1 comments about They Took My Father: Finnish Americans in Stalin's Russia.

1. This is THE book for those of Finnish heritage that are interested in a nearly forgotten time in our history. Mayme gives us a gripping tale about her time in Soviet Russia after being moved there by her communist agitator father Oscar Corgan. Oscar was one of the primary proponents of American Finns moving to Russia to begin a new life there. This time is called "Karelian Fever". Mayme's description of her life and times in Russia is harrowing. Even though her father was taken and killed by soviet authorities she remains unapologetic. This is a fine companion piece to "No Home for us Here" and "Karelia".

5 comments about Wonderful Passaic: Memories and Recollections.

1. The book provided an interesting picture that reminded me of the town I knew, but the recollections were quite different from my experiences growing up in Passaic.



2. Reading Wonderful Passaic, brought back the happiness of my childhood in Passaic, New Jersey. Anyone who was born, brought up and graduated from High School like I did will love this book as well as the others Bob Rosenthal has written, especially Memories of the Y.



3. Once upon a time, suburban America existed mainly as an adjunct to our older cities. Trolley lines and Model T's allowed former city residents to "spread out" in greener neighborhoods, while retaining access to the city's employment, shopping and professional services. Eventually, the suburbs grew independent of the urban centers; with mega-malls and edge-city office complexes, today's suburbanites need never tread the "Broadways" and "Market Streets" of old.
   
   When I was growing up in suburban New Jersey in the late 1950s and 1960s, enclosed malls and glass office buildings existed more on paper than along the highways (although the first ones soon become popular). Instead, there was a city near-by where I was taken whenever I needed a penicillin shot, a suit, a whipped-cream birthday cake, or a pair of glasses. I would spend most Sunday afternoons and every important holiday visiting my grandparents in that city - i.e., Passaic, NJ. Passaic and its namesake river defined the geography and economy of my own neighborhood. All roads led to Passaic; the important ones, anyway. Over time, however, Passaic lost its regional significance. Other than an occasional rock concert at the Capitol Theater, there was little reason to go to Passaic.
   
   I now regret that. Passaic was a place with character, home to many interesting characters. Thus, I was delighted to recently come across two books about Passaic and its socio-geographic extension across the river, Wallington. They were written by two fellows who are interesting characters themselves. One is Bob Rosenthal, who writes of growing up during the Depression and WW2 in "Wonderful Passaic". The other is Bill Michalski, who simultaneously grew up in Passaic and later Wallington, and lived to tell of it. He didn't live by much; certain of Michalski's adventures in his book, "Poland on the Passaic", are quite harrowing!
   
   Both authors flourished within a few miles of each other. Both had grandparents who came over from eastern Europe. And yet, there is surprisingly little overlap between their daily lives. They went to different schools, tended to different religious traditions (sometimes reluctantly), and spent their free time in different places doing different things. But that's the spice of urban life -- all the different possibilities that coexist within a mile or two. You still can pick out some referents confirming that both authors were proximate in space and time. E.g., the Main Street shopping district; Rutts Hut, a famous hot-dog joint in nearby Clifton; citronella for mosquitoes; worries about polio; humiliating remedies for poison ivy; visits to anti-aircraft gun batteries (in northern Passaic for Rosenthal, in eastern Wallington for Michalski; obviously Passaic was important to WW2 air defense planners); and the significance to both men of the Korean War.
   
   And despite the many differences in their temperaments, interests and family traditions, Rosenthal and Michalski have a lot in common. They were both among the first in their families to go to college, assume professional careers, and serve their county in important ways. Their books both focus on humor, but have their tender moments: Rosenthal recalling his grammar school girlfriend and an incident that ended their friendship, and Michalski reminiscing about the pet crow that he brought up. And they both exhibit a mix of independence, talent and pluck. Enough pluck, in fact, to believe that their growing-up stories were entertaining and find book publishers willing to take a chance on finding a couple thousand interested readers.
   
