- Table View
- List View
Stranger: The Challenge of a Latino Immigrant in the Trump Era
by Jorge Ramos“There are times when I feel like a stranger in this country. I am not complaining and it’s not for lack of opportunity. But it is something of a disappointment. I never would have imagined that after having spent thirty five years in the United States I would still be a stranger to so many. But that’s how it is”. Jorge Ramos, an Emmy award-winning journalist, Univision’s longtime anchorman and widely considered the “voice of the voiceless” within the Latino community, was forcefully removed from an Iowa press conference in 2015 by then-candidate Donald Trump after trying to ask about his plans on immigration. In this personal manifesto, Ramos sets out to examine what it means to be a Latino immigrant, or just an immigrant, in present-day America. Using current research and statistics, with a journalist’s nose for a story, and interweaving his own personal experience, Ramos shows us the changing face of America while also trying to find an explanation for why he, and millions of others, still feel like strangers in this country. “It is precisely this pattern of confrontation… that has won Ramos the trust of so many Hispanics. They know that in many countries south of the United States, direct questions can provoke not simply a loss of access but also a loss of life.” --Marcela Valdes, The New York Times
Stranger Among Friends
by David Mixner"From my fear of coming out to coming on strong in the struggle for human rights, this is my American journey, the story of an outsider on the inside, a gay man proudly committed to a life of standing up for freedom."<P> "President Clinton and I were born three days apart. We had both dreamed of serving our country. There was one difference: He could pursue his dream, while I felt I could not. The President was born straight and I was born gay."<P> In this stirring personal history, one of America's most influential gay rights advocates recounts his extraordinary career as a policy maker and adviser to the major political leaders of our time, and his own often anguishing, ultimately triumphant life as a gay man. A longtime personal friend of Bill Clinton, inStranger Among FriendsDavid Mixner offers an insider's look at the power struggles that occur every day in our nation's capital and candid insights on the Clinton administration's successes and failures. Spanning three decades of human rights activism--from the behind-the-scenes negotiations to the painful betrayals to the hard-won victories--his forthright story unflinchingly explores what it means to be an outsider on the inside, and sends a message of hope to all who have ever stood up for what they believe.
Stranger at Home: The Praise Poet in Apartheid South Africa
by Ashlee NeserThis book is about the poetry, vision and deeply inhospitable context of one of South Africas most talented praise poets.The praise poet (imbongi) is a familiar cultural icon in contemporary South Africa. Public events as diverse as presidential inaugurations, openings of parliament, fashion shows and boxing contests begin with the rousing declamations of charismatic iimbongi. Yet until the institution of majority-rule, praise poets who sought to shock their audiences with dangerous truths could claim none of the prestige enjoyed by their present-day counterparts. Under apartheid, many praise poets either ceased to perform or abandoned the imbongi?s duty to diagnose and criticize political and social ills. There was, however, one brilliant Xhosa imbongi called David Manisi, a poet widely acclaimed in his youth as the successor to the great SEK Mqhayi, who refused to capitulate to the ease of silence or complicity. As documented by Jeff Opland in The Dassie and the Hunter (UKZN Press), Manisi worked tirelessly and in embattled contexts to address his audiences with demands, criticisms and aspirations they frequently misunderstood. The author of five volumes of Xhosa poetry and performer of inspired and elegantly crafted izibongo (praise poems), Manisi saw himself as a man of multiple places, allegiances and identities at a time when these markers of self were rigidly policed. Manisi's entrance on the local Transkeian poetry scene was legendary. He was for a time the most famous poet in Kaiser Mathanzima's court. He also wrote the first published poem about Nelson Mandela in 1954, hailing him prophetically as 'Gleaming Road'. Despite these early accomplishments, Manisi ended his career as a lonely performer in American and South African universities. He never met Mandela, his hero of old.Ashlee Neser examines Manisi as an inventive negotiator of rural and urban spaces, modernity and tradition, performance and publication, the local and the foreign.
