facts. All in all, a good read and as close to the truth as we may ever know.

A dramatic and very insightful look into another era........2006-09-29

Incredible book! Great fun to read. I enjoyed the historical facts. Such as constant references to the time period. A vivid insight into the early days. The characters were real. If you enjoy anylizing a good read this is for you. This book really gave me a sense of the times. These people will illicit a range of emotions from pity, loathing, revulsion, sadness, grief. I strongly recommend. Especially if you have an interest in history with a personal touch.

Like being there with the Barrow Gang!.......2006-06-26

This book was GREAT! I am a huge Bonnie and Clyde fan (and an historian) and this is the best thing I've read on them in years. Blanche's memoirs are easy to read and very descriptive. The endnotes fill in details and what Blanche didn't quite remember (which is very little considering her circumstances). Highly recommended reading for the die-hard Bonnie and Clyde fan, or if you are just interested in the 1930's or the Great Depression.

To Pause at the Threshold: Reflections on Living on the Border

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Entering into a life in the Spirit...
Another firmly grounded set of meditations from de Waal
To Pause at the Threshold

To Pause at the Threshold: Reflections on Living on the Border
Esther De Waal
Manufacturer: Morehouse Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0819219894

Book Description

"A threshold is a sacred thing," goes the traditional saying of ancient wisdom. In some corners of the earth, in some traditional cultures, and in monastic life, this is still remembered. But in our fast-paced modern world, this wisdom is often lost on us.

It is important for us to remember the significance of the threshold. While it is certainly true that thresholds mark the end of one thing and the beginning of another, they also act as borders—the places in between, the points of transition. These can be physical, such as the geographical borders of a country; others, such as the spiritual border between the inner and outer world—between ourselves and others—are intangible.

In To Pause at the Threshold, Esther de Waal looks at what it is like to live in actual "border country," the Welsh countryside with its "slower rhythms" and "earth-linked textures," and explores the importance of opening up and being receptive to one's surroundings, whatever they may be.

Customer Reviews:

Entering into a life in the Spirit..........2007-06-03

In our 21st century world, this meditation on the ordinary becomes a poetic statement about finding one's way, and is so needed. A work that broadens ones vista, the subtitle of the book, "Reflections on Living on the Border," contains new visions of life from ancient wisdom. A small book, the author Esther de Waal explains how and what to do with the new found in places like, "So when I went walking along the stretch of Off's Dyke that ran only a few miles away, I came to know afresh the world that had earlier delighted my father." This book tells the way to live in the world. It speaks of living with the inner world of the heart and mind, as well. For me, these are important.

"All our lives are inevitably made of a succession of borders and thresholds, which open up into the new and promise excitement or fear. The traveler encountering unknown places has all the exhilaration, the thrill of another country." For some time, I have sought to find newness of seeing things and knowing things, and also in regard to people in my life. This book helps to change the reader in ways that open the eyes to new ways of living and seeing. It is a work of vision and ongoing renewal. Again, in a book, she accomplishes with clarity and easy style lessons of the meaningful in life, and finding meaning.

She writes about pausing in the book. Titled "To Pause at the Threshold: Reflections on Living on the Border," published by Morehouse Publishing, she writes about living a spiritual life, of living life within the Anglican Communion. The book is both dear, as in personal and telling, and objective as in telling and demonstrating. "Above all I want to explore the role of thresholds, of the crossing-over places, not only geographical ones but also metaphorical thresholds," she writes in her introduction. This book is for the spiritually inclined, for the religious individual, and for the seeker of new life in living.

Our world is uncertain. Her instructions on living a better life go like this: "The first step in listening, learning, and changing is to see that different is not dangerous; the second is to be happy and willing to live with uncertainty the third is to rejoice in ambiguity and to embrace it." Originally published under an imprint of St. Mary's Works called The Canterbury Press Norwich, this formerly English book will find many readers in the United States. She says so many things that speak to the Anglican religious way of living, and so many things that speak to a society that is diverse as America. She finds the central places of the spirit in her writing. Two other books are noted here as worthwhile: "Living with Contradictions: An Introduction to Benedictine Spirituality" and, "Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict." One quickly gets an idea of the thrust of her work from the titles.

