I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Marilyn Kriete shares the painstaking reality of grief and the danger of burying grief for too long in her book “The Box Must Be Empty: A Memoir of Complicated Grief, Spiritual Despair, and Ultimate Healing”.
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The Synopsis
What happens when buried grief rises two decades late, upending the life you’ve built on its coffin? When your old grief seems inappropriate, and your heart wrestles with grief upon grief as you move too many times and lose too many friendships? How do you recover from a devastated marriage, a crushed faith, and an endlessly broken heart? This is the crux of Marilyn Kriete’s crisis. After losing her first great love to cancer, she becomes a Christian, marries Henry, and joins him in a hectic worldwide ministry that leaves little room for personal reflection. When her old grief unexpectedly resurfaces, she’s shocked by the tsunami that rips through their lives. And when intensive counseling fails to bring healing and Henry pens a letter that decimates their churches and spins them out of the fellowship, her battered heart is tested beyond imagination. Exploring delayed and complicated grief in its many disguises—dashed dreams, disenchantment, family troubles, and the guilt of being a former faith leader, now grappling with depression and dismay—Marilyn candidly shares her long journey back to wholeness.
The Review
This was an emotional and captivating memoir. The author does a really wonderful job of writing in a way that connects to readers who have experienced grief themselves or are survivors of an emotionally draining and complicated event themselves. The author’s story is compelling, touching upon some important themes of grief, loss, and the journey to come to terms with that grief. The imagery and tone the author strikes are both somber and yet hopeful all at once, crafting a memorable story that compels the readers to continue forward with the author as they experience this emotional weight.
The balance the author found within the context of the book was great to see unfold. From the author’s personal experiences and emotional connections to her past to the impact her grief had on her family and those around her and the importance of faith in recovering from this grief was so profoundly felt. The way the author talks about letting this grief simmer under the surface is something so many people can relate to, as it becomes instinct for many people to hold onto the things that are upsetting or emotionally draining to them and bury them under the weight of life itself. While this may seem like such a powerful tool to help cope, the result is an explosive emotional wave that can consume us far more than the initial grief itself, and the author illustrates this perfectly.
The Verdict
Emotionally driven, captivating, and engaging, author Marilyn Kriete’s “The Box Must Be Empty” is a compelling and heartfelt memoir that paints a vivid picture of the grieving process and the impact unresolved grief can have on a person’s life and those around them. The raw emotions and moving journey the author showcases in her book will resonate with readers long after the book ends, so if you haven’t yet be sure to preorder your copy today or grab the book when it releases on April 4th, 2023!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Marilyn Kriete was born and raised in Edmonton, Canada, but she didn’t stay long. After a colorful life spanning four continents and 16 cities, earning her keep as cook, chambermaid, waitress, fisherwoman, missionary, speaker/teacher, tutor, and academic writing editor, Marilyn now lives in the beautiful Okanagan Valley in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, with her charitable husband Henry and three demanding cats. Their two grown children were adopted from Mumbai, India, and Athens, Georgia. Her poetry and nonfiction have appeared in The Lyric, Storyteller, The Eastern Iowa Review, The English Bay Review, and Brevity Blog. Her first memoir, Paradise Road, relates the runaway/hippie/bicycle touring odyssey that led to the next chapters of her unconventional story-and material for two more memoirs. Her debut memoir was also named the winner in the non-fiction adventure category of the Book Excellence Awards. The 15th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards named Paradise Road the winner in the Young Adult Non-Fiction category and a finalist for New Adult Non-Fiction. It was also a finalist for Book Cover Design-Non Fiction. Her nonfiction essay took First Prize in the 2022 Wine Country Writers Festival Writing Contest in British Columbia. Marilyn enjoys hiking, deep talks, word games, documentaries, and other people’s stories and reflections. You can follow her writing journey on MarilynKriete.com.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Roger Leslie, Ph.D., shares an inspiring and emotional memoir about a young man who discovers he is gay and goes on a journey to confront family and religious prejudices to find the loving and accepting God he learned about in an effort to understand himself in the book “Light Come Out of the Closet (Memoir of a Gay Soul)”.
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The Synopsis
When a joyful boy realizes he is gay, he fights against family and religious prejudices to reclaim the God of love he learned about in hopes of discovering what it means to be a gay soul.
