Putting My Past Behind Me - A Family Story


Book Description

South London musician, composer, writer and historian Chris Shields investigates his varied and unusual family tree. ?I spent my childhood asking questions about my family's past. This led to tales of Romanies, of the Northamptonshire Smiths, Loveridges, Scarrotts and Boswells and the discovery of Charlie Chaplin's birth in a caravan on the Black Patch.Then to the French Mazoyers and a watchmaker's shop in Soho. Stories of Evans and Wormull ? surgical instrument makers to the Army and government. Then the Baker family of Eastbourne and Herstmonceux. Seaside concert parties ? Fred Austin's Merrie Middies. Then to war and Stalag IVb POW, buzzbombs and blackouts. The Snell family of Mortimer and the Arlotts of Watership Down. The Shields family of Peckham ? pie, mash and poverty. Then to music - the '60s and The Twilights and the Star Club, Hamburg. This information shared here was told to me directly from the mouths of those involved ? who lived, breathed and experienced all of this.""




Your Story Matters


Book Description

Your Story Matters presents a dynamic and spiritually formative process for understanding and redeeming the past in order to live well in the present and into the future. Leslie Leyland Fields has used and taught this practical and inspiring writing process for decades, helping people from all walks of life to access memory and sift through the truth of their stories. This is not just a book for writers. Each one of us has a story, and understanding God's work in our stories is a vital part of our faith. Through the spiritual practice of writing, we can "remember" his acts among us, "declare his glory among the nations," and pass on to others what we have witnessed of God in this life: the mysterious, the tragic, the miraculous, the ordinary. With a companion video curriculum from RightNow Media, this is a "why not" book as opposed to a "how to" book. Leslie asks each of us an important question: "Why not learn to tell your story, in the context of the grander story of God?"




My Family, Your Family


Book Description

Different can be great! Makayla is visiting friends in her neighborhood. She sees how each family is different. Some families have lots of children, but others have none. Some friends live with grandparents or have two dads or have parents who are divorced. How is her own family like the others? What makes each one great? This diverse cast allows readers to compare and contrast families in multiple ways.




Encouragement for Today


Book Description

Pull away from the things that pull you down and find lasting encouragement for today. The women at Proverbs 31 Ministries offer 100 devotions of wit, wisdom, and encouragement for women. For twenty years the P31 team has equipped and encouraged nearly a million women to live in the power of God’s truths that apply to their everyday life. Written by women from every walk of life, you will find inspiration to live authentically and fully grounded in the Word of God. The P31 Team shares from the realities of everyday life including highs and lows, humorous stories and tender moments. You will be drawn toward the truths God offers and enabled to rise above and become all God created you to be.




A Family Saga


Book Description

A Family Saga: Life and Love Amidst Turmoil and Tragedy takes an in-depth look at the exceptional history of the Jews of Lithuania during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The community was unique, as it excelled in rational religiosity, devotion to science, and a high intellectual level and discipline. The historical novel follows the lives of five generations of a family, and their experiences in Lithuania, including many important historical events of the time. Members of the family also stayed temporarily in Berlin, visited Palestine, finally emigrated to America, and visited Lithuania after the Holocaust.




Tragedy to Triumph: a Memoir


Book Description

The story of Tragedy to Triumph is especially dedicated to my brothers and sisters who suffered years of torment at the hands of a maniacal self proclaimed preacher who ultimately hurt his family beyond imagination. Our father evaded the law for several years abandoning his eldest daughter in another state to live a life alone while holding the rest of the family captive. Four adults at the end of the journey were directly responsible for the atrocities that befell the children. Inside the home the children cried, innocence was lost and hearts were broken. This story also provides an insight into survival of the human spirit and rising above all indifference, sharing the power of faith, and miracles that happened in the midst of chaos. One person can change the future for their family and ultimately stop the cycle of abuse. This book was solely written in the hopes of saving lives.