STRANGER AT THE GATE: To Be Gay and Christian in America
by Mel White&“Compelling…eloquent and compassionate…We learn as much about growing up in the Christian right as we do about gay life in Mel White&’s heartfelt and revealing memoir.&” —San Francisco ExaminerUntil Christmas Eve 1991, Mel White was regarded by the leaders of the religious right as one of their most talented and productive supporters. He penned the speeches of Oliver North. He was a ghostwriter for Jerry Falwell, worked with Jim Bakker, flew in Pat Robertson&’s private jet, walked sandy beaches with Billy Graham. What these men didn&’t know was that Mel White—evangelical minister, committed Christian, family man—was gay. &“An engrossing journey to unite sexuality with faith&” (Dallas Morning News), Stranger at the Gate details Mel White&’s twenty-five years of being counseled, exorcised, electric-shocked, prayed for, and nearly driven to suicide because his church said homosexuality was wrong. But his salvation—to be openly gay and Christian—is more than a unique coming-out story. It is a chilling exposé that goes right into the secret meetings and hidden agendas of the religious right. Told by an eyewitness and sure to anger those Mel White once knew best, Stranger at the Gate is a warning about where the politics of hate may lead America…an important book by a brave man whose words can make us both richer in spirit and much wiser too.
Stranger at the Gates
by Tracy Sugarman Fannie Lou Hamer Charles MclaurinDuring the summer of 1964, over one thousand people, including many college students went to Mississippi as part of a state wide effort to register African-American voters and to establish teaching centers that became known as "Freedom Schools."Participants began their training at a college campus in Ohio. Motivated by a strong sense of social justice, Tracy Sugarman, an artist and commercial illustrator from Westport, Connecticut, joined the volunteers in Ohio and set out to document the people and events of what turned out to be an historic period. Sugarman joined the freedom riders, and while somewhat older and more experienced than most of them, was an active participant throughout. Sugarman traveled to Mississippi and shared all the experiences of the workers as well as their fears and anxiety as they were greeted by anger and violence by many white Mississippians. Sugarman describes and beautifully illustrates the living conditions, day-to-day activities, and the interpersonal relationships that developed between the host families and the visitors.The author introduces us and vividly portrays many of the important people in the movement, including Bob Moses and many others, but he also focuses on the ordinary citizens and hosts.Other works have set forth the significant events that occurred during that summer, including especially the Goodman/Schwerner/Chaney murders that took place in Neshoba County and startled the American public. This first hand account focuses more on the human experiences and its meaning for participants. It is an essential source of information about what Freedom Summer did for those who took part in it and now, with the 50th anniversary of Freedom Summer, Stranger at the Gates will bring to life this momentous period for modern readers.Most of the wonderful illustrations created for the 1966 edition of Stranger at the Gates have been reproduced here, and as a special bonus, 26 illustrations that were not included in the original book are included in a gallery of Freedom Summer in brilliant drawings that bring to life, in Tracy Sugarman's powerful reportorial style, the people and places of 1964 Mississippi.
The Stranger Beside Me (Updated 20th Anniversary Edition)
by Ann RuleOn January 24, 1989, Ted Bundy was put to death in Florida's electric chair for the murder of three young women, though he had confessed to murdering at least 35others as well. Ann Rule tells his story and the story of their friendship. [From the back cover.] Ann Rule was a writer working on the biggest story of her life, tracking down a brutal serial killer. Little did she know that the young man who was her close friend was the savage slayer she was hunting. Ted Bundy was everyone's picture of a natural "winner": handsome, charming, brilliant in law school, successful with women, on the verge of a dazzling career. On January 24, 1989, Ted Bundy was executed for the murders of three young women. He had also confessed to taking the lives of at least thirty-five more young women from coast to coast. This is his story, written by a woman who thought she knew Ted Bundy--until she began to pull all the evidence together, and the whole terrifying picture emerged from the dark depths. "The most fascinating killer in modern American history. ... Ann Rule has an extraordinary angle that makes The Stranger Beside Me as dramatic and chilling as a bedroom window shattering at midnight."--The New York Times
Stranger Care: A Memoir of Loving What Isn't Ours
by Sarah Sentilles&“A powerful, heartbreaking, necessary masterpiece.&”—Cheryl Strayed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wild The moving story of what one woman learned from fostering a newborn—about injustice, about making mistakes, about how to better love and protect people beyond our immediate kin May you always feel at home. After their decision not to have a biological child, Sarah Sentilles and her husband, Eric, decide to adopt via the foster care system. Despite knowing that the system&’s goal is the child&’s reunification with the birth family, Sarah opens their home to a flurry of social workers who question them, evaluate them, and ultimately prepare them to welcome a child into their lives—even if it means most likely having to give the child back. After years of starts and stops, and endless navigation of the complexities and injustices of the foster care system, a phone call finally comes: a three-day-old baby girl named Coco, in immediate need of a foster family. Sarah and Eric bring this newborn stranger home. &“You were never ours,&” Sarah tells Coco, &“yet we belong to each other.&” A love letter to Coco and to the countless children like her, Stranger Care chronicles Sarah&’s discovery of what it means to mother—in this case, not just a vulnerable infant but the birth mother who loves her, too. Ultimately, Coco&’s story reminds us that we depend on family, and that family can take different forms. With prose that Nick Flynn has called &“fearless, stirring, rhythmic,&” Sentilles lays bare an intimate, powerful story with universal concerns: How can we care for and protect one another? How do we ensure a more hopeful future for life on this planet? And if we&’re all related—tree, bird, star, person—how might we better live?
