3 comments about Trains of Thought: Memories of a Stateless Youth.

1. Books, education, thinking, and even history itself, have been collectively buried under. There is too much undifferentiated mush, a constant rush of gabbing plenty at the beleaguered individual. From under the rubble comes Victor Brombert's valiant memoir, a classic of pinpoint remembrance, a fully humane celebration of the potency of, well, something or other. For "Trains of Thought" is profoundly self-deprecating, a miraculous occurence for a fully vested professor of the highest rank. Brombert's magisterial touch with the very act of writing brings the proper lighting to every cinematic scene. "Trains of Thought" is a gift to succeeding generations, to the remaining intelligentsia, and to states whose recent horrid past is so little understood. Scholarly work on World War II, filling ocean tankers by now, cannot approach the vivid yet conflicted remembrances of a participant/onlooker. Surely there is an element of delusion in Brombert's infatuation with the representations of high culture as they apply to immense political events, but all human affairs are conducted with such vainglorious positionings. This is a towering memoir, in a almost literal sense - humanity has the chance, through this book, to look down upon the events of those times, and see what it couldn't see before: itself. Families. Schools. Boys and girls. Social events. Mass political insanity. Fathers and mothers. Death. Survival.



2. How could a book writen by a good writer and a interesting man, with great subjects, books, history, education, ever be so boring? If this is what memoirs have come down to they need to be outlawed. I understand that writing about oneself is difficult indeed, and very few have pulled it off, but this is brutal. This gets my worse book of the year award. 0 stars



3. I first heard of Victor Brombert as a lecturer on Flaubert, Tolstoy, Sartre, Woolf, Conrad and others for the Teaching Company some years ago. His depth and range were therefore first an aural experience for me, rather than one taken from a book. His easy and remarkable way with the English language (by my reckoning at least his fourth, after Russian, German and French) was an experience to be relived again and again. When I read these memoirs, I found them to be at once intimate and self-effacing, while providing a valuable historical lesson as he spun out his early years. I envy those who had the experience, either at Yale or Princeton, to be his student. I also envy someone who can use his fourth language with the musicality and depth of feeling that few can do with their first. Brombert's Trains of Thought succeeds on all levels.

5 comments about Packinghouse Daughter: A Memoir.

1. This book -- personal and warm -- is an extraordinary gift to kids of working-class parents. Cheri Register says things that I felt about my own dad and about my own home town, but that I was never able to say to him. She shows how what we do for a "living" is really central to shaping who we are in the bigger world. Thank you for this book!



2. Even if you are not from the midwest or know nothing about the meat packing business this book will give you much to think about. Cheri has a way of bringing you into her experiences.



3. I first found out about this book in an article in the Rochester newspaper about the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Since then, I have purchased several of their books. *Packinghouse Daughter* won the American Book Award and the Minnesota Book Award for autobiography, and it deserved both prizes heartily! This book is full of interesting people, class struggle, a young woman coming of age, and old-fashioned Midwestern life. If you hate those whiney memoirs about bad childhoods then this is the perfect antidote.

   I would also recommend Steven R. Hoffbeck's *The Haymakers,* which won the Minnesota Book Award for history, and Peter Razor's *While the Locust Slept,* which deserves to win every award out there--both from the Historical Society. These books, like Register's, are good stories concerned with how ordinary people get by and sometimes make an important impact on our culture. These heartfelt books should be read by Americans everywhere and should be the standard for all publishers to meet.




4. I don't much like memoirs. But Packinghouse Daughter, by Cheri Register, is not a typical memoir. It is enchanting, disturbing, and provocative. It should be read by a wide range of readers, including academics and other middle-class professionals who pride themselves on "siding with the working class." It shatters some of our illusions and our tendency to romanticize our identification with working-class people even as it encourages us to hold fast to our principles. The book should also be read by the countless working-class parents who worked hard to give their children the life they knew they could never have. Speaking for those children, this book says eloquently: we honor you, our parents, for your commitments and principles and will try to carry those into our very different worlds. As a bonus, the book's author tells her story so well, with a disarming openness about her conflicted emotions and with such humor and earthy but deep insight, that it will be accessible even to those who don't read much.