Laying a way to enjoy and reflect on the ordinary in life, she draws large inferences in this book: "...we find ourselves touched by something primal, that repetition of birth and death, dying and new life, experienced again and again, year in and year out, repeated throughout our lives." These are some patterns of the day, like the simple task of bowing ones head down during the day in the bright light, "...giving glory to the great God of life for the magnificence of the sun and for the goodness of its light to the children and men and to the animals of the world."

Here is another nugget from a book that flows and contains nuggets of establishing oneself in a place. Esther de Waal quotes from many sources. Here she quotes John Howard Griffin's diary: "August 6, 1969. 5:45 a.m. Before dawn. With the beginnings of the predawn-light some of the birds come to life--not with singing yet, but with a kind of murmuring. I carried my coffee out on the concrete porch and drank it walking back and forth. The air is cool, almost cold, and fresh. Light came slowly. I watched the trees assume black shapes through the fog. I thought of Tom who saw the sounds, smelled the same predawn freshness, allowed the same silences to do their work in him."

For people who like a good read, the 102-page book categorized as spirituality is intelligent and inviting. There is importance in opening up and being inviting to one's surroundings, as the book blurb states. I agree, this is a book that sees "A threshold as a sacred thing..." Her book is like the porter in St. Benedict's rule who waits at the gate, the work "...shows us a conversation between the holy and the everyday..." Esther de Waal points the way to enjoyment.

--Peter Menkin, Pentecost 2007

Another firmly grounded set of meditations from de Waal.......2005-08-07

Deceptively slim, this book of meditations from de Waal's reading and personal experience asks for careful reading and cogitation. I found myself reading it aloud, softly and slowly, in order to take in the deep meaning. This is truly matter for Lectio Divina. A quotation: " If the borders are not frontiers, and if the thresholds are continually crossed and recrossed, then we open up to the new." Readers of de Waal will find familiar sources-- St Benedict, Celtic writings-- as well as fruits of de Waal's wide current reading. This book should become a spiritual classic.

To Pause at the Threshold.......2005-01-28

Esther de Waal never lets us down! In To Pause at the Threshold she explores how even the busiest life can be lived mindfully and prayerfully. She attunes us to what the Celtic Christians called "thin" moments, those times when what is before gives way to the new, when God is experienced as most palpably present. Life is immeasurably blessed, she assures us, when we receive the next moment, the next event, the next person with reverence and expectation. This fine little book is a lovely companion for the one who lives life on pilgrimage.

Torn Veil, The: The Best-Selling Story of Gulshan Esther

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In Awe
Beautiful.
God really cares for the hurting!

Torn Veil, The: The Best-Selling Story of Gulshan Esther
Sister Gulshan Esther , and Thelma Sangster
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0310256887

Book Description

A true story of freedom and miraculous healing as a Muslim girl finds faith in Christ

When Gulshan Esther, a devout Muslim girl, was six months old, typhoid left her a cripple. Her loving father took her from Pakistan to England to find a cure, but the only hope the British specialist could offer was prayer. Gulshan and her father made pilgrimage to Mecca and begged Allah for healing, but it was not until her father’s untimely death that Gulshan began to receive an answer. In her grief she wanted to die, but as she called out to God, for the first time in her life she sensed she was being heard. She heard a low, gentle voice say, “I won’t let you die. I will keep you aliveÖI am Jesus, son of Mary.”

As Gulshan began reading the Quran, her interest in Jesus grew, until one amazing night he appeared to her in her bedroom in a blaze of light. He restored her crippled arm and leg and taught her The Lord’s Prayer. He told her to go to his people—now her people—and tell them what he had done. Since that time, and to this day, she has been a joyous, obedient disciple of Christ. The Torn Veil is an amazing story of faith and determination.

This moving autobiography was first published in 1984 and has sold over 200,000 copies worldwide.