The Review
This was such a moving and heartfelt memoir. The author does an incredible job of capturing the emotional weight of living with a secret that for most would blow up their relationship with their family, as well as with their religion as well. The struggle living under the weight of knowledge that you are something “other” or different from those around you, especially when they are the people you love and care for most, is something so many people will be able to relate to, and the author does a wonderful job of balancing his personal experiences and in the moment thoughts with the overarching theme of self-acceptance and identity the author touches upon.
The author’s writing style was both inviting and thought-provoking, as the book not only touches upon the emotional weight of a gay man coming to terms with his family relationships and his relationship with God, but on the juxtaposition of the Christian faith is focused on love and forgiveness, and yet the oftentimes emotional disconnect that happens within families of faith. The way author uses wit and charm within the writing to help bring relatability to the book and yet infused a deep-seated emotional weight to the experiences that helped the author deal with his coming out and finding his faith once more.
The Verdict
Memorable, heartfelt, and engaging, author Roger Leslie, Ph.D.’s “Light Come Out of the Closet” is a must-read memoir and LGBTQ+ nonfiction read. The relatability that readers will have with the author’s struggle between their identity and their faith and the struggles to be understood within a regimented family dynamic will resonate so clearly with the audience, and the emotional connection to the author’s story was so profound and moving to dive into. If you haven’t yet, be sure to preorder your copy today and grab your copy when it releases on June 6th, 2023!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Kelly S. Thompson shares a painfully emotional yet moving story of facing the past, rebuilding the bonds of sisterhood, and the love that endures in the face of hardships and struggles between sisters in the book “Still, I Cannot Save You: A Memoir of Sisterhood, Love, and Letting Go”.
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The Synopsis
With honesty, love, and humour, in this moving memoir, Kelly S. Thompson explores her relationship with her older sister, Meghan. Tested by addiction, abuse, and illness, the sisters’ relationship crumbles, only to be rebuilt into an everlasting bond.
Kelly Thompson and her older sister, Meghan, are proof that sisterhood doesn’t always equate to friendship.
Growing up within a military family, the girls were close despite being temperamental opposites–Kelly, anxious and studious, looked to her big sister for comfort, and Meghan, who battled kidney cancer as a toddler, was gregarious and protective. But as she approached adulthood, Meghan spiralled into a cocaine and opioid addiction, and Kelly’s relationship with her sister was torn apart.
Their paths diverge as they live their own lives, and it is only when Meghan becomes a mother that she and Kelly tentatively face past hurts and reexamine what sisterhood really means. But their reunion is threatened when Meghan receives a shocking new diagnosis on a day that should be one for celebration. Now, as the family reels at the prospect of the biggest loss imaginable, Kelly and Meghan must share all that they can in the time that they have, using their mutual sense of humour to chart a course through the darkest of days.
At once funny and heartbreaking, Still, I Cannot Save You is a story about addiction, abuse, and tragedy, but above all, it is a powerful portrait of an enduring love between sisters.
The Review
This was a powerful, emotional read. The author does a remarkable job of capturing the honesty and hardships of her relationship with not only her sister but her family and loved ones as a whole, delving into the complications that addiction had on the sister’s relationship together with gritty imagery and a tense atmosphere that underscored the mental and emotional scars that addiction can have on everyone involved. The rich dynamics between the author and her whole family not only speak to the complexity of the bonds that are tested between family during times of high stress and impending loss but the chemistry that defines each person’s unique relationships as a whole.
The themes of this book were powerfully felt throughout the entire book. Not only did addiction play an internal role in the breakdown of the bonds between the author and her sister, but the hurdles they overcame to rebuild that relationship and the horrific toll that coming to terms with a loved one’s impending death really hit home for me, as this happened a few years ago with my grandmother and I could feel the overwhelming weight of that pain the author touched upon with their moving writing style.