   Register tells a story of growing up in the 1950s as the daughter of a longtime employee of the Wilson meatpacking plant in Albert Lea, Minnesota, not far from the more famous (and, in her account, more favored) Hormel plant in Austin. Coming-of-age memoirs now flood the market with stories that cater to our need for a revised Horatio Alger myth. In countless stories--many of them moving, important stories for our time--children grow up suffering from unspeakable poverty, abusive or otherwise dysfunctional families, or racism, but somehow survive and overcome those conditions to become not wealthy business moguls but their equivalent in our politically correct age: writers or academics who speak out against poverty, violence, and racism. Despite some similarities, this memoir is different. Register acknowledges gratefully that her parents provided an emotionally and economically secure environment for her, while educating her about her place in a world with more complicated class divisions than we see in most popular memoirs. It is, in part, her more subtle account of those divisions that makes her story so compelling.

   Make no mistake about it: this is a one-sided story. Register's father is a loyal union man, and she is loyal to the union line, too, especially in telling the story of a particularly divisive labor dispute in 1959. But even when she makes it clear where she believes justice and unfairness lie, she complicates the story in ways that enrich our understanding rather than feed our prejudices.

   I grew up in rural Ohio only slightly later than Register, the son of a small-town midwestern merchant in a solidly middle-class family with undoubtedly less disposable income than Register's. My father, like many of Albert Lea's merchants, resented the unions that secured better wages for the workers in the nearby General Motors plant than he thought he could afford to pay his loyal, hard-working employees--some of whom earned more than he did. That experience has always made me suspicious of class-based analyses of rural and small-town life. But Register's subtle class analysis of life in mid-century Albert Lea rings true even to my suspicious ears.

   It also rings true because Register does not rely on memory alone. She consulted contemporary sources and interviewed a wide range of informants-balancing her interview with the union president by her interview and sympathetic portrayal of the plant manager, for example. Register knows what memories--hers and her informants--are good for. They convey the sentiment of the times. In that sense her account is sentimental in the best sense of that word. Her language is so vivid and her memories so fine-tuned that we feel we are walking the streets of Albert Lea with her, encountering mid-century sights and sounds that conjure up our own memories. But she knows enough not to trust memories when they become nostalgic, and she walks that fine line with a fine sense of balance.

   Register also manages to succeed where many memoirists try but fail: though cast as a memoir, this book feels like it is more about the times than it is about her. Packinghouse Daughter is an eloquent and fitting tribute to the working-class lives of The Greatest Generation.




5. Wilson's was a remarkable presence in a town that that has never gotten over the loss of the high-pay meatpacking firm. Ms. Register wrote a fine and noteworthy account of a company town in rural America. My grandfather worked there for many years chasing cattle up a four-story ramp to the 'kill.' My father worked in the freezers after WWII and my uncle spent many years as a meatcutter. I worked there one summer as did many of my friends and it defined the baseline economics of the union town and it defined what drugery and workplace injuries were all about before we even knew the term carpal tunnel. Beyond working there I witnessed the impact of the strike in 1959. As a nine-year old I used to walk down the railroad tracks to the plant entrance and watch the rocks being thrown, cars being vandalized and anger controlled only by the National Guard. One of my friend's fathers crossed the picket line to work. He like other 'scabs' were labelled and treated as such for decades to come.
   
   Ms. Register digs deeper into Albert Lea's labor past and unbeknownst to me identified an aunt as a striker at the local Woolworth's. The effort of the local union to interject itself into other businesses defined the patrons that businesses would have (another relative who refused to unionize his small retail business found himself boycotted) and the success or failure to follow.
   
   I'm surprised this has not been picked up as a movie. Worth the read.

5 comments about The Summer of Ordinary Ways: A Memoir.

1. I agree with the earlier reviewer, as far as mean people and animal cruelty go. I could hardly finish the book myself, not only because of the animal cruelty and abuse but also the author's total indifference to it. I don't particularly care to read about people abusing and killing animals (killing a mother cow because she wants to keep her calf, and shooting 13 puppies because "they are ugly"), and basically that is what a lot of this book is about. Not a very good or interesting read, author is whiney and self-absorbed - don't waste your time with this garbage.



