Some 'BRIEF' book summary's

BARTOK, Mira. "The Memory Palace"
I have been wanting for some time to read this book, probably because of my background in psychology. My office manager Kay bought it for me, and I told her she could have it for the Library she's director of when I finished. But now that I've read it I'm a bit selfish about giving it up.
Its the real life story of two young ladies who grow up in a home where dad runs away while they are very young. MOm has constant bouts with mentally dropping in and out of life, and abusing the children. Finally both girls move away from home, change their names and attempt to conceal where they life so she can't find them. Yet at the same time they battle with not being with her. It's an engaging story in the sense that it shows us how family situations are not always easily solved, and even the most sincere attempts to help go astray. It does get a little tedious, but nonetheless it's amazing how a social worker finally tracks down the girls and lets them know that their homeless mother is in the hospital facing her last days ....... and then how they come together, and what results changes both their lives. ENJOY

GOWDA, Shilipi Somaya. "Secret Daughter"
Although this is a novel it is taken from a real life happening. Its how an American couple adopt a baby from India ... and the long journey of how both that American couple, and the parents of the adopted baby have their paths cross. However if you're envisioning a Hollywood ending - forget it!! That's all I'll say about that. But I still wonder how much of this story is the personal journey of the author? Its interesting how the author keeps rotating between the life story of both set of parents, and how strained family situations can strengthen unconsciously.

LIEBERMAN, Joe. "The Gift of Rest"
I've never been a Lieberman fan, that is until I read this book. Joe Lieberman is a practicing orthodox Jew. Throughout the whole book as he wrote about how, in the midst of world crises and his job as a Senator, he kept the Sabbath holy brought me a deep respect for this man and challenged me to keep the Sabbath holy. In this world where we so often compromise so that we can just get along, I'm reminded that God still wants to spend a 'special day with special time' with us; and I'm not doing nearly as good a job at that as Senator Joe. Its so easy to make excuses on why I don't keep the Sabbath holy as I should, and neither does the church, and yet Joe calls us back to more than the practice of the Sabbath, but the Sanctity of it.
ENJOY.