Stranger (En espanol): El Desafio De Un Inmigrante Latino En La Era De Trump
by Jorge Ramos Ezra E. Fitz“Hay veces en que me siento como un extraño en el país donde he pasado más de la mitad de mi vida. No es por falta de oportunidades, ni una queja. Es, más bien, una especie de desilusión. Jamás me imaginé que después de 35 años en Estados Unidos iba a seguir siendo un stranger para muchos. Pero eso soy.” Jorge Ramos, periodista galardonado con premios Emmy, reconocido presentador del Noticiero Univisión y considerado “la voz de los sin voz” de la comunidad latina, fue expulsado de una rueda de prensa del candidato presidencial Donald Trump en Iowa en el año 2015 tras cuestionar sus planes sobre inmigración. En este manifiesto personal, Ramos explora qué significa ser un inmigrante latino, o simplemente un inmigrante, en los Estados Unidos de nuestros días. Mediante datos y estadísticas, su olfato para encontrar historias y su propia memoria personal, Ramos nos muestra el rostro cambiante de America y explora las razones por las que él, y muchos otros millones de inmigrantes, aún se sienten como strangers en este país. “Es precisamente su estilo de confrontación… el que le ha ganado a Ramos la confianza de tantos hispanos. Ellos saben que en muchos países al sur de Estados Unidos las preguntas directas pueden significar, no solo perder el acceso, sino también perder la vida”. --Marcela Valdes, The New York Times
Stranger Here: How Weight-Loss Surgery Transformed My Body and Messed with My Head
by Jen LarsenJen Larsen always thought that if she could only lose some weight, she would be unstoppable. She was convinced that once she found a way to not be fat any more, she would have the perfect existence she’d always dreamed of. When diet after diet failed, she decided to try bariatric surgery, and it worked better than she ever could have dreamed: she lost 180 pounds. As the weight fell away, though, Larsen realized that getting skinny was not the magical cure she thought it would be-and suddenly, she wasn’t sure who she was anymore. Stranger Hereis the brutally honest, surprisingly hilarious story of one woman’s journey from one extreme of the weight spectrum to the other, and of the unexpected emotional chaos it created. Insightful and unsparing in her self-examination, Larsen depicts the exhilarating highs and devastating lows she experienced as a result of her weight loss-the incredible joy of finally beginning to look like the image of herself she’s always carried inside her head, and the crushing pain and confusion of feeling like a stranger in her own body after losing the weight that has always defined her.
Stranger in a Strange Land: Searching for Gershom Scholem and Jerusalem
by George ProchnikTaking his lead from his subject, Gershom Scholem—the 20th century thinker who cracked open Jewish theology and history with a radical reading of Kabbalah—Prochnik combines biography and memoir to counter our contemporary political crisis with an original and urgent reimagining of the future of Israel.In Stranger in a Strange Land, Prochnik revisits the life and work of Gershom Scholem, whose once prominent reputation, as a Freud-like interpreter of the inner world of the Cosmos, has been in eclipse in the United States. He vividly conjures Scholem’s upbringing in Berlin, and compellingly brings to life Scholem’s transformative friendship with Walter Benjamin, the critic and philosopher. In doing so, he reveals how Scholem’s frustration with the bourgeois ideology of Germany during the First World War led him to discover Judaism, Kabbalah, and finally Zionism, as potent counter-forces to Europe’s suicidal nationalism. Prochnik’s own years in the Holy Land in the 1990s brings him to question the stereotypical intellectual and theological constructs of Jerusalem, and to rediscover the city as a physical place, rife with the unruliness and fecundity of nature. Prochnik ultimately suggests that a new form of ecological pluralism must now inherit the historically energizing role once played by Kabbalah and Zionism in Jewish thought.
