Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

The Soledad Children: The Fight to End Discriminatory IQ Tests by Marty Glick and Maurice Jourdane is a well-researched, historical non-fiction book that serves as a powerful indictment of a form of racial discrimination suffered by Mexican immigrants. Born and raised in a labor camp farm in Soledad, California, ten-year-old Arturo Velazquez is in third grade when he is given an English-based IQ test and placed in a class for Educable Mentally Retarded (EMR). It is 1968 and Arturo's is just one of many cases; most of the children in the room are Spanish-speaking. The Soledad Children tells the story of the class-action suit filed in 1970, Diana v. the State Board of Education, a lawsuit on behalf of thousands of Hispanic kids already placed in EMR.

This book records a history of discrimination and racism in a way that is poignant and compelling. The authors take readers through the legal action and provide insights and factual events that are psychologically disturbing. From the very beginning, the reader gets a small glimpse of the anguish of children placed in EMR when Arturo asks Maria why they are in a special class. The answer is a painful one. While this is a non-fiction book, it is well crafted and I enjoyed how the authors explored the psychological and emotional part of the characters. The writing is bold and confident, punctuated by relevant themes such as family, educational discrimination, the quest for justice and others. This book contains a message that contemporary American citizens should read. A deftly written story that will, most certainly, instruct our contemporaries.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Fag Hags, Divas and Moms: The Legacy of Straight Women in the AIDS Community by Victoria Noe throws light on the straight women who have had HIV/AIDS and their stories, struggles, and challenges which have often been pushed aside by focusing more on stories from the viewpoint of gay men. Many readers are unaware of the involvement of women during the early years of the epidemic though it had already killed many women. The book shares stories of women, including that of the author, whose voices and achievements informed many about the frightening virus. The author also speaks about the initial years of AIDS when paranoia, fear, and misinformation caused a lot of erroneous notions and misunderstandings among people. Four decades into the disease, it is always white gay men seen as the face of HIV/AIDS in magazines, memoirs, and documentaries. This book breaks that tradition and routine by telling the stories of straight women who have battled this virus, their silent struggles, challenges, and the advantages taken because of their gender.

Fag Hags, Divas and Moms by Victoria Noe is insightful and gives good information about the straight women in the AIDS community, some unknown and some known faces. It also makes them realize how important it is to form a support group to help this community, discussing issues related to their HIV status. All the stories point towards a system that has failed them and also helps to remove the stigma attached to HIV/AIDS. The stories are heartbreaking and teach valuable lessons to the world. The content is not only educational but also informative. Every story leaves a mark and will encourage more and more women to come out with their stories and help others deal with the shame associated with the AIDS epidemic better.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Hippie Chick: Coming of Age in the ‘60s is a work of non-fiction in the style of a memoir, penned by author Ilene English. Recommended for adult readers due to some mature content, this enlightening and empowering memoir tells the tale of the author’s life as a young woman through having a daughter of her own. Themes such as challenging the perception of what women are capable of and women’s emancipation come up often during this narrative, as well as the author’s personal experiences of caring for her seriously ill mother and dealing with the stresses of being a solo parent. What results is a truly heroic tale of triumph against all the pitfalls which life can throw at us along its tenuous path.

Author Ilene English has much wisdom to deliver to her readers during the story of her younger life and her development as a woman. The issues of grief and personal tragedy of which she speaks are tenderly narrated and given all the attention that they deserve, which will certainly resonate with other readers who have experienced similar shocking moments of loss in their youth. The hazy days of San Francisco are beautifully recalled with all the glory and nostalgia one would expect from the book’s title, but English is never without a keen eye on the present and a reflective sense of what it means to be a woman both today and in the context of the past. Overall, Hippie Chick is a highly recommended and eye-opening read for women from all walks of life.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Rescued from the Ashes: The Diary of Leokadia Schmidt, Survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto by Leokadia Schmidt is a memoir that captures the horrific experience of the Holocaust and what it was like to be a Jew during WWII. In this memoir, a young Jewish housewife and her husband escape from the Warsaw ghetto, together with their five-month-old baby to find shelter in the least expected of places. The narrative begins on the day that residents of the ghetto were supposed to be deported, but little did they know that they were destined for the concentration camps. It is heartbreaking for the Schmidts to watch as the number of people in the community diminishes, with more being deported to concentration camps every passing day.

