Book Reviews by Joan Gives Brae MacKenzie Five Stars

Book Reviews by Joan

The Latest Review
 

Brae MacKenzie: A Romance of Mythic Identity

By Kenneth Atchity

When folklore becomes alive.

"This is a story that most adult women will love. The author does an excellent job of bringing forth the characters of this young woman and man and then elaborate, thorough descriptions of the countryside, the weather and the plants. I was enthralled with this story."   5 Stars

By Joan A. Adamak, Joan's Musings

This book encompasses a beautiful love story and it is like a travelogue of Scotland, for those of us who have never been there. Brae MacKenzie is a successful San Francisco painter, who seems to have it all, but because of family losses during childhood, cannot find happiness within herself, especially after her charismatic husband suddenly dies. She is left with a son, but she has always felt a sense of loss and longing since childhood. Her artistic passion hasn't filled that void, and with the untimely death of her husband, the old pain resurges and her depression becomes deeper and deeper. Brae's father senses his daughter's pain and before she embarks for an exhibit in England, he hands her a family heirloom hidden away for years...a letter with a treasure map, which says: "Since you are still among the living, your heart is not broken...follow the map to Scotland." The London exhibit, in its ultra-chic hollowness, prompts Brae into taking the advice of that bewildering letter. She hops a train for Glasgow. When her train emerges in an ancient Caledonian forest, Brae is pulled enough out of her depression to feel something and she stops at the next station. 

She is met by Damon, a well-built young Scot, who although a stranger to her, yet seems to know her. He becomes her personal guide into the myths and history of Scotland, including identifying all of the fauna, and takes her on a trip by horseback around the country, setting up camp, cooking and protecting her. But he doesn’t say much, doesn’t seem to want to talk, is rather withdrawn and dour. She gets accustomed to it and begins to look outside of herself. They travel much of Scotland to the ocean and as time passes, Brae begins to feel again and find some joy and beauty in life. She has inherited her grandmother’s house and lands on the edge of the ocean Damon becomes friendlier and even laughs with her sometimes. He explains her deceased grandmother’s life, and finally admits to her that he will never marry because he is sterile and he wouldn’t burden any woman with that. But she has a child, she realizes that they are falling in love and that he will never make a move, so she does and he responds. Her travels and kinship with him bring out the best in her and in him.

THE LAST WITNESS By Jerry Amernic Reviewed by Joan's Musings

Moments in world history that must never be forgotten

I was in high school during WWII and I remember the news footage when General Eisenhower first visited Auschwitz, and even in these times there are people who claim that Auschwitz and the other death camps never existed.

Although this story is written as fiction, the conditions and treatment of the Jews as related by Jack Fisher are true.  Jack was originally a Jew and imprisoned in the ghetto in Poland by the Nazis.  Jack and other small boys would make a hole in the wall and sneak out to steal food to eat, for the Nazis never let enough food be allowed into the ghetto to feed everyone sufficiently. At this time, Jack had a Jewish name as Jacob, so he spoke Polish, and then had to learn German, which the Germans demanded.  Jack was rather blond with blue eyes, so he didn’t look Jewish, but more Polish.  One time when Jack was out stealing, he entered a Catholic Church.  The priest gave him food and told him to come back weekly and he would have food for him.  The priest also recognized the fact that Jack looking Polish might save his life, so he dye Jack’s hair more blond and told Jack to use the Polish version of Jacob and he also taught him some Catholic prayers.  Thus Jack was able to save his life and as the years passed, he said he was Catholic.  Eventually the priest was taken away by the Gestapo.  Jack was four and five years old during these times.

Then the Nazis began to move the Jews out of the ghetto, over-loaded them on freight train cars and sent them to Auschwitz.  Eventually all of Jack’s family was killed and the only reason why Jack wasn’t was because the Nazis thought him Polish and Dr. Mengele never got around to experimenting on him like he did the other children.  Through this story Jack tells about the atrocities that occurred.

The slant in this story against other tales of Nazis and the Jews is that the story takes place in 2039, the Holocaust of the murder of six million Jews took place from 1939 to end of WWII and in the meantime in 2019 there was a slaughter of twenty-thousand Christians by Muslims, which was considered the Great Holocaust.

Jack is now one hundred years old and there were only four or five other Jews that old who were Holocaust victims.  One by one they suffered mysterious deaths.  The officials of Austria, Germany and several European countries claimed Jack and the others lied.  That they did have camps where they simply held people who were considered anti-German.

Jack spoke up about his experiences when he had a chance and his great grand-daughter, Christine, was able to get documented proof of these camps and the names and numbers who were killed, as they were original Nazi records.

This put Jack and Christine’s lives in danger.  And the story continues with what they went through to prove what Jack said.  This is a fantastic plot, a page turner, but a true historical story based on facts.  I received a complimentary copy for an honest review.  

Reposted from Book Reviews by Joan