2. This collection of beautifully written short pieces work together to give a view into a difficult Minnesota childhood. It's a stark story, and slim in several ways. Pages aside, it lacks context, and the landscape is almost missing, which is odd for a farm story. The writer's gift with words is considerable, and the final chapter left me gasping (what a tour de force). Did I like it? yes, I did. Still, I have to ask, as a child, was there no laughter? Was her entire childhood taut and poetic, all smashed grasshoppers and bleeding animals? It seems in a family like this, there might have been at least some laughter. I guess that is another area where the book is slim--I didn't sense the fullness of a life when reading it. Perhaps she will write a longer exploration of her life, or a novel. If she does, I'll definitely read it, as she is quite a writer.



3. In my long reading life I have rarely come across a book written in such compelling and poetic language. I have just read Nicole Lea Helget's memoir in one sitting and can scarcely catch my breath. And to those who might question the authenticity of the book, please remember that a child's interpretation of happenings may not always agree with that of an adult who was there, too, but that does not make the child's recollection any less true. Just think about the mysteries and taboos in your own childhood!



4. I didnt pick this book randomly off the shelf, I work in Sleepy Eye MN, closely with the people. I did not grow up in Sleepy Eye, but in another small farming community. I know some of the people who she is talking about, although I do not know her or any of her immedate famliy. There was a huge uproar here about this book when it came out and I had to see what it was all about, of course!
   
   What I found was someone I knew, a girl raised with the same type of envirnment I think most of us were raised with in small midwestern farm towns. The local stories, small town attitude, where everyone knows everyones business and you are judged by your last name, relatives and great-grandfathers history 'all those Haalas are crazy'. I found myself and my friends in her stories, my sister, my parents. Its a story about life, the memories of a girl and a kid becoming a woman the fast way, by becoming a mother. She made me feel I was with her @ the nuns retreat, when her dad shot the puppies, on her uncles bike. I was rereading a story I already know. It was creepy, but comforting. I think thats talent.
   
   I really enjoyed this book, the style is different, jumping around, even mid story, to different, semi-related stories, different then what I'm used to, I guess. Her discriptions make me see the tree, the barn, her uniform, blue and white on the steps of St. Marys Catholic School. Beautifully discripted. Definately not the brutal, horrible book some people 'couldnt even finish'.
   
   If you grew up in a small town, or in a large close-nit family, you will relate to Nicole. A glimps of snipits of small town life, real or imagined by her, is truely what this novel is.



5. This is a nicely written book, a beautiful memior of chilhood on a farm. It starts slowly but by the end I loved her writing...

5 comments about G.I. Joe & Lillie: Remembering a Life of Love and Loyalty.

1. I loved this book. My parents were also of this generation and dad in the Normandy Invasion, both from dysfunctional families. They built a long and happy marriage and gave us children a fine childhood. Today's generation can learn from this book. It's another great tribute to a the WWII generation.



2. This book really hit home. It shows you what sacrafices were made to give all of us the Freedoms that we enjoy today in addition to being a beautifull love story. It brought tears to my eyes. Great Job Mr. Bonsall.



3. Oak Ridge Boy Joe Bonsall is from very good people...and his
   heart-warming account of his beloved parents,G.I. Joe & Lillie,
   is ample proof of this.
   Joseph S Bonsall has written one of the most inspiring books
   that I have ever had the pleasure of reading.He provides the
   moving story of their struggles and triumphs throughout their
   lives.Read of their home life growing up,how they met and reared
   their own children,their service to their country,and their unwavering
   devotion to each other...
   Joe and Lillie are the greatest of examples of those who lived the
   American dream...they are the Greatest Generation.
   I am proud to learn of the story of G.i. Joe and Lillie.I am proud to
   be living in this great country.I am also proud of Joe Bonsall.....



4. I have been a supporter of our veterans and a fan of the Oak Ridge Boys for as long as I can remember. When "G I Joe and Lillie" was presented to me to read, I could hardly wait. It turned out to be better than I ever expected! What a story of love and dedication to one's country and to each other! I admire and respect Joe and Lillie for their faith and commitment. Their story is one we should all learn from. Thanks "Joey" for sharing your parents with us. You must be so proud to have had them as your mom and dad.



5. This book was more than I expected. Joe Bonsall's biography of his parents was beyond what I expected. I highly recommend this to anyone and especially to people who have parents that are veterans.

5 comments about Body Toxic: An Environmental Memoir.