The sense of anxiety is well captured in the narrative and the fear that grips the Jews living in the ghetto. It's a kind of fear that became part of the everyday experience of the people. The author writes in a way that makes the story cinematic, allowing readers to share the experience of half a million people in the Warsaw ghetto. Right from the introduction, she offers a powerful insight into the conflict: "In 1943, after being driven from one place to another on the “Aryan” side of Warsaw, we finally found shelter in a tinsmith’s shop located on 27 Belwederska Street. It belonged to Antoni Michalski, the father of our protector." The day to day experiences of the Jews are captured with forensic detail, the pathos coming out powerfully, and man's inhumanity to man is not a subject of fiction but a reality written into the life of the protagonist. While this story captures the journey of one family as they escape the terrors of racism, it is also a story of hope and resilience, following the characters through the years as they eventually emigrated to the US. Rescued from the Ashes offers a fresh perspective on the horrors of a history that has haunted and shall haunt humanity forever.

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Jeff Chase and Jon Zilber's 3Com is the true story and “unsung saga of the Silicon Valley start-up that helped give birth to the internet—and then fumbled the ball.” With an impressive foreword by 3Com daddy Bob Metcalfe, the all-important threshold of authenticity required in a non-fiction account is met. The book covers the company's thirty-year lifespan from its conception in 1979, its growing pains (there were few, initially), the development of the Palm Pilot, multiple acquisitions, and its ultimate demise in a spectacular fall from grace, relegated to the memory of....well, almost nobody. I might be one of the few, which is why this book was an immediate stand out for me.

I grew up in San Francisco, attending Giant's games at 3Com Park. I was only a teenager but living in the Bay Area meant that we knew—we all knew—what was happening, growing, changing, developing, and dying with our tech giant neighbors to the south. It's fascinating to me to go back and read about a company that was so influential to the growth of our city. Jeff Chase and Jon Zilber write with a levity that makes 3Com comfortable for even the greatest of technophobes. Even better, there is genuine insight and lessons applicable even today into how a company can go from being king to being a ghost in less than a generation. I believe this book will find wide readership with anyone who has an interest in computer science and the history of modern technology, as well as with those who own or run a business in any industry themselves. Highly recommended as both an informative read and an intriguing story in and of itself.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Counting on America: A Holocaust Memoir of Terror, Chutzpah, Romance and Escape is a nonfiction historical memoir written by Kurt Reiner and his son, Gary Reiner. Kurt began writing his memoir when he was 62 years old, and he continued working on it until his death in 1985. Kurt wanted to bear witness to the impact the Nazis had on Viennese Jews, beginning with the German invasion of Austria in March of 1938. His son, Gary, who retired four years ago, continued his father’s work on it and saw the memoir through to publication. Gary worked through his father’s text as well as 66 original source documents to complete their joint task.

Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, marked a major change for European Jews and caring people across the world, and was the night that Kurt was arrested. The growing power of Germany’s Nazi movement had caused no small amount of concern, but many thought it would, dwindle out and leave Europe relatively unscathed, as had happened in the past. As history shows, this was not to be the case, and the rise and short-lived regime headed by Adolf Hitler would not be vanquished until over 6 million Jews and countless others deemed undesirable were slaughtered, and untold millions of lives were forever changed. The viciousness and random violence of Kristallnacht was a harbinger of worse things to come.

Kurt had been an engineering student studying at the Technical University in Vienna until Germany annexed Austria in March, 1938. After that, Jews were no longer permitted to study or teach at any institution, and Kurt was forced to leave school with his degree requirements nearly fulfilled. Employment was scarce in Vienna for everyone, especially Jews, and he made do with the part-time and day work he could find. Several days after Kristallnacht, he was arrested and sent, along with thirty other Viennese Jews, to Dachau. His wife, Hennie, met with Gestapo officials bearing false documentation that showed they would be leaving Austria for South America in a matter of days, and she was able to effect his release from Dachau. The young couple thus began their two-year odyssey to reach America.