   Bob Rosenthal and Bill Michalski have helped me to understand various things about my parents (who hailed from these same towns). And they provide a valuable lesson on how Americans got by in less prosperous times - and even laughed, in spite of the hardships! I hope that America's robust economy and high standards of living will hold despite a future that promises global warming, oil scarcity, continued terrorism, deepening debt, and intensifying global competition. If not, though . . . perhaps the frugality of Michalski's mother, along with Grandpa Rosenthal's belief in America and education, might be needed once more.
   
   P.S. Would love to see a joint effort by these guys with reflections on the U.S. today. Title: "America-on-the-Passaic".



4. I did not grow up in an ethnically rich city like Passaic. In fact, the opposite was true, as I grew up in a suburb of Washington, DC. However, even though I did not grow up in the same town or even the same decade, there were amazing parallels.

   Parallels such as girls, or more precisely, the courage to talk to them. Or the camaraderie of boys growing up together and forming bonds that would last a lifetime. What about the big poker game and striptease? Wait a minute That didn't happen when I was seventeen (I sure wish it had though)! It did, however, happen to Bob Rosenthal.

   Yes, "Wonderful Passaic" is just that; wonderful. It will inspire your own (possibly forgotten) recollections of growing up.




5. Robert Rosenthal's book is a glorious narrative memoir. His style, naive, gentle and kind, takes the reader back into the uncomplicated moments of youth. In recounting his memories, we are transported through the history of Possaic, a town brimming with multiethnic culture. It is the essence of America and it touches your heart. I recommend this book ...it is a joy to read.

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

1. 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.



2. 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.



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. 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.



5. 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...

1 comments about Benazir Bhutto: From Prison to Prime Minister (People in Focus Book).

1. This book is a very simple and basic book about Benazir Bhutto, the assassinated former (and, for a while, hoped-for-future) Prime Minister. She was the first female Prime Minister of any Muslim nation, and the Pakistani equivalent in many ways of Indira Gandhi, including, unfortunately, the manner of her death.
   
   This book does not give much insight into the various controversies and scandals of Bhutto's life -- being written more as a school-book variety biography, it gives basic facts about Pakistan, about Bhutto's family and her own life, and gives a few bits and pieces of her own quo0tes and writing. Unfortunately, there aren't many books available on Bhutto (and somewhat ironically, there is an upcoming autobiography due to be released in April 2008).
   
   One would do just as well at the moment to scan the various internet sources for information about Bhutto, but for younger people who should remember this person, who in many ways was inspiring and hope-ful, it could be worthwhile.

5 comments about Ultimate Judgment : A Story of Emotional Corruption, Obsession and Betrayal.

1. Ms. Clairmonte is a severely disturbed woman, who, when she found out she had been left out of the will of her step-father, destroyed the memory of a great man, making up horrible lies, and sued her own mother, leaving her mother broke and penniless. Shame on Ms. Clairmonte, how can she live her with herself?



2. I thought the book was great. I just wish they would have wrapped things up a little more at the end.



3. I am Ms. Meg Clairmonte's Ex Sister-in-law. I have heard for years about Meg's court case and book. My son, her nephew, just turned 18 and graduated from high school. I am a single mother and have struggled for years to support us and now we are trying to send him to Tech school in the fall.
   
   The only reason I am telling you all that is to say this...
   
   I just found out that Meg's step-father, Don had created a trust fund for my son. If the reason Meg sued for all that money was for "therapy" as her lawyer once told me, then why, pray tell, was it necessary to take the trust funds that were supposed to benefit my son and hers. (Yes, she took her own son's money, too. I guess she figured that he wouldn't need any money, either)? Did that additional sum of money make a big difference in her settlement? Well, I can tell you that it would have made a big difference in my son's life right now, when we are trying to scrape up the money for school.
   
   I know you can tell that I am very hurt by this. My guess would be that the reason she did it was because I would not be sucked into the law suit and testify on her behalf. My experience with Meg before Don died and she started telling the world about her life with him was that she was manipulative and spiteful. So, there you are, she has proved me right. And this time it was at my son's expense and hers, too.
   
   Just wish everyone who read the book and felt so sorry for Meg could read this, too. As I knew from the beginning, it was always about the money...