The Verdict
Passionately written, engaging, and truly moving, author Kelly S. Thompson’s “Still, I Cannot Save You” is a must-read memoir and nonfiction book. The thoughtful approach to the themes of this book and the honest and visceral writing style the author takes in bringing these memories to life will not only resonate with many readers but showcase a depth of emotion that will immediately draw the reader in and show the wealth of humanity residing within these chapters. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Kelly S. Thompson is a retired military officer who holds an MFA and a Ph.D. in Creative Writing, and has been published in Chatelaine, Maclean’s, the Globe and Mail, and more. Her debut memoir, Girls Need Not Apply, was named a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book and was an instant bestseller. She works as a mentor for the University of King’s College MFA in Creative Nonfiction, and lives in Nova Scotia with her military spouse and bull terrier.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a free and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Famed designer and businessman Steve Madden, along with Jodi Lipper, dive into the personal history of not only the Madden brand, but the man himself as he works to share everything from his personal trials and tribulations, how he grew his business and even how business tactics have changed in the wake of COIVD-19 in the book “The Cobbler: How I Disrupted an Industry, Fell From Grace, and Came Back Stronger Than Ever”.
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The Synopsis
Everyone knows Steve Madden’s name and his shoes, but few are familiar with his story. Over the past thirty years, Steve Madden has taken his eponymous shoe company from the fledgling startup he founded with a mere $1,100 to a global, multi-billion dollar brand. But Madden’s demons, from his battle with addiction to the financial shortcuts that landed him in prison, are as important to his story as his most iconic shoes. In this raw, intimate, and ultimately inspiring book, Madden holds nothing back as he shares what it took to get here and the lessons he’s learned along the way. From his unconventional hiring strategies to his slavish devotion to product, Madden offers a business perspective that is as unique as his styles.
In The Cobbler, readers are treated to the wild ride through Madden’s rise, fall, and comeback. But they will also walk away uplifted by a man who has owned up to his mistakes and is determined to give back and use his hard-won platform to create positive change. Originally written in 2019, The Cobbler was released at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. During and in the aftermath of the pandemic, Madden’s perspective on life and business shifted. This new, updated version includes a prologue and epilogue revealing how Steve Madden the man and the company not only survived, but managed to come back stronger than ever for the second time.
The Review
This was a well-written and powerful memoir meets business nonfiction read. The authors did a brilliant job of capturing a tone of honesty and perseverance in the writing of this book. The history and unique perspective on this particular angle of the fusion industry, as well as the way the industry moved through the 90s and early 2000s, was particularly engaging and remarkable to read about, as it brought about both nostalgia and a firmer understanding of how one of our society’s biggest brands came to be.
Yet it was the author’s vulnerability and self-reflection that really brought the reader into this book’s narrative. The honest way the author delved into everything that happened in his journey, from his humble beginnings to his struggles with addiction, the smell starts to his business, and the impact of the recent pandemic on his understanding of the industry going forward, allowed the reader to feel connected to the author’s experiences and the profound changes he made in life to grow from those experiences.
The Verdict
Captivating, thoughtful, and engaging, authors Steve Madden and Jodi Lipper’s “The Cobbler” is a must-read memoir and business-related nonfiction read of 2023. The insightful and memorable nature of the author’s journey and the experiences that shaped not only an industry but the man behind one of the world’s biggest brands made this a book you won’t want to put down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Authors
Steve Madden is the founder of Steve Madden Ltd and is world renown for his innovative line of shoes. He started his world-famous brand with only $1,100.00 selling shoes out of the trunk of his car. In 2002 Madden was arrested and served time in federal prison. Madden has devoted his life to charity and saw his business through a multibillion-dollar comeback. Mr. Madden chose self-publishing over traditional publishing to be able to chart his own path as he did within the fashion industry. Look at how that turn out.
Jodi Lipper is a six-time New York Times bestselling writer who partners with high profile experts and celebrities to garner major publishing deals and translate their experiences and expertise into highly effective and marketable books. Jodi has co-written several notable memoirs as well as prescriptive books about business, wellness, and personal development.
Her clients include iconic shoe mogul Steve Madden, the “father of biohacking” and creator of Bulletproof Coffee Dave Asprey, and Fran Hauser, whose book The Myth of the Nice Girl was named the Best Business Book of 2018 by Audible and was listed by Amazon as One of the Best Business and Leadership Books of the Year.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Judy Haveson steps forward to share the emotional journey of her life, from the author’s childhood to the birth of her son, and how she has come out on the other side through a series of losses and painful experiences in order to keep on living her life to the fullest in the book “Laugh, Cry, Rewind: A Memoir”.