Stranger in My Bed: The Intimate Story of a Woman's Courageous Struggle to Rebuild Her Life After Amnesia
by Beverly Slater Frances Spatz LeightonWednesday, February 13, 1980: It was an ordinary morning for Beverly Slater, forty-eight-year-old wife and mother, as she made her way to work in downtown Philadelphia. But as she crossed the street, she was hit by a car--and when she woke up in the hospital, she didn’t know who she was. She also didn’t recognize the face of the solicitous stranger who said he was her husband, who spoke of a daughter she didn’t remember. Beverly had lost not only her memory, but her identity--everything she was to herself and all who knew her. So begins the author’s incredible story of rebirth, of her valiant attempt to reconstruct a life now forgotten, to forge a new rapport with family and friends. We share her moments of hope, joy, despair, as Beverly contends with the most fundamental elements of daily life: from learning what an elevator door is (“Why are the walls opening?”) to meeting her daughter (“Who the hell are you?”). Beverly Slater bravely meets the challenge of a brand new world, seeking--and conquering--seemingly insurmountable obstacles. She explores the most intimate aspects of her transformation: from her sexual relationship with her husband, now a stranger, to her psychoanalysis... and at last she emerges with a deep understanding of the "new" Beverly Slater--gutsy and outspoken, no longer a stranger to her family or herself. This is a powerful, heartwarming story from a woman whose life is a testament to the resilience of love and the triumph of hope.
Stranger In My Own Country: A Jewish Family In Modern Germany
by Yascha MounkA moving and unsettling exploration of a young man's formative years in a country still struggling with its past. As a Jew in postwar Germany, Yascha Mounk felt like a foreigner in his own country. When he mentioned that he is Jewish, some made anti-Semitic jokes or talked about the superiority of the Aryan race. Others, sincerely hoping to atone for the country's past, fawned over him with a forced friendliness he found just as alienating. Vivid and fascinating, the book traces the contours of Jewish life in a country still struggling with the legacy of the Third Reich and portrays those who, inevitably, continue to live in its shadow. Marshaling an extraordinary range of material into a lively narrative, Mounk surveys his countrymen's responses to "the Jewish question." Examining history, the story of his family, and his own childhood, he shows that anti-Semitism and far-right extremism have long coexisted with self-conscious philo-Semitism in postwar Germany. But of late a new kind of resentment against Jews has come out in the open. Unnoticed by much of the outside world, the desire for a "finish line" that would spell a definitive end to the country's obsession with the past is feeding an emphasis on German victimhood. Mounk shows how, from the government's pursuit of a less "apologetic" foreign policy to the way the country's idea of the Volk makes life difficult for its immigrant communities, a troubled nationalism is shaping Germany's future.
The Stranger in the Mirror: A Memoir of Middle Age
by Jane ShillingMiddle age took Jane Shilling by surprise. She hadn't seen it coming, and she certainly wasn't ready for it. Living a flawed, bittersweet version of the idyll she dreamed of in her twenties, in a tumbledown urban cottage by the Thames, with a son, a cat and a horse in a livery fifty miles away, she wondered whether middle age was the beginning of the end. Or was there one last great adventure to be had? The Stranger in the Mirror is one woman's attempt to understand what middle age means for her and whether, as a new generation of women turns fifty, a revolution is under way. It definitely won't reverse the signs of ageing - but it will make you laugh, it will make you think and it could just make you look in the mirror in a slightly different way...
The Stranger in the Woods: The extraordinary story of the last true hermit
by Michael FinkelIn 1986, twenty-year-old Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the woods. He would not speak to another human being until three decades later when he was arrested for stealing food. Christopher survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store food and water in order to avoid freezing to death in his tent during the harsh Maine winters. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothes, reading material and other provisions, taking only what he needed. In the process, he unwittingly terrified a community unable to solve the mysterious burglaries. Myths abounded amongst the locals eager to find this legendary hermit. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life and the challenges he faced returning to the world. The Stranger in the Woods is a riveting story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude and what makes for a good life. Above all, this is a deeply moving portrait of a man determined to live life his own way.