Gary Reiner and Kurt Reiner’s nonfiction historical memoir, Counting on America: A Holocaust Memoir of Terror, Chutzpah, Romance and Escape, shares Kurt’s experiences from the time he was a child in Vienna through to his successful career in the defense industry in the United States. Their story is an enthralling one; one filled with last-minute hitches and changes of plan, and endless fortuitous escapes from danger. While I’ve read many historical accounts of Holocaust survivors, I was struck by the immediacy of Kurt’s story. He showed me a new side of Vienna before the war, and I was fascinated by the Red Falcon youth group he belonged to and the other activist movements of the young and socially conscious Viennese citizens who valiantly sought to curtail the growing fascist threat to their society. He also shed light on the earlier uses of places like Dachau and the farm where he and Hennie sought refuge while they worked out an escape plan; places where one could still leave during those early years, if indeed, you were able to survive, places not yet simply an endpoint.

Kurt’s personality shines through loud and clear in this sometimes angry, but very human account of those two years which were so filled with fear, elation and love. As I read his account, I felt as though I was getting to know someone I would have like to have known in real life. I too cannot understand the viciousness of racism, and the indifference many show toward the openly expressed hatred and victimization of the “other”. The Reiners’ book is especially relevant in this day and age when boats filled with refugees are routinely turned away and allowed no safe harbor, and when those refugees are considered as having no value, no place in a country known to be a home for the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free”.

Each of the Holocaust survivors' accounts that I’ve been privileged to read has been illuminating and invaluable as witnesses to what happened and must never be allowed to happen again. Kurt’s story filled so many voids in that tapestry of memories. He shows his reader a glance at the vibrancy, culture and political activism of pre-war Vienna, and shares so much of his early life with his family. I finished reading this book both inspired by his courage and resilience and infinitely saddened at the realization, once again, that the millions of voices of those who died in the camps would never have a chance to be heard. Counting on America: A Holocaust Memoir of Terror, Chutzpah, Romance and Escape bears witness for them, and it is most highly recommended.

Reviewed by Amanda Rofe for Readers' Favorite

Out of Rushmore's Shadow by Lou Del Bianco is the true story of a 25-year struggle to give a charismatic and talented Italian immigrant, Luigi Del Bianco, the recognition he deserved as Chief Carver on the iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial, one of America's grandest monuments. The book, written by Luigi's grandson, explains how he and his uncle, Caesar Del Bianco, fought to uncover the critical and historic work carried out by Luigi. Once they found documentary proof pertaining to his work, they repeatedly presented it to the authorities at Mount Rushmore but to no avail. It eventually became apparent that there was a deliberate attempt to suppress Luigi's story. Luigi Del Bianco had been written out of the history of Mount Rushmore! The only classically trained carver on Mount Rushmore and his skills were not recognized.

What an amazing story! Lou Del Bianco writes a very moving account, full of personal recollections and precious historical details including his grandfather's incredible work as a stone carver. This is a fascinating tale providing insight into how the monument was actually constructed. There are evocative photographs of stone carvings and work being carried out on Mount Rushmore as well as original documents such as letters from the world famous sculptor, Gutzon Borglum. It is important to mention that there are two very special stories here; one is Luigi's life and work, and the other is the journey his family took to ensure he was recognized as Chief Carver. Both are part of the narrative of Mount Rushmore and as such should now be firmly assigned to the history books.

Reviewed by Carine Engelbrecht for Readers' Favorite

Remembering Shanghai: A Memoir of Scholars, Socialites and Scoundrels by Isabel Sun Chao and Claire Chao traces the story of the once wealthy Sun family from the founding patriarch, a bright and hard-working peasant youth who rises to high honor in the Imperial court, to the hardships experienced by his great-grandchildren under Mao's regime. Central to the narrative is the story of the third daughter, Isabel, who grows up in the 1930s. Although her parents are polar opposites, she is loved by both her scholarly father and her fun-loving, fashion-conscious mother. Her world is juxtaposed between western and oriental influences, but even her family's affluence is not enough to shield her from the political turbulence of the times or the upheavals experienced by her own family. At 18, her life changes irrevocably as she travels to Hong Kong to join her mother. It is a lucky escape for Isabel, who marries another exile from Shanghai and later works for the American Foreign Service, but bitter challenges await family members who are less fortunate. The book includes a selection of charming illustrations and vintage photographs as well as sub-sections explaining certain aspects of Chinese culture and retrospective analysis of certain key events.