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The Synopsis
Growing up in 1970s and 80s suburban Houston, Judy Haveson is funny, sarcastic, and fiercely loyal, especially to her family, friends, and big sister, Celia. When she suffers a series of unimaginable traumatic events, her seemingly idyllic childhood comes to a halt, changing her life forever.
In Laugh Cry Rewind, Judy takes readers on her journey of self-discovery, sharing funny, touching, and heartbreaking stories from her childhood all the way to the birth of her son. Her experiences serve as a reminder that while life is not always fair, ultimately, the choice to surrender or keep on living is ours. Her message to others who have experienced loss or tragedy is this: stop waiting for the other shoe to drop. Let life go on, and good things will be waiting for you on the other side of the pain.
The Review
As an older brother, the first and most important thing that stuck out to me was the deep-seated bond the author shares with her older sister. The emotional pull of their story and how her sister influenced her both in childhood and in the years following the tragedy in her life was haunting yet beautiful at the same time. The hopeful tone the author tries to bring out in their narrative was great to see, as it helped by acting as a guiding light out of the darkness that threatened to consume the author in the wake of this tragedy.
The themes of love, loss, and hope were strong in this book. The way the themes blended into the author’s story and kept shining through in natural ways was remarkable to read about. The balance in the author’s personal story set against the backdrop of the 70s and 80s, as well as the honest and personable way of writing the author utilized, made for a compelling and engaging story that readers won’t be able to get enough of.
The Verdict
Poignant, heartfelt, and emotionally driven, author Judy Haveson’s “Laugh, Cry, Rewind: A Memoir” is a must-read nonfiction book. The sense of history and culture through the author’s own background and the rich setting of her life helped elevate this personal story of growth and hope in the wake of tragedy and kept me as a reader emotionally invested and connected as an older brother to a truly remarkable sister myself. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Judy Haveson is a proud Texan who will never lose her southern charm or accent and uses both when the situation absolutely calls for it. Her one-time dream of becoming a journalist was shattered when a professor suggested she pick a new major due to her penchant for obsessive conversation. He claimed she’d be an editor’s nightmare because she wrote as she spoke and never stopped talking. This led her to a career in public relations. Judy’s fixation with reading books and stories about other people’s lives inspired her to write her debut memoir. She currently lives in The Hamptons with her husband, Adam, son, Jack, and beloved Yorkie, Toby.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
The true story of a man blind from birth and the extraordinary bond between him and his guide dog that allowed them to survive one of American History’s most horrendous tragedies comes to life in authors Michael Hingson and Susy Flory’s “Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero”.
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The Synopsis
Faith. Trust. Triumph.
I trust Roselle with my life, every day. She trusts me to direct her. And today is no different, except the stakes are higher. Michael Hingson
First came the boom the loud, deep, unapologetic bellow that seemed to erupt from the very core of the earth. Eerily, the majestic high-rise slowly leaned to the south. On the seventy-eighth floor of the World Trade Center’s north tower, no alarms sounded, and no one had information about what had happened at 8:46 a.m. on September 11, 2001. What should have been a normal workday for thousands of people. All that was known to the people inside was what they could see out the windows: smoke and fire and millions of pieces of burning paper and other debris falling through the air.
Blind since birth, Michael couldn’t see a thing, but he could hear the sounds of shattering glass, falling debris, and terrified people flooding around him and his guide dog, Roselle. However, Roselle sat calmly beside him. In that moment, Michael chose to trust Roselle’s judgment and not to panic. They are a team.
Thunder Dog allows you entry into the isolated, fume-filled chamber of stairwell B to experience survival through the eyes of a blind man and his beloved guide dog. Live each moment from the second a Boeing 767 hits the north tower, to the harrowing stairwell escape, to dodging death a second time as both towers fold into the earth.
It’s the 9/11 story that will forever change your spirit and your perspective. Thunder Dog illuminates Hingson’s lifelong determination to achieve parity in a sighted world, and how the rare trust between a man and his guide dog can inspire an unshakable faith in each one of us.
The Review
The authors delivered a truly moving, compelling, and inspiring memoir. The visceral details of the harrowing experience both Michael and his guide dog Roselle had trying to navigate that stairwell and escape the towers that horrific day is chilling and haunting to read about, and is something that many readers around the world will be able to identify with as many experienced the fear and confusion that the news brought from that traumatic day.