Customer Reviews:

In Awe.......2007-04-24

I was swept away of the Gulshan Esther's courage. A wonderful person recommended this book - I'm so glad he did because it was hard to put down. I was in awe of Jesus' faithfulness and promise to heal those who call on Him and believe in His name. Truly a powerful story which God desired for His people to read. Gulshan answered that call, not backing down for a moment; she's a beautifully healed soldier.

Beautiful........2004-12-19

This is a beautiful story of a Muslim girl who is healed by Jesus,and comes to know Him as her Lord and Saviour.
It is wonderful to read of the power and compassion of Jesus,of how He spoke to her,of how He transformed her body,her heart,and her life.
A beautiful testimony book not just for Muslims,but for anyone.

God really cares for the hurting!.......2004-09-28

The story shows how when we are really desperate for God, He reveals Himself in a very powerful and yet in a practical loving way by healing this sick lady.

Lost in the Amazon: The True Story of Five Men and their Desperate Battle for Survival (Discovery books)

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Hick in the Amazon
If Only He Actually Became Lost
Really, really bad
Not Credible From the Start
All Hail Ashuco!!!

Lost in the Amazon: The True Story of Five Men and their Desperate Battle for Survival (Discovery books)
Stephen Kirkpatrick
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0849900158

Amazon.com

Lost is a resonant title for this direct, intense, true adventure story. Stephen Kirkpatrick is lost in his attempt to maintain closeness and trust in his post-divorce relationship with his three sons. Lost as an ex-husband in the painful aftermath of that broken marriage, and finally in a literal form, a photographer lost deep in the Amazon, who can only count one remaining possession -- his faith. What is faith, really, when everything else is gone? Is it a solace and anchor, sustaining hope? Stephen Kirkpatrick's story provides a case study for just that sort of faith. Not particularly liturgical, doctrinal or objective; it's an experiential faith that wavers, struggles and is almost lost completely at times, but like Kirkpatrick himself, it somehow holds on.

Kirkpatrick works freelance -- and one gets the impression that the world of freelance photography is as brutal and unforgiving as the jungle he plunges into. To sustain a career where there are no steady paychecks or benefit plans, it's necessary to keep going for the prize -- unique images, perhaps ones of wildlife never seen before. His spirit may be sustained by a higher faith, but the fulfillment of Kirkpatrick's earthly hopes would be more tangible -- a National Geographic cover. This need to find good material is so paramount it pushes Kirkpatrick's expedition to start out with questionable maps (a fact realized of course, only in retrospect), and with only a general idea of the route that will lead them to the planned pick-up point.

As things go wrong, and then very wrong, and eventually get worse, we see that Kirkpatrick takes the idea of journaling-as-therapy to heart. At one point he journals "I still have faith. I'm praying and putting my trust in God. But I have to be realistic. Christians die just like everyone else." This is essentially Kirkpatrick's central meditation -- the realization that faith is what sustains him, but always with the understanding that it gives no guarantee as to the outcome of the journey.--Ed Dobeas

Product Description

A discovery bible study book. For many bible students, the book of Esther is a puzzle. It seems to be out of place. There is no mention of the name of God; there is no reference to worship or to faith; there is no allusion to heaven or hell- in short, there is nothing "religious" about it, at least on the surface. But by viewing the book of Esther as God's visual aid to us, by laying Old Testament types and parables alongside New Testament truths, Ray Stedman makes it come alive with new significance and deep spiritual meaning. He shows that, far from being an insipid slice of secular history, the book is a vivid showcase foreshadowing the last supper, the crucifixtion, the coming of the Holy Spirit, and other gospel events.

Customer Reviews:

Hick in the Amazon.......2007-08-14

Just imagine the martial-arts blowhard from Napoleon Dynamite boring everybody to death with the story of how God saved him from having to walk in the rain for a few days. That's this book. The author manages to embody all the worst of hick America; he's weepy, bombastic, swaggering, ignorant and self-important all at once. It's something of a feat, I suppose, but one hardly deserving praise.
If you want to see how much better the Brits do this sort of thing, read Benedict Allen's book Through Jaguar Eyes, a funny, understated and literate account of a much braver journey through the same part of the world.