In Remembering Shanghai, people and places vividly come to life as they are rendered in rich detail and with affectionate sympathy - even the scoundrels! Reading it is a thoroughly immersive experience that fully engages the imagination in many different directions and touches the heart, especially in those moments when an unexpected bridge between generations suddenly comes to light. It reminds the reader that yesterday's stories linger as a distant harmonic within the narrative of the present. As a storyteller, Isabel excels and delights with her lively remembrances. Claire's contribution adds depth and perspective, filling out the shadows of the past through meticulous research. This book serves as a valuable guide to anyone who wishes to explore China's past and culture, but towards the end, it became something else as well. Like graceful tendrils of incense smoke, the words invited the return of lost honor for Diedie and his forebears, allowing the reader to enter into a sacred space created for the Sun family. In the same spirit, I offer the words of my review as a respectful kowtow in acknowledgment, accepting the gift, the honor and the privilege of sharing in it. Thank you very much, from the heart.

Reviewed by Amy Raines for Readers' Favorite

Holocaust Memoirs of a Bergen-Belsen Survivor & Classmate of Anne Frank by Nanette Blitz Konig will give you a new view into the world at the time of the Holocaust as the Jews were targeted by the Germans. After being asked a question by her grandson, Konig decided that telling the truth of the horrors the Jews faced was better than lying to the young child. Konig recounts the experiences of her happy childhood that quickly turn to a life of fear and degradation as the Jews are taken to concentration camps, treated with utter contempt and not even considered to be human by the Nazis. After the Jews were liberated, the death toll of the lives lost still continued to climb as the survivors reclaimed the life that remained to them. Anne Frank’s death was among them, a victim in the concentration camp. Even as the survivors began picking up the pieces of their lives, the nightmares of the horrors they had faced never really stopped.

Holocaust Memoirs of a Bergen-Belsen Survivor & Classmate of Anne Frank by Nanette Blitz Konig belongs in a library next to all the other books that depict life during World War II. I loved this book but the story made me cry repeatedly as the author recounts the facts of her life in the concentration camp at the hands of the Nazis. The events and people described within the book from a first person perspective make it easy to get lost in the truth of what happened. The entire story of Konig’s Holocaust memoirs will have the most distant reader's heart breaking from the sheer indignity against humanity, then leap in utter joy as the Jews gained their liberty. I love how this story shares profound truths through the eyes of a survivor. It shows just how resilient the human spirit can be in the face of tragedy as Konig and the other survivors pull their lives back together with pride and dignity. I also want to add a huge bravo to Nanette Blitz Konig for the courage to share the real life tragedies so that future generations of the world can learn the harsh truth and not repeat the horrors of the past.

Reviewed by Jane Finch for Readers' Favorite

Banquet of Consequences: A Juror’s Plight by Paul Sanders recounts the true account of the trial of Michele Anderson for the murder of her parents, brother, sister-in-law, and her young niece and nephew. The murders took place in 2007 but it was not until eight years later that the trial took place. The murders became known as the Carnation Murders. The author - who calls himself the thirteenth juror - recounts in graphic detail what happened on Christmas Eve 2007 from his first-hand account as he sat in the gallery throughout the trial. Not only does the book cover the forensics, testimonies, and expert witnesses and opinion, but also includes the author’s personal encounter with Michele Anderson’s boyfriend and accomplice, Joseph McEnroe.

For any reader who seeks true life crime stories, this account of the trial of the Carnation Murders will certainly not disappoint. The detail the author relates transports the reader into the courtroom and each page is concisely and expertly written. It was particularly refreshing to read this account where the author was quite clearly endeavoring not to show any prejudice but to just relate the facts. Having read through the whole trial as related by Paul Sanders, it was of particular interest to read of his meeting with Joseph McEnroe and his feelings about this convicted murderer, only to learn later that perhaps not all was as it seemed. An engrossing read, excellently related, and this reader will certainly seek out other works by Paul Sanders. His dedication to learning the truth, to relating the facts, and the emotion he clearly felt in his quest come across in his writing for the ultimate benefit of the reader.