1. Body Toxic, the memoir of a poet, is a great book. Instead
   of having us laying in her hospital bed taking her medications
   and reliving her miscarriages in detail on every page, Antonetta
   almost dances around her illnesses in order to bring awareness
   of the contamination to earth that is killing everyone.
   Michael Klein said "Poets write the best memoirs." Three years
   ago I questioned that statement; after reading Body Toxix, I agree.



2. I recall reading the New York Times' smug review of this book when it originally came out. How they must have loved another opportunity to slander the state of New Jersey through misinformation, distortions, and gross exaggerations. The perfect example of how well this propaganda works is the individual from Wisconsin who claims how sad it is that the Pine Barrens have been "ravaged." I wonder how someone from Wisconsin who has probably never been to New Jersey, let alone the Pine Barrens, would think they have the right to make such a comment. Just like other rural areas around the country, the Pine Barrens have been victimized by immigration-driven population growth, yet the region is still beautiful. I have no doubt the author of this book has the medical ailments she claims, yet perhaps they have more to do with her lifetime of drug abuse than with living in New Jersey. My father grew up in the industrial badlands of Bayonne, New Jersey; he is 61 and has no major medical problems. In fact, my family is entirely from Jersey City and Bayonne, two cities that are far more industrialized than Ocean County, yet nobody in my family has ever had cancer. This book is another example of junk science giddily peddled by leftist Manhattanite editors who probably haven't been outside of Manhattan in years.
   
   As usual, the masses gobble up such pablum.



3. Quite an accurate portrayal of the abysmal state of New Jersey. If America was a person then New Jersey would be its rectum, just slightly south of the tingling loins of New York. It is the wretched, malodorous, poison hole that is the repository for everything wrong with America. IROC's, unabashed italian stereotypes, gold medallions, the mafia, Aquanet and most abhorrent is the diaspora of foul mouthed New Jersey citizens out to destroy other states as they have destroyed their own. New Jersey "Go Home"!!!



4. Let's be clear: this isn't some sob-story autobiography about some chick blaming her infertility on the power plant next door. Antonetta has written a gorgeous, unsettling book that pushes the boundaries of literary memoir.
   
   Written in muscular, skilled prose, the "environment" of Antonetta's memoir points to the sludge-filled and strangely seductive New Jersey Pine Barrens of her childhood; it refers equally to the toxic world created by her impenetrable, neurotic immigrant family. Antonetta tells hallucinatory, poetic stories that float between the two environments while never misstepping into the sentimental.
   
   Indeed, it is a rare pleasure for me to read a woman's story--especially one intimately engaged with problems of fertility and the body--that is so devoid of cliche and self-pity. Antonetta has plenty of honest anguish, but it is balanced with a damning dry humor, and a sharply raw perception of herself, her family, their history and the history of the land upon which the story unfolds.



5. I feel so many emotions when I think of this book, I mean talk about a onion with its dozens of layers and you start to understand my love of this book. If you can't get it, that this book to me is an emotional plea from deep within her soul, well then you might as well stick to the bestsellers list.

5 comments about The Fourteenth Year.

1. This book is a raw account of a young girls fight to survive years of repeated abuse. Throughout the book the writer sheds a ray of hope that one day she will have a normal, loving family of her own. The thought of a family gives her the strength to live. This book is very easy to read. Each chapter left me amazed of how the writer was able to go on. It is a story of how a young girl was able to triumph over unbeatable odds. I highly recommend this book!



2. This book touched my heart and soul.
   I believe it takes a great deal of courage to reveal such details of a person's life in order to help others.
   Kelly has put her story out there to let people in similiar situations know that they are not alone and there is hope.
   She proves that dreams and personal achievements do not have to be lost at the hands of an abuser.
   A very personal and candid look into a part of an abused girl's life and the coping mechanisms used to get through.
   I highly recommend this book.



3. This was a sad story but there were way too many inconsistencies throughout. For example; she talks about being promiscuous after losing her virginity to a boyfriend, and later she talks about losing her virginity to her father.
   
   After she runs away and the father is arrested for abuse, she talks about her friends who also accused him of abusing them. But, when she lies and says it never happened, her father is allowed to walk out. What happened to the charges against him for molesting her friends? This is never mentioned again. I'm sure the trauma affects the memories but an editor should have been able to clean some of this up.



