A Mother's Plea


Book Description

"This is the ... personal story of a priest in a Chicago parish coming to terms with what the priesthood demands of a man in a great modern city."--Page [3].




A Plea to Our Sons


Book Description

Nine black men have paved the way for you to see that you can successfully reach your desired objective, level or goal through effort, skill, hard work, and courage. Take this journey and engage in topics ranging from how to become and serve as a historical role model for today's young black men to identifying your true source of hope that will propel you to grow. While life throws seemingly insurmountable obstacles your way, it is important to remember that many have come before you and many are coming after you who need your story to help encourage them. Being treated unfair and unjust does not determine your success in life. What you have a passion for will propel you to accomplish your purpose ,if you don't give up or remain in fear. Identify ways to develop your innermost desires and goals because you are a living model to someone who aspires to be just like you. Younger brothers are going to do exactly what you do in an attempt to be like you. Are you making decisions you want them to imitate? If they made the same choices that you are making would you be proud of them? Explore ways to enhance your life and those who are following in your footsteps. This book will challenge you to grow into a stronger, more emboldened version of yourself. We need you to lead and I look forward to taking this enlightening journey with you through the words I have to share.




Letters to My Mother


Book Description

Correspondence between politician Ingrid Betancourt and her family, written while she was being held hostage by a Columbian guerilla group. On December 1, 2007, during the arrest of several guerillas in Bogotá, the Colombian police confiscated a short video clip of political hostage Ingrid Betancourt. Accompanying the video was a twelve-page letter, dated October 24, 2007, written by Betancourt to her mother and family. Kidnapped on February 23, 2002, Betancourt has become an international symbol in the struggle for liberty and the fight against barbarity. Before being captured by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), she was a voice of hope for the Colombian people, leading a courageous fight against political corruption, violence, and illegal detentions. Presented in this small, poignant book is Betancourt’s letter to her mother printed in English, French, and Spanish. From the depths of the Colombian jungle, Betancourt’s words are an impassioned declaration of love to those dearest to her. In addition to this letter is a response to Betancourt written by her children who, since they were teenagers, have rallied public support for their mother’s release. With a preface by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel, Letters to My Mother conveys a powerful message of love for family and country, and a heartrending plea for freedom.




Spare My Children


Book Description

Since she was a child, the trauma had been all too familiar for Mommy. Some girls dream of becoming housewives and mothers when they become adults. Some girls dream of having careers. Mommy wanted it all!She wanted a soulmate, children, and a career. But achieving her goals would not come without a heavy price. She experienced bullying, physical, mental abuse and became homeless. By the time Mommy was in her early 40s, she and her children made newspaper headlines and media outlets across the United States because of yet another traumatic experience. The family and career that she worked so hard to create had ceased to exist. Someone from Mommy's family would pay a price. Could her family survive another traumatic event?










The Bright Hour


Book Description

"Built on her ... Modern Love column, 'When a Couch is More Than a Couch' (9/23/2016), a ... memoir of living meaningfully with 'death in the room' by the 38-year-old great-great-great granddaughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson--mother to two young boys, wife of 16 years--after her terminal cancer diagnosis"--




The Last Plea Bargain


Book Description

2013 Christy Award finalist! Plea bargains may grease the rails of justice, but for Jamie Brock, prosecuting criminals is not about cutting deals. In her three years as assistant DA, she’s never plea-bargained a case and vows she never will. But when a powerful defense attorney is indicted for murder and devises a way to bring the entire justice system to a screeching halt, Jamie finds herself at a crossroads. One by one, prisoners begin rejecting deals. Prosecutors are overwhelmed, and felons start walking free on technicalities. To break the logjam and convict her nemesis, Jamie must violate every principle that has guided her young career. But she has little choice. To convict the devil, sometimes you have to cut a deal with one of his demons.




The Plea


Book Description

"The Plea starts with a terrible crime. On a moonlit night in 1889, the Iowa farmer John Elkins, and his young wife, Hattie, are brutally attacked and murdered in their bed. Eight days later, their son, eleven-year-old Wesley Elkins, is arrested and charged with the crime. The community is shocked by both the gruesome facts of the homicide and the age of the accused perpetrator, a small, quiet boy weighing just 75 pounds. The Plea tells the story of this crime and its aftermath. Despite his youth and evidence that he had been abused by his parents, Wesley is sentenced to spend the rest of his life in an adult prison. For more than a dozen years, the boy's fate is in the hands of others. His story captures the attention of a divided and transfixed public, raising questions about the criminal justice system and the rights of children. The focus of the narrative is on the legal and societal aspects of the case: Wesley's rehabilitation and remarkable transformation in prison, his plea that his case be reconsidered, the outpouring of support he received from prison wardens, politicians, newspaper editors, and educators. The story of the life of Wesley Elkins becomes an emotional and compelling story of redemption. This is a true story, based on years of meticulous research. All the scenes are based on primary sources: newspaper reports, legal documents, interviews, nonfiction works, memoirs, and personal letters. Bryan and Wolf quote from these materials throughout the book. The Plea is an accessible and fast-moving story that delivers a complete, complex, and nuanced narrative of this horrific crime, shedding light on the legal, social, and political environment of Iowa and the country in the late 1800s and early 1900s"--




Dear World


Book Description

“A story of love and courage amid brutality and terror, this is the testimony of a child who has endured the unthinkable.” —J.K. Rowling “I’m very afraid I will die tonight.” —Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 2, 2016 “Stop killing us.” —Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 6, 2016 “I just want to live without fear.” —Bana Alabed, Twitter, October 12, 2016 When seven-year-old Bana Alabed took to Twitter to describe the horrors she and her family were experiencing in war-torn Syria, her heartrending messages touched the world and gave a voice to millions of innocent children. Bana’s happy childhood was abruptly upended by civil war when she was only three years old. Over the next four years, she knew nothing but bombing, destruction, and fear. Her harrowing ordeal culminated in a brutal siege where she, her parents, and two younger brothers were trapped in Aleppo, with little access to food, water, medicine, or other necessities. Facing death as bombs relentlessly fell around them—one of which completely destroyed their home—Bana and her family embarked on a perilous escape to Turkey. In Bana’s own words, and featuring short, affecting chapters by her mother, Fatemah, Dear World is not just a gripping account of a family endangered by war; it offers a uniquely intimate, child’s perspective on one of the biggest humanitarian crises in history. Bana has lost her best friend, her school, her home, and her homeland. But she has not lost her hope—for herself and for other children around the world who are victims and refugees of war and deserve better lives. Dear World is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit, the unconquerable courage of a child, and the abiding power of hope. It is a story that will leave you changed.