If Only He Actually Became Lost.......2007-07-14

As I read the book I continued to wish that the author had been eaten by a jaguar or left on the tree. DON'T believe the title. I'm guessing the author could become lost in the local Wal-Mart if he didn't have his guides. He never was lost in this "adventure".

Really, really bad.......2007-06-11

If they have a worst book contest, this one will be a contender. Save your money.

Not Credible From the Start.......2007-01-29

The book starts with a prologue that purports to be in the middle of the epic struggle advertised on the book jacket. You later learn the author was not really alone and never in real danger. I learned this from skimming the book because after the second chapter, the author was just too insufferable for me to continue reading. Twice in the first chapter he mentions how the fathers of his sons' friends went to work at the bank or a law office, he (the mighty hero) went to work in the swamp or the mountains or the jungle. The second chapter begins in the Peruvian city of Inquitos, where he immediately demonstrates his arrogance: "On the corner, a vendor peddled torillas I wouldn't have eaten on a bet." Not only are tortillas not eaten in Peru, but he shows his complete disregard for the Peruvian people and their culture with that snide remark. He's there to take pretty pictures of animals, not to learn about the culture or interact with the people in anything other than a superficial manner. Then there is his religion. Ah, yes. As he puts it, "Christians die like everyone else." Is that a revelation? I'm not sure, but it seems to be to him. There are truly great adventure books out there. This is not one of them.

All Hail Ashuco!!!.......2006-12-15

Stephen's first trip to the Amazon was a difficult one, but don't let the title of the book mislead you - the majority of his struggles are internal. Between throwing temper tantrums when his photography equipment malfunctions and praying when the going got tough, I didn't find much to empathize with here. I kept waiting for the book to shift into high gear, but it never quite makes it until the epilogue. Stephen finds himself in a couple of scary situations, but the reliable and loyal Ashuco always shows up to save him with his trademark call of "Esteve!". Which brings me to the greatest reason to read this book - Ashuco is a true hero and comes across as a remarkable person, and the reader is left wanting to learn more about him and his life. The final 3 or 4 pages are easily the best of the entire book, Stephen triumphantly returns to the Amazon for many successful expeditions and his reunions with Ashuco warrant a book of their own. Perhaps Stephen, Marlo, and Ashuco will all get together and help Ashuco write his own autobiography.

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A joyful memoir of a golden childhood and a great family.
Memories,sweet memories

All About Esther
Estelle (Esther )Weinstein Sollish
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0595435386

Book Description

These are the stories of three years of a little girl's life in Middle Village, New York. They are the stories of Esther Weinstein, one of eight children, and her mother and father. Mr. Harry Weinstein had several occupations. His wife Beckie the most important job of raising four boys and four girls. They all looked after each other. Esther was a daughter, a sister and a surrogate mother whenever her mother was too busy.

All About Esther tells in a warm, human and very personal way the story of the Weinstein clan as seen through Esther's eyes and personal experiences. They are stories rich with Jewish tradition and capture the color and ethos of New York City during the depression. This is a rare first person look at a time so many of us have forgotten.

Customer Reviews:

A joyful memoir of a golden childhood and a great family........2007-06-09

All About Esther is a rare treat. What a wonderful book. What a wonderful writer. These are true stories told from the heart about the Weinstein family. It is a Jewish Cheaper by the Dozen....stories of a large family living on a small budget and everyone pitching in to make ends meet. I'll never forget the story about the runaway turkey and Mama and the seltzer bottle. Each chapter offers a rare gem to be cherished and looked at again and again. The stories are told by an experienced story teller and they are perfect for reading aloud at family gatherings. They are instant classics. Well done.

Memories,sweet memories.......2007-05-25

This book brings us back to Estelle's childhood.Her stories are filled with love for her family and friends and neighbors.We are brought back to an earlier time in America that has all but disappeared.Life was truly simpler in many ways.Estelle helps us feel,taste and savor those times.It's a warm,joyful and fun time reading this book.