4. this book truly cuts deep to the guts.... there are is no sugar coating of the facts as a young girl survives things that no human nor animal should ever have to bear. the glimmer of hope does shine through at the end, that she does survive (physically ) intact. I am wishful that young victims of this kind of abuse could read her writing and realize that they too could survive (possibly finding a way to cope without choosing drugs, alcohol and promiscuity), i also feel strongly that this book should be read by all involved in law enforcement, teachers and all in children's services of any kind. it is almost a handbook of the type of behaviors that should call an alert to abuse.
   
   i am hoping that kelly will publish a "part 2".



5. "The Fourteenth Year" is an inspiring book that will touch your heart. As you read the book, you have to wonder how this child managed to deal with everything that happened to her and grow up to lead a normal life with her husband and children. I admire Kelly's strength and brutal honesty as it must have been difficult to re-live her childhood in order to write this book, let alone have it published and reviewed by a bunch of strangers. When I read the book, I was reading for "enjoyment", not to analyze the feasibility of what items were inconsistent within her story. I admire her for her determination to survive and for the work she is currently doing on behalf of children who are abused.
   
   My one complaint about this book is that it left me feeling like I wanted more. While I am sure Kelly poured out her heart and soul, I felt like there was something disjointed or disconnected between myself and the individuals I was reading about. I almost felt like the book was superficial and Kelly couldn't dig deep enough within herself other than to simply scratch the surface of her life story. Perhaps, this is simply due to the trauma she endured or maybe, she simply chose to tell us what she wanted us to know. Either way, I hope to see a continuation of her memoir in the future.

5 comments about A Tuscan Childhood.

1. Prior to her death, Kinta Beevor wrote only one book -- A TUSCAN CHILDHOOD -- which would have been better titled "My Life in Tuscany" as it really is the tale of her connection to Tuscany over period of 40 years that included her childhood. Beevor, whose maiden name was Waterfield, was the daughter Aubrey the artist and his wife Lina Gordon, both British ex-pats who lived and worked in Italy during the first half of the 20th Century. The family owned the fabulous 15th Century Fortezza della Brunella which the family called "the castle" and Lina inherited Poggio Gherardo which was almost as old. Both properties came with extensive farm lands. As a result the Waterfields lived lives of comfort -- socializing with the rich and famous (D.H.Lawrence for one) and feeding them to-die-for meals and sending their much neglected children back to England for schooling.

   Though I became weary of name-dropping, I found Beevor's book an enjoyable read. Her mention of various rich and famous folks is as natural as can be--just tiresome in the same way a story told over and over by an older person can be. She says her son encouraged her to write down what she could remember, and I suspect he did so after he heard her stories several times. Fortunately, someone had the good sense to publish the book for a wider audience.

   Ms. Beevor obviously loved Tuscany--her father's castle where the family restored and maintained a beautiful garden on the roof, her mother's house which Beevor's mother gained the use of on the death of her Aunt Janet, and the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Beevor's description of the sea as the train approached Aulla for her summer vacations from school in England is as well written as anything Lawrence ever wrote, and no doubt she was quite knowledgeable of his works given he was a family friend.

   After WWII, faced with death duties on the Poggio Gherardo following the death of Beevor's brother John, and huge expenses owing to the damage inflicted on both properties during the war (the retreating Nazis and the encroaching Allies made a mess, the latter found an autographed photo of Mussolini in the castle and wrecked havoc) the family was forced to sell up and return to England.

   Beevor's book contains passages that reminded me of bitter-sweet scenes in "The English Patient", the "Jewel in the Crown", "Tea With Mussolini", "Out of Africa", "Room With a View" and other works written by European ex-pats returned to their home of origin. Ms Beevor was undoubtedly well read and understood the withdrawal of the British Empire following WWII, and in her closing chapters she shares her thoughts about the effect of that withdrawal on Italy. Italy of course was not a colony, but the British had truly made themselves at home in Italy before the war (and may have done so once again).




2. The only book Kinta Beevor ever wrote, it was perhaps the only book she could have written. Her obvious love for her magical childhood in Tuscany (esp the years before she was shipped off to England for school) shines forth from every paragraph as she recounts her life as one of the benignly-neglected children of a pair of English aristocrats who owned a 15th century castle, the Fortezza della Brunella, as well as a villa above Florence.
   Centered around two very different periods of the author's life, the rural castle and the more urban villa, A Tuscan Childhood is full of famous people (her parents were part of the literati), beloved peasant farm workers, nursemaids, and Aunt Janet, upon whose death the villa falls into the hands of Ms. Beevor's mother.
   Toward the end, in diatribes against Mussolini, the Allies, death taxes, and everything and everyone else, an old lady's peevishness with changing times mars what is otherwise a lovely and evocative piece of writing.



