1 comments about Grandma Ann.

1. This delightful book is the story of pioneer woman and her family told by her descendants. The original manuscript went on an interesting journey before finally being published. Mary Huff is a gifted story teller

5 comments about Country Boy: Adventures from an Untroubled Childhood.

1. The universal identification of good warm feelings aren't easily reduced to a cold analysis. The kind of feelings this book arouse need to be experienced in the reading and 'relating.' Dan Prusi does a masterful job in describing certain childhood memories which naturally trigger neronal synapses in the limbic system deep in the brain of the reader. The result is feelings of awe, joy, wonderment, curiosity, accomplishment and anticipation. The result is an emotional trip back to those times in one's own childhood when most of the time the world was a wonderful play ground and the only limitation to discovery was lack of imagination or unwillingness to apply imagination. The adult reader will wish to journey back to that untroubled time in his/her life and bring back compareable memories Dan has so warmly described.
   The cynics and naysayers today make a powerful argument that innocence is lost and childhood has become hostile. Our children today know more by age 12 than some of us knew by age 24. Dan Prusi presents a book that balances the inference that such a harsh commentary is bad. He hints that today's 12 year olds have the same child like enthusisam for discovery as did his parent's generation as did his generation. And he shares poignant memories so skillfully, the reader can be transported emotionally to the wonderment of childhood.



2. This was a great book, I could not put it down, I think everyone will enjoy this book. Such a close knit family. I couldn't put it down.



3. Anybody who's ever been a kid can find something to smile about in this lively memoir. The author's stories about growing up in a small town, surrounded by a loving family make for a lighthearted, thoughtful read. Prusi's vivid descriptions and fondly-recalled anecdotes give the reader a real sense of a time (the 1950s) and place (the Upper Peninsula of Michigan) that can feel pretty far removed from our hectic lives, and provide a reminder of the simple pleasures of childhood. Country Boy will help you see the world through a child's eyes again.



4. Here is a book that is sure to bring a smile to your face. It may even bring back some of your own childhood memories! The book relates the adventures of a 50's era country boy with his family members and friends. This is a fun read and I highly recommend it!



5. One of the things people think about, particularly at this time of the year, is what to get friends and family as a gift. Why not get them a good book. I like to think that any book that I�ve reviewed in this column might be a good book for somebody, but they might not be a good book for everyone. This week, however, I�m featuring a book that would be enjoyable by all the people on your gift list.
   This week�s book is Country Boy: Adventures of an Untroubled Childhood by Dan Prusi. People have been writing about their childhood for centuries. These books usually fall into two categories, troubled and untroubled childhoods. Lately, troubled childhood seems to be more popular, but that wasn�t always the case. People who read Prusi�s book might be reminded of any number of other novels and autobiographies on the same subject. Many people will recall Mark Twain writing about Tom Sawyer. Tom had many successors.
   How should one describe Prusi�s description of his childhood? It seems to me one can safely quote the publisher on this. They say, "Country Boy, Adventures from an Untroubled Childhood is a true story about the wonders of childhood and the love and companionship provided by a large closely knit family. Set in the iron mining area of rural Upper Michigan in the 1950�s and 1960�s, it is the story of a young�s boys adventures, misadventures and the role his family played in shaping his childhood and his entire life. From the boy�s first kiss to the shame of running afoul of the law at age ten, to the inventiveness of children trying to entertain themselves, it is the story that the average reader can both relate to, and delight in."
   In this book you get to know not only Dan Prusi, but his family and friends. From his parents and seven sisters to his cousins and other neighborhood chums. Although he only lived in Bellevue, which was a location about half way between Palmer and Negaunee, until he was thirteen years old, the memories has stayed with him since then. They are particularly important because Bellevue location no long exist. It was taken over by the Empire Mine who owned all of the land. The memories, though, remain as strong as ever.
   Prusi seems to have had a happy and loving childhood. Not everyone is as fortunate, but we all have pleasant memories of something. I think that reading this book will trigger fond memories in those who read it. For instance, in his Christmas chapter he mentions receiving one year a "book" of lifesaver rolls which he ate rather quickly. He didn�t eat lifesavers for a while after that. I remember those lifesaver books myself. I think I got one for Christmas myself, but hadn�t Thought of it in years. Other people will have other memories, I�m sure.
   After he left Bellevue he graduated from Negaunee High School in 1971. According to the publisher, "The father of three grown children, he now resides in Cedar Valley Township near Floodwood, Minnesota with Serilee, his wife of twenty-eight years. An avid outdoorsman and amateur naturalist, he lives on a Seventy-seven acre property that he manages for wildlife."
   This is his first published book. He tells me that there may be another one soon. I�m sure, when it comes, it will be interesting. Many people are told by their friends or relatives that they ought to write a book. Even though it sometimes seems that everyone is writing a book most people don�t ever get up the nerve to actually write one. Prusi did, and we all benefit from it. Even those who aren�t familiar about the life style he writes about will know people similar to those described in this book. This people will make happy to have read it, and that is no small accomplishment.
   Prusi thoughtfully includes some pictures from his family album so we can see what the people we have been reading about actually look like. I�m sure the people pictured never thought that they would end up as characters in Prusi�s reminiscences. I don�t think, though, that they would mind the kindly way he described them, or the pleasures their lives will give to other people.

