The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms

When Amy Byler's husband left her and their two kids, it took every ounce of her energy to go back to work, maintain the house, pay the bills and be a single mom.  Now, after 3 years, her husband is back and wants to re-connect with the kids over the summer.  When Amy comes across an opportunity to go to New York, she jumps at the chance to re-visit her college roots.  What she discovers, however, is  under that huge layer of "mom" is an intelligent and attractive woman desperate for more than just a summer in the spotlight.

I loved the humour in this book and laughed out loud several times.  I also found the emotions and relationships in the book to be very real: you want to comfort Amy when she's hurt, angry, and down on herself, and you want to cheer her discoveries and accomplishments. I gave this book 4 stars.

By Chance Alone by Max Eisen

Max Eisen was only 15 when he and his family were rounded up and taken to Auschwitz in 1944.  In this book, Eisen shares the horror and inhumanity his family and millions of other Jews suffered.  Eisen worked in the concentration camp's hospital, and provides details and information I have never read in other books.  Eisen also reveals the difficulties and continued mistreatment Jews faced even after they were liberated.  Eisen made a promise to his father that he would tell the world about their experiences, and he keeps this promise through the speeches he gives all over the world, and by writing this book.

I am in awe of Max Eisen's resiliency and courage. His writing made me feel like I was there, seeing things through his eyes.  Racism and prejudice is on the rise in today's world, and, like Max Eisen, I wish everyone would read books like this so they learn or remember, and the horrors of the past will never be repeated.