The heart of the narrative lies in the bond between Michael and Roselle, as well as the emphasis the authors put on faith and trust as a whole. Whether it is the faith that Michael put into Roselle that day and throughout their lives as a whole or the faith in his belief system that gave him the confidence to face life’s struggles head-on, the theme of faith runs deeply through this book.
Now I will say I had the pleasure of reading another book on this man’s life story, and you can read my thoughts on that here, but what made this version of his story shine in a different light than the first one was the emphasis the authors put on showcasing blindness as a whole and trying to move readers to look beyond the “handicap” of those who are blind and see the people they are instead, which gave a nice balance to the rest of the events portrayed in this book.
The Verdict
Thoughtful, inspiring, and hopeful, authors Michael Hingson and Susy Flory’s “Thunder Dog” is a must-read memoir and nonfiction book on faith, trust, and loyalty like no other. The emotional connection between Michael and Roselle, as well as the importance of understanding blindness and the connection people make with either their pets or in this instance, their guide dogs, and the shocking details of an experience few could ever put into words made this one book you won’t be able to put down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
When the World Trade Center was attacked on 9-11, it was as though the world stood still. It was a day that captured our full attention. Michael Hingson and his Guide Dog Roselle were on the 78th floor of Tower One that day, and were able to make their way to safety and survive the attack. The duo was immediately thrust into the international spotlight, becoming well-known representatives of the strength of the human/animal bond and a living example of the powerful partnership that exists between a blind person and their Guide Dog. In 2002 Michael joined the Guide Dogs for the Blind team as the National Public Affairs director, to share his story throughout the world on behalf of the school. In June of 2008 Michael left Guide Dogs to form The Michael Hingson Group to continue his speaking career as well as to serve as a consultent for corporations and organizations that need assistance with Inclusive and Diversity training as well as adaptive technology training.
Michael Hingson is available for speaking engagements, public appearances, consulting and training contract positions and media interviews.
In his own words:
I lived through the 9-11 tragedy and have much to say about my experiences leading up to and escaping from the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Since that day, I’ve traveled the world with Roselle and her successors; at first to help people heal and hope, and now, to help them find meaning and purpose. As a blind person living in today’s world I want people to see that while there are many different kinds of people, each with their own different gifts, we all can live and work together if we choose to open our minds and hearts and become a more inclusive world. There are positive lessons to be learned from every tragedy, and 9-11 is certainly no exception.
Because I am blind, I have a unique perspective. Because I believe in the power of partnering with my Guide Dog, I can speak from the heart about teamwork and trust. I’ve been a guest numerous times on Larry King Live, have been interviewed on Regis and Kelly, and have appeared on the CBS Morning Show – but I’m looking forward to my next big engagement: as the featured speaker at your event.
I promise to bring my faithful friend and guide dog, Africa – she has her own fan club! If it weren’t for our ability to work together as a team just as I Roselle and I did on 9-11, my story would be much different and I probably would not have learned the lessons I now can pass on to audiences throughout the world.
The events of September 11th changed the world, and they certainly changed my life. There’s something about almost losing your life that makes what really matters in life crystal clear. I left my successful 27-year career in high tech computer sales and management to travel the world speaking about the importance of teamwork and trust in our professional and personal lives.
I would like to bring my story to your audience at your next event or meeting and help you make it a memorable and rewarding experience. And you will have the satisfaction that any dollars you spend will not only cover my speaking fees, but will help others like myself enjoy the independence and companionship that comes from a partnership with a Guide Dog.
Susy Flory is the New York Times bestselling author or co-author of fourteen books. A graduate of UCLA, she has a background in journalism, education, and communications. She loves reading and writing stories about unforgettable people who are living lives of adventure, courage, hope, redemption, and transformation.
She first started writing at the Newhall Signal with the legendary Scotty Newhall, an ex-editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and a one-legged cigar-smoking curmudgeon who ruled the newsroom from behind a dented metal desk where he pounded out stories on an Underwood Typewriter.
Susy’s first book, Fear Not Da Vinci, was co-written with Gini Monroe with contributions by Ward Gasque, and published in 2006. Other books include So Long Status Quo: What I Learned from Women Who Changed the World (Beacon Hill, 2009); Miracle on Voodoo Mountain (with Megan Boudreaux, Harper Collins, 2015); and The Good, The Bad, and the Grace of God, with Jep and Jessica Robertson (Harper Collins, 2015).