   Andrew Grgurich � The Mining Journal, Marquette, Michigan

2 comments about The Making of a Patriot: France, 1926-1945.

1. From start to finish, this personal memoir of a young man, coming of age during World War II provides the lucky reader with a first-hand account of what it was like for average person in Nazi-occupied France.

   It is the story of Bernard LePrince, his family and friends, first, as they lived before the war, running a small cafe which was the center of social life in their town, and how their spirit, love, family and resilience were tested once France was under Nazi occupation.

   It is a story of indomitable spirit and moral victory, as small acts of defiance provided the courage to face another day, and created a patriotic spirit which Mr. LePrince carries with him to this day.

   It is simply written, yet full of descriptive detail, making the reader feel part of that time and hopeful that we would have behaved the same way in those circumstances.




2. Mr. Leprince is a proud Frenchman who has lived in the United States for over 40 years. His story about the years under Nazi occupation is a fascinating account and well worth it. A good read especially in these irrational times.

No comments about The Journey Home: A Father's Gift to His Son.

2 comments about Who Needs June Cleaver?.

1. Constance Alexander has written an easy to read, easy to laugh,and easy to remember memoir about her growing up years in a small, wonderful town. I know because I was there, too. I did not know Connie until high school but I could well relate to her young experiences.
   This is a must read for all baby boomers who grew up in the late 50's and early 60's.
   If you have scary memories of black hooded , pinched- faced nuns teaching you to read...if you have nightmares about being the only wallflower during a pre-teen ballroom dance class...if your family ever shared a holiday dinner with some very memorable but forgettable non-relatives...this is the book for you.
   More importantly, Connie paints a truthful but concerned portrait of all her family members. Although some were more intricately involved than others, Connie's siblings and parents all played their unique roles which contributed to her whole.
   I read this book in one sitting. I'm sure you will, too!



2. I enjoyed this book. Easy read and selection of short columns gave a very good variety of incidences of life in the 50's-60's.

5 comments about Meant to Be: The True Story of a Son Who Discovers He Is His Mother's Deepest Secret.

1. I am completely in awe of this author and this book Meant To Be. So many lessons,teachings and above all courage through out this book
   I want to also recommend Nightmares Echo. It also has courage and determination.



2. One of the most powerful narratives I've ever read.

   Not just because the author overcame great odds to go on and achieve great things, but because he honestly describes his lack of faith in God and then describes the day he comes to believe in the God of his real father.

   I can't say enough good things about this book, so, I'm just buying copies for all my friends, and letting them see for themselves.
   Marsha Marks, author of 101 SIMPLE LESSONS FOR LIFE.




3. Sad at times,but unable to put it down. The book draws you in...knowing/feeling the courage this person has. He reveals the truth about his life and tells this inspirational story..and you must read it.

   Also recommended: Nightmares Echo,Courage To Heal,Lucky




4. Walter Anderson's story of his experiences as an abused child, son without a loving father, confused young man, Viet Nam soldier & veteran, young writer, seeker of his own personal truth, and seeker of a truth bigger than his own. This book goes beyond personal memoir. It is about the generation who came of age in post WWII, being the son of a WWII veteran who was abused in his childhood and tortured in war, and ultimately being the true offspring of a Jewish man his mother had an affair with during the war. There are many books about how childhood abuse impacts women. This book gave insight into how men are impacted by such abuse, cultural expectations of toughness and violence, and then the traumas of war....creating men who oftentimes become the men they swore they would never become, alcoholics who abuse those closest to them. I believe Anderson was able to escape this destiny because on some level he did think differently (perhaps like his birthfather), but also because of the love of three wonderful loving women: his mother Ethel, the teacher Mrs. Williams, and his wife of over 30 yrs., Loretta. I was most moved by Anderson's comments & statements when visiting the Soviet Union in the 1980's. His definition of soul and his courage in speaking out on behalf of Jews in Russia were the best parts of the book. Inspiring and moving.



