Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Firsts: Coming Of Age Stories By People With Disabilities is a nonfiction anthology edited by Belo Miguel Ciperiani. Ciperiani lost his vision when he was 27. He grew up looking forward to his weekly trip to the library where he would pick up a new selection of audio books. Popping the first one in his Discman for the bus ride back home, he’d forget his surroundings and get lost in the newest story. One thing in particular bothered him; that was the depiction of disabled characters in those stories. It seemed as though the failings of those characters were intricately linked to their disabilities. The nonfiction memoirs he read were equally unsatisfying as they were generally written by people who had beaten the odds and regained their sight, hearing or the use of their limbs. Ciperiani gravitated to writing in part in reaction to his efforts to find writers who could share the experiences of the disabled. This book is the result of his call for disabled authors to share their coming of age experiences. Out of the hundreds of submissions he received, he selected the eleven stories that are found here.

Firsts: Coming Of Age Stories By People With Disabilities is one of those rare books you want to never end. I lost myself in each of the stories found within this collection. Heidi Johnson-Wright’s short story, Life with Lexie, is the perfect opening tale; one that anyone, able-bodied or not, would have a hard time not relating to. Heidi’s life went pear-shaped when she was nine years old and rheumatoid arthritis left her totally dependent upon a mercurial and ill-tempered mother, until that day when she went off to college. Once I had begun reading Johnson-Wright’s story, I was hooked into reading each of these marvelous and inspirational stories. I met amazing people; some were autistic, others blind, still others suffered from debilitating PTSD. In The Hearing Child, Kevin Souhrada shares his world as a second-generation deaf man. His story reveals the community and support systems that were so much a part of his upbringing, his culture. In Sleeveless at Least, Teresa M. Elquezabal defies the medical establishment’s grim prognosis on her chances of ever walking again after an accident because her love of tango will not let her surrender.

In each rite of passage, there’s a hero. His or her voice speaks persuasively and with such strength. They share their frustrations, their moments of self-doubt and insecurity, but overall there’s the shared exhilaration of reaching for that first and getting it. Each story captures the human experience so eloquently and with such power. I’d love to see more of the submissions that editor Belo Miguel Ciperiani received for this collection and hope he’ll consider publishing a second one. Yes, these stories are that good. Firsts: Coming Of Age Stories By People With Disabilities is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Vignettes & Postcards From Morocco by Erin Byrne is an engaging and exciting read that takes readers on a journey to Morocco and will make them want to travel there and experience what the author has mentioned in the book. This is motivation to travel beyond the seas and make life worth living. As each story unfolds, readers can experience and feel the essence and spirit of all that makes Morocco an exotic place to visit! Each story is a revelation of the cuisine, the memories, traditions, vignettes, mysteries, and the timelessness of the place.

The colorful aspects of Morocco have been captured well and readers can feel the pulse of the place through the vibrant stories, poems, photographs, and sketches. The stories will definitely inspire readers to travel to Morocco as they explore the souks, mosques, and hearts of the people of this ancient land. The stories give a fascinating and insightful introduction to Morocco and its brilliance. The photographs shared in the book are wonderful, and readers get a feel of the place and its beauty. The stories leave a lasting impression and they add color and warmth in the minds of readers. Every story has magic in it, and is unique and interactive as it takes us through beauty, bewilderment, and a jumble of myriad emotions. For all those who are interested in traveling and want to discover new lands, this is a good book to read!

Reviewed by Claudia Coffey for Readers' Favorite

Jackie Chase is a driven woman. Where others enjoy the comforts of home, Chase gets out there and lives life. In 100 People to Meet Before You Die: Travel to Exotic Cultures, Chase shares her adventures with the aim of visiting people who live their lives, for the most part, innocent of modern ways. No four-star hotels for this wife and mother of four, Chase visits the people who share the same joys and sorrows of life as we do – the joy of children at play and the life events of children entering adulthood, getting married and the sorrows of funerals. Not for the faint of heart, Chase’s travels take her to places uncomfortable at best and downright dangerous at worst. In one memorable passage, we read about the Mursi tribesmen of Ethiopia, who have traded their spears for Russian AK-47 semi-automatic rifles, using them to demand money and food before allowing visitors to travel through their tribal territory.

Jackie Chase introduces her readers to the little known people of Borneo, a land of floating villages, tattoos and blackened teeth. We are called to prayer at a Muslim mosque, spend 24 hours on a boat, take a shower using river water, and experience the generosity of strangers, they to Chase and Chase to them. We join in a Kayan tribal wedding and we learn how the Islamic and Viking cultures influenced the Kayan people of Borneo. Next we visit the El Moro tribe of Kenya where women walk 20 miles to get water. We visit the beautiful country of Ethiopia and meet the spiritual people of Bali, where it is the practice of the people to begin each new year with a day of silence. We go to Ecuador and on to six more countries, learning that we might have to live on pouches of tuna, but as Anais Nin writes: “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

We get along without the internet, we ride on the back of a gentle giant elephant in Jaipur, and we say “Namaste,” which means “I bow to you.” We learn firsthand why Darien is known as one of the most dangerous places on the planet. But always we strive and seek in the words of Lord Tennyson “to find, and not to yield,” and learn to respect the simple ways of the people of the world. Chase’s descriptive words make the reader feel as if they are riding along on the water, biking in the heat to “Dragon’s Back Bone” in China, or trekking the jungle paths, reaching deep inside to find our strength along with the author.

Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers' Favorite

I Punched Myself in the Eye is a look at a lifetime collection of very short essays highlighting the life of Pamela Capone and her family. Each essay was unique and had a special thought, emotion, idea or event to pass along. Pamela shares her stories beautifully, both the good and the bad, with readers - starting with her message; followed up by her favorite chocolates; going to Grandma’s house; God encounters; her childhood, her husband and her children; making bread; traveling to foreign countries and to New York City; a middle of the night intruder; a scary train, and mermaids. There are just too many to tell you about and it is impossible to include more of the details without spoilers, but each one was special in itself.

I Punched Myself in the Eye is easy to read and many times I found myself shaking my head in agreement and laughing or crying at a remembered moment in my own life. Pamela Capone has written her essays with love and an invitation to become part of her family and share in their life. This non-fiction story of real life happenings is indeed worth reading and, as the description claims, it is filled with imperfection and perfect grace. I found it impossible not to like Pamela, and felt as though she was sitting in my family room and we were sharing the stories of our lives. If you are a mother, wife, woman, and a believer in God, this is a must-read.