Susy’s runaway bestseller, Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero written with Michael Hingson, hit the New York Times bestsellers list in both hardcover nonfiction and e-book nonfiction the first week of release. Thunder Dog has also been adapted for the stage, optioned for film, and translated into over 15 languages, including German, Dutch, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, and Chinese.
Her most recent book. The Sky Below, is the story of astronaut Scott Parazynski, the only man every to fly in space and summit Mount Everest. She just finished up Desired By God, a book with Van Moody, pastor of the Worship Center in Birmingham, AL, about a God who yearns for a vital and passionate relationship with us.
Susy is a member of The Authors Guild, Inspire Christian Writers, and INK Creative Collective. She’s a 2017 recipient of the Pacesetter Award from Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, and now directs the West Coast Christian Writers Conference in the San Francisco Bay Area and her startup, Everything Memoir.
A breast cancer survivor of four gnarly surgeries, Susy celebrates life by chasing great stories in places like Cuba, Haiti, Turkey, Israel, and her own backyard. She’s written with celebrities, heroes of the faith, athletes, explorers, and the girl (and boy) next door She loves riding a crazy ex-racehorse named Stetson, hiking in the High Sierras, and skiing black diamond runs whenever she can.
In writing this memoir, I combined my two loves, journalism and creative writing.
The journalist’s task is to find the dark corners of the world of injustice and sadness and illuminate them. The bigger job is to be the watchdog of democracies, to ensure there are checks and balances in governance on behalf of the people.
If there is one thing it taught me is that humans are essentially the same. Everyone is looking for a way to survive the dark days of our mortality and the trials of being human, whether they are gangsters who end up getting shot at 20 and buried with gold chains down to their stomachs; or priests who have lived ascetic lives; or indeed, families around the commonwealth navigating the damage of Empire.
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It was with this understanding that I began to write a memoir.
As an immigrant to Tobago, where my parents moved when I was a child, and later to Trinidad, I felt the past was being cut away from me.
My son was born, and I had begun forgetting words in Urdu and Hindi. As an immigrant to Trinidad, I started feeling the past was being cut away from me. I wrote it to remember the past and understand the present of the glittering islands of Trinidad and Tobago, where my parents moved when I was a child.
As I wrote about my experience as a journalist, somebody who chronicles the events that shape a country, I realised that my past was not unique. My grandmother told me how my ancestor was brought from Uzbekistan to put down the mutiny in India in 1856. As a recruited member of the British Army, he was forced to shoot his fellow Muslims, something he regretted till he died. I began making connections. It was also the story of colonial islands in the new world, where people were stripped of language. The narrative continued with my parents travelling to Trinidad and Tobago, which also has a complicated history of colonisation by the French Spanish and English. That interested me – how the personal can be so political, how the unravelling of one family living under decades of colonialism can echo a crumbling empire.
The overall theme of the crumbling Empire is relevant, especially now; after the death of Queen Elizabeth 11, we can see how similar post-colonial worlds are. The history of brutality was identical. In India, we grew up with stories of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar Puja when General Dyer ordered the British
Indian Army to open fire on over a thousand unarmed, nonviolent protestors, Churchill’s active role in perpetuating the Bengal famine, or the signs my mother remembers in exclusive clubs that read “No Dogs or Indians” and the sly inroads of the East India Company. In Trinidad, as in much of South America, there is the brutal history of slavery, indentureship and genocide of millions of native Indians. In India from 1765 to 1938. the British got an estimated 45 trillion U.S. dollars’ worth of goods like textiles, rice, iron, and timbre, not to mention jewels from the Raj, which are housed in
British museums today. Similarly, Caribbean islands like ours were looted for sugar and cocoa. It’s a shared history of exploitation.
When my grandmother left India to join our family in Trinidad, she told me stories about a vanished India of the British Raj. She told me of generations of women born into Muslim Indian princely families of Bhopal and Savanur. I had to infer the calamity upon her life when my mother broke hundreds of years of tradition and understand why my grandmother disinherited my mother for marrying a Hindu army officer.
There were unanswered questions. I wondered why my grandmother ended up alone and penniless despite all her privileges- born a princess into Indian royalty, beauty, and musical talent.