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Memories of Survival
Poignant Reminder of the Holocaust
Horrors Understood
Memories of Survival is a very special book

Memories of Survival
Bernice Steinhardt
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786851260

Book Description

(From the book jacket) In this stunning collection of embroidered panels lies Esther Krinitz's remarkable journey of living through the Holocaust in Poland. At the age of 15, she and her 13-year-old sister separated from their family and went into hiding. Forced from the homes of their friends and neighbors, they sought refuge in the depths of the forest. With no place left to turn, they disguised themselves as Catholic farmhands and lived for years in fear as the war raged on. The eventual end of the war brought with it a heartbreaking discovery: while Esther and her sister survived, their parents and siblings, and millions of other Jews, did not.

Though never trained as an artist, at the age of 50, Esther decided to retell her memories through this series of hand-stitched panels. At once naive and infinitely complex, these images reveal both the extreme horrors of war and the cherished family memories shared before the war began. Told in Esther's own words! , with commentary written by her daughter, Bernice Steinhardt, this is an unforgettable look back to a time and events that must never be forgotten.

Customer Reviews:

Memories of Survival.......2007-01-04

In this outstanding book are displayed thirty-six embroidered pictures that the author began at the age of fifty, to illustrate the stories of her childhood in Poland and her survival during the Holocaust. When she died at the age of seventy-four, she wasn't finished, but she left this remarkable book. Her daughter Bernice used her mother's comments to write the text. It is amazing how much Esther remembered, which is evidenced in the intricate details and vibrant colors of the needlework. Each full-page picture is framed in a different color, with Esther's comments under it and the text on the opposite page. The deceptively simple pictures have the look of folk art in contrast to a grimly realistic story. At the end, there is a poignant page titled "To Germany," where Esther has joined the Polish Army in March 1945 and she shows us in it what she remembers so many years later: seeing Nazi officers hanging from every tree as they passed along the road of an earlier battle with the Russians on their way to Berlin. The last frame shows Esther landing at Ellis Island, viewing the Statue of Liberty. She was very excited, because she felt that this meant she would never again be persecuted for being Jewish. Her daughter Bernice calls this a memorial to her mother's family, because of them all, only Esther and a sister survived the war. Esther's daughters Bernice and her sister have founded a nonprofit educational organization called Art and Remembrance, which is dedicated to using the power of story and art to illuminate the effects of war, intolerance, and social injustice. This book is highly recommended for all collections, as Esther's story brings these terrible times alive in a way that adds a different dimension to children's understanding of the Holocaust. For ages 12 - adult.
Reviewed by Andrea Davidson

Poignant Reminder of the Holocaust.......2006-04-26

I picked up this book at the school where I teach on the advice of our librarian and I am so very glad I did! The stories woven in the embroidered panels speak volumes about what Esther Nisenthal and her family endured during the horror of the Holocaust. Her use of color is astonishing, and the fact that she actually embroidered the words to her story onto the cloths just makes the whole experience seem so much more real and personal. This book is a moving tribute to all who perished and survived this evil time. This is an amazing book. Highly, highly recommended.

Horrors Understood.......2005-12-17

"Memories of Survival", helped me more fully grasp the Holocost through the untutored art of survivor Esther Nisenthal Krinitz. I saw "Memories" when it was on exhibit at the American Museum of Visionary Art in Baltimore, Maryland in the spring of 2005. Mrs. Krinitz's beguiling needlework enabled me to absorb the impact of Nazism on a level hitherto unavailable to me. Her artful pictures and their simple text informed me on what I had been afraid to imagine. I've purchased 4 copies of Memories of Survival", 3 to give as gifts, and one to keep.

Memories of Survival is a very special book.......2005-12-12

Memories of Survival reveals the truth in the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words and for the first time the history of the Holocaust makes the leap from memory to life in the hand stitched and embroidered tapestries of Holocaust survivor Esther Nisenthal Krinitz.

Having also seen the original artwork that is presented in this beautiful book I can attest that the pictures and stories touch the reader, whether child or adult. The book lovingly enables you to feel that you are remembering the human realities that Esther Nisenthal Krinitz experienced as a child and that she later stitched to life to tell her story to her family, and now shares with the world.

Memories of Survival has a place in every home.

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