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit
by Michael FinkelNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a reality—not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his own.&“A meditation on solitude, wildness and survival.&” —The Wall Street JournalIn 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life—why did he leave? what did he learn?—as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.
The Stranger Inside
by Shannon MoroneyWhen Shannon Moroney married Jason Staples in October 2005, she had no idea that her happy life as a newlywed was about to come crashing down around her. One month after her wedding, a police officer arrived at her hotel door while she was out of town with the news that her husband had been arrested and charged with the brutal sexual assault and kidnapping of two women, taking them to the house he shared with Shannon to commit the acts of violence. In the aftermath of the crimes, Shannon dealt with a heavy burden of grief, the stress and publicity of a major criminal investigation, and the painful stigma of guilt by association - all the while attempting to understand what had made Jason commit such violence. In this intimate and gripping journey into the human heart, Shannon reveals the far-reaching impact of Jason's crimes and the agonizing choices faced by the loved ones of offenders. She also tells the powerful story of how she made the amazing transition from being a member of the 'trauma club' to completely rebuilding her life. This is an impassioned, harrowing and ultimately hopeful story of one woman's pursuit of justice, forgiveness and healing.
Stranger No More: A Muslim Refugee’s Story of Harrowing Escape, Miraculous Rescue, and the Quiet Call of Jesus
by Craig Borlase Annahita ParsanThere will be pain ahead, and trouble and problems that I won’t be able to fix on my own.But in them all, I know God will be there, calling me to look to him. Inviting me to take the next step toward his open arms.And I will say yes.And yes.And yes.Annahita Parsan was born into a Muslim family in Iran and grew up with the simple hope of one day finding a good husband, having children, and doing some good in the world. Married and a mother before she turned eighteen, Annahita found herself unexpectedly widowed and trapped for years in an abusive second marriage that she later fled—discovering instead a God who might love her.Stranger No More is the remarkable true story of Annahita’s path from oppression to the life-changing hope of Jesus. Fleeing Iran across the mountains into Turkey, she spent months in the terrifying Agri prison before a miraculous release and flight to Europe, where she and her two children knelt in a church and prayed, “God, from this day on we are Christians.”Filled with unthinkable circumstances, miraculous rescues, and the quietly constant voice of Jesus, Stranger No More leads readers deep into the heart of God and draws them toward the same call that Annahita heeds today: using her past to save others from theirs. As the leader of two congregations in Sweden, Annahita has baptized hundreds of former Muslims since her own conversion, has seen firsthand the powerful ways God is at work among those who have left Islam behind, and is reminded every day that saying yes to God is always worth the risk.
Stranger than Fiction
by Denise RobinsThe autobiography of Denise Robins, the 100-million-copy bestselling Queen of Romance, first published in 1965, and available now for the first time in eBook.Apart from writing over two hundred novels which have sold over one hundred million copies worldwide, Denise Robins led a remarkable life. Love and romance were always dominant influences and were reflected not only in her work but in her attitude to life. All the warmth, compassion and deep understanding of the frailty if the human heart that shine through her novels, can be seen here in her autobiography. It is a story that will captivate her huge audience of readers.
Stranger than Fiction
by Denise RobinsThe autobiography of Denise Robins, the 100-million-copy bestselling Queen of Romance, first published in 1965, and available now for the first time in eBook. Apart from writing over two hundred novels which have sold over one hundred million copies worldwide, Denise Robins led a remarkable life. Love and romance were always dominant influences and were reflected not only in her work but in her attitude to life. All the warmth, compassion and deep understanding of the frailty if the human heart that shine through her novels, can be seen here in her autobiography. It is a story that will captivate her huge audience of readers.
Stranger Than Kindness
by Nick CaveA journey in images and words into the creative world of musician, storyteller, and cultural icon Nick Cave.One of the world’s most celebrated artists, Nick Cave has enthralled and intrigued fans for more than four decades. With Stranger Than Kindness he reveals his innermost creative process as never before. Vibrant, evocative, and startlingly intimate, this remarkable volume peels back the layers of a unique artist, illuminating the inspiration that drives his work and exploring his many universes, both real and imagined.Featuring full color reproductions of original artwork, handwritten lyrics, photographs, and collected personal artifacts, Stranger Than Kindness ponders the origins of our deepest influences—what shapes our lives and makes us who we are—and celebrates the curiosity and power of the creative spirit.