Two Spirits, One Heart


Book Description

Marsha Aizumi shares her compelling story of parenting a young woman who came out as a lesbian, then transitioned to male. Two Spirits, One Heart chronicles Marsha's personal journey from fear, uncertainty, and sadness to eventual unconditional love, acceptance, and support of her child who struggled to reconcile his gender identity. Told with honesty and warmth, this book is a must-read for parents and loved ones of LGBTQ+ individuals everywhere. In the past decade. Marsha has traveled the world sharing her journey and joy of parenting her trans son to diverse places such as religious groups, colleges and LGBTQ+ and PFLAG organizations. "Two Spirits, One Heart is honest and impactful, and I am immensely grateful to both Marsha and Aiden for sharing their personal journey with everyone. As Executive Director of PFLAG National—an organization focused on the journey of parents and families of LGBTQ+ people—I’m moved by Marsha's passion to make this world a better place for all people, and by her unwavering love for her trans child.” —Brian K. Bond, Executive Director. PFLAG National “Marsha and Aiden have written a must-read book that has helped generate conversations around inclusion and the importance of support and allyship in the LGBTQ+ space. We would highly recommend providing copies for employees, especially for those active within Employee Resource Groups, as we have received endless positive feedback.” —Emma Hamm & Joseph Pawlicki, Co-Heads of Out+Ally ERG at Subaru of America, Inc.




No Place To Cry


Book Description

Just as God gave Dorie Van Stone a tender heart to forgive her abusers, He also gave her the strength to reveal her past in No Place to Cry, the sequel to the best-seller Dorie: The Girl Nobody Loved. Through her candor you will gain insight into the trauma of emotional and sexual abuse.




Four Perfect Pebbles


Book Description

The twentieth-anniversary edition of Marion Blumenthal Lazan’s acclaimed Holocaust memoir features new material by the author, a reading group guide, a map, and additional photographs. “The writing is direct, devastating, with no rhetoric or exploitation. The truth is in what’s said and in what is left out.”—ALA Booklist (starred review) Marion Blumenthal Lazan’s unforgettable and acclaimed memoir recalls the devastating years that shaped her childhood. Following Hitler’s rise to power, the Blumenthal family—father, mother, Marion, and her brother, Albert—were trapped in Nazi Germany. They managed eventually to get to Holland, but soon thereafter it was occupied by the Nazis. For the next six and a half years the Blumenthals were forced to live in refugee, transit, and prison camps, including Westerbork in Holland and Bergen-Belsen in Germany, before finally making it to the United States. Their story is one of horror and hardship, but it is also a story of courage, hope, and the will to survive. Four Perfect Pebbles features forty archival photographs, including several new to this edition, an epilogue, a bibliography, a map, a reading group guide, an index, and a new afterword by the author. First published in 1996, the book was an ALA Notable Book, an ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, and IRA Young Adults’ Choice, and a Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and the recipient of many other honors. “A harrowing and often moving account.”—School Library Journal




The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories - Part XV


Book Description

In 1881, a weary doctor - wounded while serving in the military in Afghanistan - returned to London, only to be introduced to a most unusual young man who was already making a name for himself as the world's first consulting detective. At that time, the young man and his unique colleague were only just in their late twenties, unaware of their legendary futures... but they would go on to become two of the most famous and recognizable figures in the world: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson. In 1887, Holmes and Watson's first investigation as a team - A Study in Scarlet - was published. The Sign of Four followed in 1890, and then, in 1891, the world was electrified with the publication of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in the newly-formed Strand Magazine... and the world would never be the same! Through the remainder of the nineteenth Century and all the way through the twentieth, Holmes and Watson’s fame would grow. We’re now well into the twenty-first century, yet the much-loved duo are just as popular today - if not even more so. In 2015, The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories burst upon the scene, featuring stories set within the canon’s correct time period, written by the very best of today’s Sherlockian authors from around the world. That first anthology, spread over three huge volumes, contained sixty-three stories and was the largest collection of its kind assembled at the time. Response was immediately and overwhelmingly positive, and soon there were calls from fans for additional collections. Over 150 contributors so far have joined together from around the world to produce well over three hundred new adventures to honour Sherlock Holmes, the man described by Watson as “the best and wisest whom I have ever known.” We now proudly present Parts XIII, XIV, and XV, three volumes which break the record of the initial triple offering, with an incredible sixty-six new adventures featuring the eternal duo Watson and Holmes. *** Part XV in the popular MX series of new Sherlock Holmes stories features contributions from Mark Mower, Thomas Fortenberry, Robert Perret, Tracy J. Revels, Robert Stapleton, Peter Coe Verbica, Maurice Barkley, Edwin A. Enstrom, William Todd, Roger Riccard, Kelvin I. Jones, Arthur Hall, Jack Grochot, David Marcum, Dick Gillman, Will Murray, Tim Symonds, Mike Hogan, Leslie Charteris, Denis Green, Ian Dickerson, Nick Cardillo, Darryl Webber, with forewords from David Marcum, Will Thomas, Roger Johnson, Steve Emecz and Melissa Grigsby, and two poems from Christopher James.