Reviews

Charlotte Opfermann

THE ART OF DARKNESS
• "Anne Frank might have sounded like this, if she had lived...Unforgettable anecdotes – five Jewish schoolgirls steal a moment’s happiness on a rare Sunday outing to the country in 1939 – and heartbreaking photographs --" - Suzanne Ruta, New York Times Reviewer
• "There's a wonderful mix of deep feeling, factual reportage & analysis and biting black humor. . .which provides a glimpse into uncommonly seen corners of the not-so-paradisiacal 'Paradise Ghetto' Theresienstadt - -not just the much lauded art and music, but the hunger, the dirt and the death." - Cheri Pugh, Historian, WPA Film Library

Raghu N. Mitra

AT THE DAVIES
• "This was an in-depth behind the scenes look at a loony bin of the first order. . .an intriguing book and a fascinating look at what a mental institution looks like from the inside." - J.A. Hitchcock (read the entire review)

Kathryn Lively

LITTLE FLOWERS
• "Kathryn Lively skillfully spins a contemporary tale of riveting pro-life fiction. The interconnecting lives in a town where each life touches so many others has an intricate plot line involving murder, teen pregnancy, Catholic families, abortion protests, lonely hearts, scarred souls, dinners at the café and prayer, especially rosaries." - National Catholic Register
• "A debut novel of ambitious scope, Little Flowers raises some interesting questions regarding the consequences of murder, abortion, and pre-marital sex...[Lively] shows real talent and I hope she will continue to write because she brings a fresh viewpoint to the world inspirational novels." -- Scribes World Reviews
• "Lively tries to personalize abortion by putting all these struggles in the lives of a likable set of characters...within this framework, Lively tries to render all the characters' struggles sympathetically, even mercifully. It is not a harsh book. To her credit, even the abortionists are not demonized. Some readers will be put off by the overt teaching passages. Others will find these passages reassuring, life-affirming. However, this book was published by a secular press, and that in itself is a small miracle." -- Maryanne Hannan, Southern Renaissance

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Jerry Robbins

FOR LOVE AND LIBERTY
• "The battle scenes are vivid and gripping, the discussions of battle plans and the blending of historical figures such as George Washington and Aaron Burr are wonderful. Robbins' way with words is admirable and although the book does come to a conclusion, you most certainly know it is not the end." - - J.A. Hitchcock, Book Reviewer
• ". . .against the blood stirring backdrop of the American Revolution, Jerry Robbins breathes life and passion into her characters in this stirring and dramatic epoch. Threading their way through the maelstrom of events that gave birth to a great nation, Penelope and Daniel come to flesh and blood life for us over 200 years later and through their story we can feel something of what it must have been like to have lived, loved, lusted, hoped, and fought and, in the process, helped to give birth to a new era." - J.P.

• "This saga of the American Revolution is a splendidly-researched, action-driven tale in which even the fiction is based on truth.  It combines lots of action and battle scenes, romance, and humor with a startling conclusion." - James Reed

• "Surprising secrets of our country's origins come to life in this new novel about a soldier turned spy and a fiery preacher's daughter, and the young officers of Washington's army whose courage and ideas will later shape the new nation. A must read for any man or woman who is an American." -Louise Brown

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Joseph Sackett

GRAY GHOSTS

• "Sackett has an uncanny ability to accurately portray not only a Marine's life as an Officer, but also the life of a man and woman. Even if you're a non-military person, you'll understand the hardship, the separation, the happiness and the grief that occurs throughout this book. The author has a way with words that will appeal to just about any reader." - J.A. Hitchcock, Book Reviewer
• "Joseph Sackett's first novel, Gray Ghosts, is a wonderful and highly original work, with much based on his experiences as an airman." - Eugene Walter on his weekly public radio show on WHIL (poet, artist, author of the Lippincott prize-winning novel, The Untidy Pilgrim).

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PRESENT IN SPIRIT

• "I will warn you- the ending needs a box of tissues. I actually had to stop reading for a while because it moved me to tears. This book is wonderful read and with winter coming up, it's a great book to cuddle up in front of the fireplace with. And a glass of Merlot." - J.A. Hitchcock, Book Reviewer
• "Sackett's new novel, Present in Spirit, opening with a rally of Sons of the Confederacy in (Mobile's) Washington Square, has a sharp, clear style. A must read for lovers of southern fiction." - Eugene Walter on his weekly public radio show on WHIL (novelist, poet, co-founder of the Paris Review).

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Stephen G. Esrati

THE TENTH PRAYER
• "I found this a real page-turner, and I stayed up much too late to finish it. I loaned my copy to a friend who is a World War II vet, and her comment was 'more fact than fiction.' She went on to say that this was one of the best-informed books about World War II that she had ever read. Mr. Esrati obviously knows his subject very well to earn that kind of praise from someone who was there. He is also able to create believable characters and make the reader really care about them." - Ada Prill, on Amazon.com
• "The author has created a set of characters - some of whom represent real people - that give the reader a good feel for what those days were like, for the European survivors and for those who risked their lives to get them to Eretz Israel. The Tenth Prayer is not only 'a good read,' but it recalls the heroic events and ideological struggles that marked Israel's early days." - Ted Steinberg, The Jeruselum Post

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COMRADES, AVENGE US
• "COMRADES is one of the best-written books of the espionage/military genre I have read in many years. Throughout, you address an intelligent lay readership and use extremely effective language. The book is enjoyable, readable, and thought-provoking. I cannot for the life of me figure out why a major publisher, like Random House or Dell, has not jumped at the chance to offer you a contract. If I were to compare your writing with other historical novelists, I would compare you with Hans Hellmut Kirst, who made a career out of telling stories about the German Army, the Nazis, and WWII, much of which he derived from his personal experience while serving in the German Army from 1933 to 1945. In fact, I would say that your book is better than several of Kirst's later volumes, namely Brothers in Arms and Nights of the Long Knives." - Joseph Rober White, PhD, a noted historian.
• "It's a well-crafted book, not easy reading, but fast and enjoyable, filled with local color and convincing detail." - Michael Laurence, Editor's Choice column, Feb 2 1998 issue of Linn's Stamp News.
• " Steve Esrati is a man who boils easily when he perceives injustice, often to some effect, and always eloquently." - Emerson Batdorff, retired film critic of The Plain Dealer
• "A brilliantly written story - fiction combined with the real events in a way that the reader has to become concerned about how the international community should handle crimes against mankind." - Roland Klinger, Bonn, Germany
• "But the most riveting (words in this book) that really strikes a cord...'In the third cell, German whitewash had tried to conceal 'Comrades, avenge us,' but the letters are still visible.' This is very apropos...I liked it (the book) and would recommend reading it...the dialog is believable a good read." - Joseph Zika, Cincinnati, Ohio

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