As I wrote the story, the puzzle came together. I began to understand how patterns are created in how we treat our daughters and how that damages the people we love. At my grandmother’s funeral, I was aware of how incongruous this was, a woman born in colonial India dying in the new world so far from everything she grew up with and knew. It was a way of bringing tother the old and new worlds and introducing the question of how and why this happened. How did a princess of the Raj die in Trinidad?
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The colonial idea that subjugation, cruelty and even corporal punishment can be justified for the greater good filtered down to how people in colonies viewed their children.– how neglect, abandonment or abuse is passed on to their daughters and that pattern is continued.
Migration is also a very personal issue. At the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth, dozens of security guards were of South Asian origin. According to an Indian Ministry of External Affairs report, 32 million Non-Resident Indians live outside India, overseas Indians comprise the world’s largest overseas diaspora, and over 2.4 million Indians migrate overseas yearly. Our family was just one in this ocean of movement. So the themes aren’t heavy, but
illustrates how politics always becomes personal and affects families.
When I wrote it, I did not expect it to resonate with so many people across continents. Michael Portillo for Times Radio was moved by the story of Poppet, the child in the book. Anita Rani of Times Radio was moved by the story of migration. The Observer found it was reminiscent of the times of the Raj in India, which has connected India and Britain for generations.
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About the Author
Ira Mathur is the author of Love The Dark Days – a Peepal Tree published a memoir on the emotional ruins of Empire on three generations of women set in Trinidad, St Lucia, India and the U.K., bookended with a weekend with Derek Walcott. Love The Dark Days was selected as a UK Guardian Best Book of the Year 2022 ( Memoir and Biography)
Mathur is an Indian-born Trinidadian multimedia journalist and columnist with a body of writing that includes over 800 columns over 20 years. (www.irasroom.org) She was longlisted for the 2021 Bath Novel Award for Touching Dr Simone. (Out in 2023)
Mathur studied creative writing in London with The University of East Anglia/Guardian & the Faber Academy with Gillian Slovo, Maggie Gee, and James Scudamore. In 2019 Mathur was longlisted for the Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize. She holds degrees in literature, law and journalism.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Authors “Produce Pete” Napolitano and Susan Bloom take readers on an engaging journey into the life and memories of TV icon Produce Pete in the book “They Call Me Produce Pete”.
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The Synopsis
Pete Napolitano began his career in the produce industry in the early 1950s at the tender age of five, peddling fruit and vegetables door-to-door to help support his family’s New Jersey-based produce business. “Discovered” at his store by a TV producer decades later and given the moniker “Produce Pete,” he’s since become a fixture on WNBC’s Weekend Today in New York show, where his tips on selecting, storing, and preparing various produce items – all shared in his authentic, endearing, and plain-speaking style – have captivated viewers in metro New York and other U.S. and international markets for 30 years and rendered him one of the longest-running segments in TV history.
In They Call Me Produce Pete, Napolitano shares candid memories of growing up poor in post-WWII America, striving to achieve the American Dream, and landing unexpected fame as one of the nation’s leading experts on produce. Sprinkled with touching stories, photos, and family recipes that have held a special place in his heart throughout his life, They Call me Produce Pete is a nostalgic nod to simpler times and a must-read for anyone who dares to dream the impossible.
The Review
This was a touching and heartfelt read. The author did an incredible job of writing in a way that made the memoir feel personal and engaging all at once. The author’s story speaks to so many different people, from those who grew up in post-WW2 America to those who have worked in food, in particular with produce, and even those who have worked in the television field.
The balance the author struck between personal life stories and memories with the behind-the-scenes look at his career and the family recipes that have held a special place in his heart was heartwarming to read about. The honesty and passionate way the author relayed his story to the reader spoke to the author’s storied career, and yet showcased the man behind “Produce Pete” in a brilliant way. I loved how personal and memorable each recipe the author included felt to the tapestry of his life story, and kept me both emotionally and intellectually invested in the author’s life.
The Verdict
Insightful, memorable, and engaging, authors “Produce Pete” Napolitano and Susan Bloom’s “They Call Me Produce Pete” is a must-read memoir and nonfiction book. An iconic member of the television community and a leading expert in the field of produce, the story of Produce Pete will have readers invested as the author’s life plays out on the pages of this book, and the relatability of the author’s life will have readers feeling connected to the author on a personal level. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
With over 70 years of experience in the produce industry, renowned fruit and vegetable expert, author, and TV personality “Produce Pete” Napolitano has appeared on a highly-popular segment on NBC’s Weekend Today in New York broadcastevery Saturday morning for 30 years. They Call Me Produce Pete is the long-awaited follow-up to his first book, Produce Pete’s Farmacopeia.