4. I've learned from personal experience that Meg is truely as strong and good hearted as she seems. I cringe at the thought of the horrible things she was forced to endure for so long and can only pray this book touches others as much as it has me. Meg's story inspires everyone to never give up or give in to the wicked people surrounding us. I thank the Lord everyday for the voice he has given her, and hope that others can find peace that have been through similar tragidies.



5. I met this wonderful person that this book was written about. She gave me this book when she learned that I too was abused. It is incredible how she has turned so much pain and suffering into something positive as she shows so clearly in the way she leads her life. I never thought in a million years there was so much abuse going on in our United States. It't time that abuse is stopped including verbal, mental,emotional and sexual. I pray that in opening the scarrs and barring her soul in her book that Megan will be continuely blessed and never forgotten. Your Friend, June

2 comments about Popcorn Poppin' on the Apricot Tree.

1. I loved this book. While it told Annie's tale it also brought back many of my own childhood memories when times were simplier. Annie and her family showed tremendous strength and love for one another throughout their mother's illness, their devotion is inspiring.
   A great book for adults and children.



2. This was a book I didn't want to put down until I had finished it. Faith has a way of "weaving a tale" and I was fascinated by her true stories and antics of Anne Peters and her siblings. A book to be enjoyed by both adults and children!
   Sincerely,
   Gloria

1 comments about Now, When I Was a Kid . . .: Nostalgic Ramblings by.

1. Now, When I Was A Kid... is the personal and nostalgic autobiography of Dan McGuire's growing up as a young man in a semi-rural town from the late 1930s to the early 1950s. With "the big city" (Chicago) a streetcar away, the simple small town ease of sharing a peaceful time on the neighborhood porch was to be overshadowed by the terrible threats of World War II and the ensuing Cold War. McGuire tells of a sheltered childhood, and the fun of just being a kid when the heavy responsibilities of adulthood were just around the corner. A wistful and fondly told reminiscence, Now, When I Was A Kid... is a particularly well written and highly recommended memoir of what it was like to grow up in a yesteryear America that will never come again.

5 comments about Weather of the Heart: A Child's Journey Out of Revolutionary Russia.

1. I happened upon Nora Percival in Valle Crucis, NC where she was signing her books. I feel so lucky to have personnally autographed copies of her books and a photo of me with her. Nora Percival is as captivating in person as she is in her story.
   "Weather of the Heart" is wildly educational, exciting and inspiring, a study in optomisism. I literally could not put it down: I carried it from room to room and took it with me if I left the house. When I finished reading the book, I missed Nora the child because I found her so charming; WHAT A GIRL!! What a book!



2. From beginning to end I was caught in the poignant details of this story. The Russian Revolution is brought to life through the individuals who face poverty, uncertainty, and constant changes in their circumstances. Whether people are poor, middle class, or wealthy, they are thrown together in difficult, often dangerous situations. Nora Percival fills the pages with family members who are at times wise and courageous only to later be petty and weak, each one trying to survive in a world that no longer makes any sense and which never stands still long enough to build new understandings about how to respond. Nora's free spirit in the midst of this chaos is a constant inspiration. As a young child and into her teens she tends to her mother who is depressed and unable to find the energy required by this newly restricted environment. Though her mother often becomes tiresome, Nora continues to persevere, giving of her own strength to keep her mother afloat. When Nora finally comes to America the reader comes with her, feeling Nora's celebration of freedom and a chance for a new life.



3. This book details the events that brought an immigrant family to safe harbor in the US after escape from the Russian revolution. The viewpoint is that of a young girl, just 3 years old at the beginning of the story. This young girl is the only daughter of a bourgeoisie family. Her father left the farm as a penniless young man, and through his own enterprise came to own a small shoe factory in Samara. As the revolution takes hold, Percival's father is named as a criminal against society because of his social standing, and he is forced to flee to Manchuria, leaving his wife and daughter behind. Percival describes to us how she and her mother gradually lose their life of relative luxury and ease, how their German governess fled, and how they had to abandon their home and move in with her paternal grandparents. The circumstances that follow develop her into a mature young woman by the time the main narrative ends when she is 8 years old and living in New York City.