3. Kinta Beevor, author of only this book, comes from a family of writers, including her son, the reknown author, Antony Beevor. It must be a genetic feature that families produce wonderful writers.
   She draws you into her world, like a welcoming friend. You will experience historic events and the world as it was in Tuscany in the 19th century and the early 20th century. You will get to know many of the distinguished and famous persons who visited the Waterfields and best of all, you will become acquainted with "Aunt Janet", the famous English writer, Janet Ross.
   I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Tuscany and in warm and inviting family experiences and how they are influenced by world events.



4. This book really takes you to Tuscany, as it was for British ex-patriates between World War I and World War II. Everything is here - the people, the landscape, the food. Highly recommended!



5. What amazed me about this book is that in spite of the author's English silver-spoon upbringing (sometimes it's hard to figure out which castle she's in at the moment) she gives the reader such an intimate portrait of the country, the scenery, the customs and the people of Tuscany. When you read of all the artistic and literary nobility that her parents had entertained, it's hard to fathom how she found the opportunities (and she did find them...) to relate so well to the local people. I have read many books written by authors who lived with and among the rural peasantry that don't give any better or more appealing feel for the country. I would hate to have missed this book!

3 comments about Bending the Twig: A Memoir.

1. This first time author captures your imagination and holds it like a seasoned professional. This true story of Kenneth Goetz growing up in the midwest, takes you into his childhood and shows how his early life experiences have shaped him. You don't have to be from the midwest or have grown up in the thirties or forties to appreciate his descriptive writing and feel what he felt. As you "grow-up" with Kenneth and finish the book, it leaves you with a strong desire to know how his childhood has shaped his adulthood.

   The best compliment that I can give Kenneth Goetz is that by the end of his first book you really feel like you know him; and you like what you know.




2. I have not yet read the book, but have just ordered it. My mother grew up with this man in the small mid-west town where they both lived. I have just bought the book for her.



3. I read this book in two days, i completely enjoyed reading about the experiences the author had growing up. I found his ability to press forward and see the positive in his experiences inspiring. Too many people spend an abundance of time feeling sorry for themselves and not moving past what life throws at them this individual took advantage of his struggles and became a better person for himself and his family.

   His writing style is warm and candid. He tells his story with equal appreciation to the struggles of his parents, siblings, and other family/friends who are touched by those he is close with. One walks away feeling like he tried to understand what others struggled with.

5 comments about Charred Souls: A Story of Recreational Child Abuse.

1. I guess I should say "What kids!" because there were seven all together and all were impressive in some way. I had to buy Charred Souls for a class and I can't wait for school to start so I can discuss it with my professor and fellow students. This is an incredible story about constant emotional and verbal abuse of children. I was impressed with the raw emotion Trena Cole emitted with her writing and I was actually impressed with her style. Yes there are grammatical errors but I think this story is important enough to forgive those. I give her enormous credit for sharing her emotions and feelings through her book. It wasn't an easy read but it couldn't have been an easy write either.



2. Ms. Cole's book was recommended to me by Amazon after a search. I found it to be well worth ordering it and worth the read from the moment I started reading. Ms. Cole has taken a terribly horrid childhood and risen above it in order to write a book that could teach all how to see signs of child or recreational abuse of a child(ren). It is very useful for all who deal with, are relative too a child. This book tore at my soul reading, it hurt to read but I could not put it down. I am blessed to have come acrossed it and have recommended it to others as a nurse, a mother and friend.
   Ms. Cole knows of what she speaks and where she came from to be able to look upon her past and learn from it. Cold hearted is the soul that can look at this book and not wish they were on hand to steal this poor children away and give them a better more loving life. Or imagine that they know better what this life was like and what name to call it by. If the name, Recreational Child Abuse fits and helps Ms. Cole and others on their way therapeutically(sp?)all the better. I cannot imagine a person reading word for word in this book and not seeing into the horrors of these young lives.
   These things (any sort of abuse, but the worst being to a child)happen and happen far too often. People do over look warning signs until it is too late. This has happened in our society time and time again. Ms. Cole's book is a fine aid in learning more about abuse. I believe that it has more than likely saved a child somewhere in that someone had knowledge gained from this book.
   I look forward to the next book by Ms. Cole and I am sure I will be recommending to others as well.