Susan Bloom is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in such New Jersey-based publications as The Star-Ledger, The Asbury Park Press, New Jersey Monthly Magazine, and Jersey’s Best Magazine as well as such national mediums as USA Today, The New York Daily News, and Natural Awakenings. She’s collaborated with Produce Pete on a broad range of articles and monthly columns for over a decade
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A woman who has been stuck in a vicious cycle of trauma as her grandmother lashes out after the loss of her former life finds herself fighting to let go of the past and reinvent herself in author Ira Mathur’s “Love The Dark Days”.
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The Synopsis
From award-winning journalist Ira Mathur, Love The Dark Days is about accrued intergenerational damage between mothers and daughters in post-colonial worlds.
Set in India, England, Trinidad and St Lucia, Love The Dark Days follows the story of the life of Dolly, of mixed Hindu Muslim parentage in post-colonial India. Dolly, whose privileged family has colluded with the brutality of the British Rule in India, lives with her grandmother, who feels a raging loss at the fading old world. With it, her privilege. Dolly absorbs her grandmothers’ rage, becoming a living memorial of all the pain and injustice the imperious Burrimummy repeatedly hauls back from her past to tell and retell to Dolly. Just as Dolly is constantly pulled into the old wounds, so is the reader. The story is crafted so the reader viscerally experiences how trauma loops around, coming back and back through generations to warp the future.
That damage of unbelonging is repeated when her family migrates to Trinidad, where, in her darkest hour, she meets Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott, who encourages her when she visits him in St Lucia over a weekend to leave the past behind and reinvent herself. Before she can do this Dolly must re-enter the past one last time.
Can Dolly find the courage to examine each broken shard of her shattered family and reassemble it into a new shape in a new world? It is raw, unflinching, but not without threads of humour and perceived absurdity; Love the Dark Days is an intricate tapestry with Dolly’s story at its heart.
The Review
This was such a well-written and captivating memoir and biography. The balance the author found in the generational stories of her family, including her grandmother and mother, with her own experiences was so impactful and thought-provoking. The rich imagery the author conjured up through her writing really brought readers into the lives of these very different yet connected women through the generations of this family.
The heart of the author’s story was true in the intricate details of her life experiences and the multi-cultural journey she undertook in her life, as well as the deep look into how Colonialism impacted both her family and the generations that came before. The history of Colonialism is so rarely discussed in detail within nations such as The United States outside of an advanced history course, and so learning of the experiences that came with Colonialism and getting to see it through both her mother’s family’s side and her father’s point of view was fascinating. Yet it was the intimate, heartfelt moments that the author shared of her own life and experiences that really made the deepest impact, even in the opening pages as she confronts a loss of proportionate significance.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, captivating, and engaging, author Ira Mathur’s “Love The Dark Days” is a must-read memoir and nonfiction book. The rich cultural dynamics both within her family and her own life were so passionately written about and felt in the journey the reader was led on, and the emotional and mental struggles the author and her multi-generational family underwent, including this cycle of trauma, were both tragic in its delivery and yet hopeful in the author’s achievements and experiences in the modern day. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Ira Mathur is an Indian-born Trinidadian award winning multimedia journalist with degrees in Literature, Law and Journalism. www.irasroom.org .She is currently the Trinidad Guardian’s longest-running columnist , and has freelanced for The Guardian (UK) and the BBC.
IN 2021 Mathur was longlisted for the Bath Novel Award for her unpublished novel ”Touching Dr Simone.”
In 2019 Mathur was longlisted for the Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize. An excerpt of her memoir is anthologized in Thicker Than Water, (Peekash Press, 2018).
In 2018 she shortlisted for the Bridport Short Story Prize, the Lorian Hemmingway (short story) and Small Axe Literary Competition.
Mathur gained diplomas in creative writing at the University of East Anglia/Guardian with James Scudamore & Gillian Slovo and Maggie Gee at the Faber Academy. ( 2015/2016)
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