   Occasionally, especially in the first chapter, Percival's writing style can be a little annoying. Nevertheless, the story that she has to tell is riveting. She provides unique details of the daily life of ordinary people in the time just before, during, and after the Russian revolution. She also tells us much about the conditions and rules faced by immigrants to the US during the early part of the 20th century.




4. I learned so much about revolutionary Russia and a different way of life from this book. Reading Ms. Percival's life story was intriguing--full of happy reunions and sad partings. The book really makes you realize that people are the same all over the world. This story of a young girl's long journey to America will inspire you and make you cry.



5. This memorable book gives us the memoirs of an 88 year old first time novelist, Nora Lourie Percival. This is far and away the best book I have read in years. It is an interesting and compelling story of a child growing up in and then escaping from Communist Russia. It is wonderfully written and historically significant. The rich descriptive narrative is a pleasure to read and to hear read (my husband and I read it aloud to one another). I found myself continually rereading passages purely for the purpose of savoring the author's exquisite use of language; I have read few contemporary writers whose use of language is as skillful and as sensitive as is this writer's. This is a book to be added to the family library and to be re-read throughout the years. It is an absorbing, heartbreaking and uplifting true story of a child and her family's survival of the Russian Revolution. The reader is grabbed by the first pages and his interest is held throughout. I've bought several to give as gifts. I would recommend it to anyone! It is truly marvelous.

5 comments about Somebody's Someone: A Memoir.

1. The story of such an intelligent, creative, insightful, imaginative girl and the obstacles she was dealt in life alone makes for a great book. Add one of the most unique writing styles imaginable and it becomes a masterpiece. I can't say enough about this book. Get it immediately.



2. I wish I could have gotten the same understanding from this book that some others got. It is to me a hard story to follow. It has no continuity. The book was not as good as I thought it would be. I don't expect anyone to to agree or disagree with me on this review. I'm just expressing my thoughts about the book Somebody's Someone: A Memoir.



3. It wasnt at all what I thought. I really didn't like the writing- the ending wasnt great and I thought it could've had more details on foster care. As a FC worke I've seen things 1000x worse then the book. It really didn't capture how horrible the system can be.



4. This book is not to be missed, a must read for everyone. It transends all races, ages and genders It is the true story of hope and finding one's way through a hard unforgiving life.



5. Regina's memoir revisits memories through the eyes a ten year-old girl. She recounts her journey through foster homes and her quest to find a family that will love her. Regina's story is beautiful and tragic - a unique glimpse into the life of child determined to find her place in a confusing and indifferent world.

5 comments about My Father, Marconi (Picas Series).

1. For a long time, I have studied Marconi since I am an amateur radio operator. I have visited his two stations on Cape Cod and even wrote a short web article about the first message he sent from Cape Code to England. Yet I found much new information in this book. Some of the comments tied loose ends together for me. If you are interested in early radio or Marconi, I suggest you read this book. It is paperback book size, but has a vast amount of information and pictures written by someone who knew him well.



2. I was held captive by a book that is a generous tribute of a loving daughter to her Father, Guglielmo Marconi. Degna Marconi allows us an insight into a chapter in her family history, and introduces us to the science behind her Fathers' inventions, his passion, his single-mindedness, his genius.
   Marconi grew up in Bologna, at the center of his Mother's world. Without formal schooling, bright and gifted Guglielmo was allowed to develop at his own pace. Inspired by a book on Benjamin Franklin, his imagination was fired up, and he started experimenting with electricity and passing signals across distances. Later as a young adult in Great Britain, Marconi together with a small group of dedicated and passionate men and scientists made his ideas a working reality. The rest is history, and we all are beneficiaries.
   Last summer when I stayed at Cape Cod, I took a detour and a walk at South Wellfleet. Marconi Station is no longer there, but the display tells us of messages that were relayed for the first time over great distances, between Great Britain and America. One of the early demonstrations of importance of communicating over long distances was when the signals were received, informing the world of the tragedy of the maiden voyage of Titanic.
   While most of us still grapple with understanding the way signals travel, the ideas and inventions of Guglielmo Marconi have become a life transforming reality. As a mother living in Melbourne, Australia, with a daughter in New York, and a daughter in London, I bow to the genius of Marconi. His work made it possible for us to remain close, it made the "tyranny of distance" more bearable.
   This book is more interesting than any fiction. Degna Marconi writes with literary skill that is outstanding.
   We are closer to understanding Guglielmo Marconi, the man, when we read his own words: "genius is gift of work continuously applied"
   Recommended reading!