3. This is a good book if you are studying child abuse, or familiar with it. I was looking into going back to school for social work and this book is really good at making you aware of what can happen out there to children. Trena tells a good story. Whoever edited it though, didn't do a good job. It can be repetivie , but that didn't bother me as much as the misspelled words (there were only a few)
   The author did a good job at telling the story and if you can overlook some of the spelling errors you've got yourself a pretty darn good book!!



4. This story really moved me. It's told in an honest way, which means the language is graphic at times, but we are dealing with child abuse and child abuse is ugly. The form of child abuse Charred Souls focuses on is recreational child abuse which is basically when a parent abuses a child for fun and entertainment. The fact that Trena survived is amazing and that she survived to become a well balanced adult woman is a tribute to her dynamic spirit. I wish her sibling had been so fortunate. If you were moved by "A child called It" this story will likely move you as well, caution, the language is just as Trena remembers it..but I personally feel it is needed so we can really know what it was like to be a charred soul.



5. Wow! While the author's honesty and pure heart-wrenching feelings were wonderfully portrayed, the book could have been shortened by 150 pages. Hearing the same information 2 or 3 times in the same paragraph was irritating to the point of putting the book down many times. It took me over a week to read 'cause I just couldn't deal with the inconsistencies of the "flashbacks" and the constant repetitiveness.

5 comments about Baltimore Against Enemy Attack: A Boyhood Year During World War II.

1. Osgood's wit and rich tribute to his 1940s boyhood results in an enjoyable, worthwhile read, even better if you get the audio version, read by Charles himself. I did find his criticisms of today's children (and their excessively competitive parents) a bit grating. It made me think of a book that could have been written when he was a child, something like, "Radio?! Who needs that! Why when I was a boy we didn't need all those special effects and people shouting at you from a wooden box! We had books, like Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. And they were never spoiled by silly toothpaste or hair tonic commercials."
   
   The problem with nostalgia is that it can create an abnoral yearning for an irrecoverable past, and is often excessively sentimental. Tempis fugit...



2. This delightful read, one year in the life of a 9-year old boy, may be the most enjoyable book I've read in years. And I read a lot of stuff. The year was 1942 and Charles Osgood describes it magnificently as lived by most of us the same age. I laughed with tears in my eyes on almost very page. This book should be enjoyed by the children and grandchildern of those of us that were children during that incredible year, 1942. Memory lane was never better documented. Enjoy.



3. I was drawn to pick up this book when I saw the cover--the picture of the author as a young boy is irresistible. Although the content was interesting, I found myself quickly becoming annoyed by the author's numerous slurs towards our younger generation. I found his words to be increasingly mean-spirited and I finally put the book down for good when he made light of both children and their parents who are faced with the struggle of bipolar disorder. The author reminds me of many older Americans who can't see that the world has changed greatly since the 1940's and that our younger generation has many redeeming characteristics.



4. I envy Charles Osgood. He saw and experienced a Baltimore I never did. The stork didn't drop me off in B'more until 1955. I had such a good time in seeing things I remembered from a different perspective. If it's possible, I loved my city just a bit more after reading this. Thanks for the memories and insights.



5. I loved this book and I'm sure I smiled all the way through it. Everyone loves nostalgia about the good ole days -- meaning, we ALL have our own good old days. But the times he writes about are especially delightful and innocent. The music was great and something everyone and anyone could sing along with. The movies were dreamy. The radio was great and innovative. And best of all were Mom's final words to the young on summer days: Be home before dark! Yes, we used to go out and play. We didn't have play dates; we just played with whoever was there on that day. Sometimes we played kick the can, or tag, or jump rope, or went on long bike rides, or went to town to the small store to look at magazines and comic books and drool over the candy in the glass counters. We may even have had a nickle in our pockets to buy something.
   
   In any event, I grew up in basically the same circumstances as young Charles describes in this book. The book is short and sweet, something to smile about on each and every page. I wish it was longer -- Both the childhood of the 1940s and this book. Both were great.