Stranger to History: A Son's Journey through Islamic Lands
by Aatish Taseer"Indispensable reading for anyone who wants a wider understanding of the Islamic world, of its history and its politics." —Financial TimesAatish Taseer's fractured upbringing left him with many questions about his own identity. Raised by his Sikh mother in Delhi, his father, a Pakistani Muslim, remained a distant figure. Stranger to History is the story of the journey he made to try to understand what it means to be Muslim in the twenty-firstcentury. Starting from Istanbul, Islam's once greatest city, he travels to Mecca, its most holy, and then home through Iran and Pakistan. Ending in Lahore, at his estranged father's home, on the night Benazir Bhutto was killed, it is also the story of Taseer's divided family over the past fifty years. Recent events have added a coda to Stranger to History, as his father was murdered by a political assassin. A new introduction by the author reflects on how this event changes the impact of the book, and why its message is more relevant than ever.
Strangers and Neighbors: What I Have Learned About Christianity by Living Among Orthodox Jews
by Maria Poggi JohnsonThe compelling, insightful, and challenging memoir of a Christian woman's exploration of her faith while living in community with strictly Orthodox Jews. As Maria Johnson explains: "I knew that Christianity is rooted deep in Judaism, but living in daily contact with a vital and vibrant Jewish life has been fascinating and transforming. I am and will remain a Christian, but I am a rather different Christian than I was before."
Strangers Assume My Girlfriend Is My Nurse
by Shane BurcawWith his signature acerbic wit and hilarious voice, twenty-something author, blogger, and entrepreneur Shane Burcaw is back with an essay collection about living a full life in a body that many people perceive as a tragedy. From anecdotes about first introductions where people patted him on the head instead of shaking his hand, to stories of passersby mistaking his able-bodied girlfriend for a nurse, Shane tackles awkward situations and assumptions with humor and grace. On the surface, these essays are about day-to-day life as a wheelchair user with a degenerative disease, but they are actually about family, love, and coming of age.
A Stranger's Gift: True Stories of Faith in Unexpected Places
by Tom HallmanIn this very personal, welcoming book, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tom Hallman, Jr., shares his journey of faith from indifferent agnostic to growing believer. Faith, Hallman tells us, is looking in the mirror in the morning and wondering why. It's about doubt and hope. It's catching a glimpse of a beacon piercing the fog of life and walking toward it, never knowing if you're headed in the right direction, but pressing onward. You'll meet ordinary people and be drawn into conversations that ask probing, almost intrusive questions--conversations that linger in your mind and resonate with your heart--from the ache of a mother who watched her baby die after only twenty days of struggling for life to the peaceful strength of a man working with those whose present situations mirror his past. Within these pages, you'll find real and honest accounts of everyday people whose discoveries of faith will inspire and comfort you on your own journey. *** The security lock thumped open, and I stepped into Level 3, a neonatal unit where I had been drawn to a drama played out minute by minute. As I stood above two cribs along a back wall, I wondered less about doctors, nurses, and medicine and more about God. Two babies had been born with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Both had been placed on a heart-lung bypass machine to let their organs rest. One boy had no name. His mother was a crack addict. After giving birth, she abandoned her baby and never returned to the hospital. In the adjacent crib lay Jonah Van Arnam. His parents were active members of a church and visited their son daily to pray for him and the nurses and doctors. One afternoon, a nurse pulled me aside and told me a miracle was taking place: the crack addict's baby was getting better. But ... Jonah was dying. Why had God abandoned this couple and their son? Where was this so-called loving God? --from chapter 6
Strangers in the House
by Dorothy GallagherHere are two acclaimed memoirs in one remarkable volume. In an extraordinarily compelling voice, Dorothy Gallagher tells stories taking us from her parents’ beginnings in the Ukraine to her own childhood in 1940s New York, through the many adventures of her extended family and into her own adult life. Her themes are universal: the fragility of friendship, the power of love, the marital crisis brought on by chronic illness, the role of dumb luck at the heart of life–Gallagher dramatizes her stories with acute insight, strong feeling, and edgy wit.