3. Review: My father, Marconi

   What magnificant reading this is! This book is a must for those who would agree that a good biography is incomparably more valuable than even a great work of fiction. Degna Marconi has succeeded in recording her father's life with both scrutiny and filial affection. She has maintained a very high level in every aspect: what she tells us about scientific evolution in its historical context is witty, precise and fascinating whereas her personal touch never errs on the side of biased family pride. She is as good an author as her father was a man of science!
   This portrait of Marconi and his times at the beginning of the era of global communication is all the more interesing right now a hundres years after it all began.
   "My father, Marconi" should be on the shelf of anyone who prefers reflection to mere consuption.

   Susanne Regehr




4. If I had to pick the one book (and there are many out there) that best describes Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of wireless communication, this would definitely be it. This book, written by Marconi's eldest daughter, Degna, is one of the best biographies I have ever read, in part because of the enormous charisma of the subject and in equal part because of the obvious respect and affection with which he is treated by Degna Marconi.
   With only a vague idea of who Marconi was and fearing a book filled with technical jargon I picked up this book with a little suspicion at first. What a wonderful surprise! Degna Marconi's story was engaging from the first few paragraphs and rivetting up until the end. I quickly became engrossed in this fascinating story of a young man who, instead of going to university, spends his days experimenting with sending radio signals across his parents' garden, using homemade equipment and information gathered from scientific magazines, and then his tireless struggle to improve and promote his inventions which takes him first to London, then Canada, and the U.S. Degna Marconi presents the historical and scientific facts in a clear and concise manner without sacrificing detail. The work is both rewarding for those interested in science as well as those of us after a good read. Indeed, the charm of this book is that it reads like a real page turning novel. Loads of little anecdotes and commentaries colour the story without obscuring it. The reader gets a wonderful insight into a world of wealth and luxury, cut-throat competition and scientific innovation.
   The book describes the novelty and excitement of Marconi's first experiments and then moves on to describe Marconi's struggles to patent his inventions, circumvent his ever more numerous competitors and expand the range and use of his technology. In fact, Marconi emerges not only as a brilliant scientist but above all as an energetic and resourceful entrepreneur. This account of Marconi's work to establish radio as a practical and useful alternative to other more established technologies (such as the telephone) is thrilling to read and is as relevant today as it was 100 years ago. I especially enjoyed reading about the heroic radio operator who continued sending S.O.S. signals from the sinking Titanic and about Marconi's long, lonely and often frustrating struggle to establish radio contact across the Atlantic.
   Marconi's private life was no less exciting and tumultuous. The book's description of Marconi's love of the beautiful Beatrice O'Brien, his efforts to win over the undecided Beatrice and their wedding is entertaining and often humorous. The strain of Marconi's ever increasing work and fame on his family, the tragic divorce that neither he nor Beatrice really wanted and Marconi's complicated relationship with his children, especially his son Giulio, are all described with subtle and touching insight. Degna Marconi is also able to convey Marconi's charm and subtle sense of humour. Highly recommended.



5. This book by Mrs Marconi was extremely touching; we know so much about Marconi the inventor, the public figure but what makes this book so original is that it was so clearly written by someone who knew him well and loved him even more. Set side by side are descriptions of his scientific breakthroughs and very intimate glimpses of him as a person, many of them humorous and understanding.

   The book is also very well written, interesting but at the same time readable and enjoyable. I have lent my copy of the book to many of my friends.