5. I thought this sounded like a great book. It had all the makings for a great book but it just didn't get there for me. I enjoyed hearing about Walter Anderson's life growing up and I felt for him. I thought he was one smart and tough cookie. I think for me the book sort of fell apart at the end when he connects with his half brother. For me it just didn't live up to the build up that the reviews and book jacket gave it.
   I think I would have been a happier reader if the story had just focused on his success as a person and less on him finding his half brother.

No comments about His Son: A Memoir.

No comments about An Orphan In New York City.

No comments about Sunshine and Shadow.

3 comments about Lost Innocence: A Daughter's Account of Love, Fear and Desperation (New Beginnings).

1. Cathy Brochu's book is a moving account of a tragedy that ooccurs far too often in our so-called 'civilzed' society -- a child, whose innocence should be their birthright, selfishly turned into a victim, a sexual plaything, by a parent, the very person to whom she should be able to turn for protection, care, love, honesty and trust. This sort of treatment ruins the lives of many -- among those strong, determined ones who have the opportunity and courage to break out of the trap and reclaim their lives are people who are heroes in the truest sense of the word. They have learned that they are not to blame for their treatment -- that they did not receive it because they deserved it, or because they are somehow 'defective' -- and that, through education, therapy and hard work, they can take back what has been stolen from them. Cathy Brochu has written this book -- detailing graphic, grim events in her life as a young girl -- so that others may find that courage, that they may realize that they are not alone, and that there are many good people out there who care about giving them the help they need.

   Utilizing a technique unique among the books of this field which I have read, Brochu effectively gives her child-self a voice with which to relate her story. As I read this book, I was struck by the language, the syntax -- it was as if I was reading the hand-written journal of a young girl. I could easily close my eyes and imagine the words written in pencil on one of those old Big Chief tablets that I used in school as a kid.

   The story is admittedly heartbreaking, but there is a determination in this young narrator -- a determination to free herself from the situation that, as the book progresses, she knows more and more in her heart to be wrong. All of the symptoms and feelings with which victims must struggle and cope on the road to becoming survivors are here -- the feeling that this is the only way she will be loved; the fear of being seperated from her dad, even though he is abusing her; the feeling that she somehow is the one in the wrong -- but in this case, in this book, we see and feel these through the child herself, described in her own words and language.

   Cathy is planning a trilogy -- this book is the first installment -- detailing her abuse, finding her (physical) freedom, and taking the painful but necessary journey to making her life her own again. This story is a compelling one (all the more because it is true) -- I can wholehertedly recommend it not just to those who are survivors, or to those professionals who work in this vital field, but to the general public as well. The best chance we have to rid ourselves of child abuse, our greatest shame, is through education. This is an unpleasant subject to any right-thinking person -- but it is something that is horrifyingly real to far too many. The more we know about it, the more we learn to recognize the signs present in a child who is secretly being abused, the more light we shine on this topic -- the fewer places there will be for the perpetrators to hide.

   In 1995, Cathy Brochu was awarded the Women of Courage Award by the Syracuse (NY) Commission for Women -- not only for having the courage and determination to reclaim her own life, but for openly and frankly speaking out on the subject, in order to encourage and empower others to do the same. She and others like her (and thank God, they're out there) are the reason that this battle will one day be won.

   I'm eagerly awaiting NEW BEGINNINGS, the second volume in the trilogy, as well as the third. We know the story will have a happy ending -- Cathy Brochu is a happy, healthy, productive woman who cares about helping others -- how she got there is the inspiration.




2. This book is a gripping story that I could not put down. Cathy's an amazing writer who caught my attention with her powerful words.

   The story is narrated in a child's voice and Cathy consistantly maintains the childlike point of view throughout the book. The reader can truly see the tragic events through the eyes of a beautiful young girl. Several times while reading the story, I cried for this child who has fallen through the cracks of our society. As a mother, I desperately wanted to jump into the pages, rescue this little girl and hold her safely in the embrace of my adult arms.

   Cathy expertly shows the reader the reality of incest and child abuse. The details are disturbing and real. I look forward to reading Cathy's continued account of how she bravely overcomes these terrible life events at such a tender, young age.




3. Reading this book brought memories of my own abuse to the surface. While reading, I understood the pain and the misunderstandings of what love is in a child's mind. Just knowing that another went thru the same emotional and physical abuse helps me to confront my own. Its a book worth reading.