BOOK REVIEW: Under the Cover of Light by Carole Engle Avriett

UNDER THE COVER OF LIGHT

The Extraordinary Story of USAF COL Thomas "Jerry" Curtis's 7 1/2-Year Captivity in North Vietnam

by Carole Engle Avriett

Tyndale, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4964-2157-9

Source: publisher for review

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In 1965, Col. Thomas "Jerry" Curtis's helicopter was shot down over North Vietnam. He was immediately captured and spent 71/2 years confined in a filthy 5′ x 7′ cell at the notorious Hanoi prison camp. Thousands of miles from home and unable to communicate with his wife and children, Jerry endured months of solitary confinement, suffocating heat, freezing cold, grueling physical and psychological torture, constant hunger, and unimaginable mental duress. And yet, time and again, the Light that darkness cannot overcome became his beacon of hope. Now, for the first time in print, Jerry shares the full story of his 2,703 days in captivity and what he learned about faith, hope, and the indomitable power of the human spirit.

REVIEW

There are some books that leave you pondering after you have read them.  This is one such book.  Admittedly this isn't always the easiest book to read.  Torture is never a pleasant topic and this book describes it plainly.  Those parts definitely made me flinch.  At the same time, the courage and determination of Jerry and his fellow prisoners was truly inspiring.  While all the prisoners had their breaking points, many still found the courage and the will to carry on through faith in God and/or their contact with each other.  Through tremendous hardships both physical and mental/emotional, Jerry turned to God to help him cope.  The tapping code he learned from other prisoners helped him stay in contact with other prisoners while he was in solitary confinement.  It still boggles my mind though that he spent 7 1/2 years moving from prison to prison, suffering physical torture, malnutrition, and emotional distress.  This is a powerful memoir that inspires with it's reminder of the power of faith in God and the love of family, friends, and country.  Highly recommended for those who can handle reading about the sometimes awful, sometimes wonderful things that people are capable of doing to each other.

BLOG TOUR: Patchwork Reality by Pauline Hansen

PATCHWORK REALITY

Happily Married to a Schizophrenic

by Pauline Hansen

ISBN: 978-1-4621-1364-4

Memoir

Source: author for review

All opinions expressed are solely my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Through a series of dreams and delusions, Curtis Hansen becomes convinced that he and his wife, Pauline, are part of an intricate game devised for the entertainment of wealthy onlookers. To win, the couple must stay together despite a series of temptations and trials designed to break up their marriage. After playing “The Game” with Curtis for nine arduous years, Pauline makes a shocking discovery. Read the riveting, true account of her decade in the dark and her return to reality after Curtis is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pauline Hansen grew up in a tiny town where she went everywhere barefoot, played in the ditch, and anticipated the arrival of the bookmobile every two weeks. Her love of reading led her to dream of someday becoming an author. In addition to reading and writing, Pauline enjoys traveling, spring cleaning, cooking, organizing, and spending time with her family. After nearly twenty-five years living in the city, she now resides once again in her tiny hometown in southern Utah with her husband, three of their five children, and two cats. Patchwork Reality is her first publication.

REVIEW

Relationships can be very complicated.  Add mental illness to the mix and things can become really difficult especially when one doesn't know that mental illness is the underlying problem.  In Patchwork Reality, Pauline Hansen tells the story of her experience of living with her husband for ten years before discovering that he had an undiagnosed mental illness: paranoid schizophrenia. Suddenly all sorts of strange behavior had an explanation, but for 10 years she struggled to maintain a good relationship with a husband who maintained that they were part of a 'game' that involved others 'testing' their relationship. I spent a lot of time while reading this book empathizing with Pauline and her family as they struggled to deal with the strange things that her husband kept saying and doing. I admired how honest she is about her own mistakes and the struggles her family has had. I'm sure there are many other families out there who have had similar struggles. I can see this book providing comfort to those who face such difficult times. I appreciate her willingness to share such a difficult story and yet the love she and her husband have for each other helped them survive and continue to deal with the challenges of mental illness.  Highly recommended.

BLOG TOUR: The Summer Called Angel by Sola Olu

THE SUMMER CALLED ANGEL
A story of hope on the journey through prematurity
written by Sola Olu
Createspace, 2012
Memoir
Print copy provided by author for blog tour in return for honest review.
All opinions expressed are solely my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sola Olu was expecting: expecting to receive a graduate degree from DePaul University and expecting her first child. Instead she went for a routine doctor's visit and found herself delivering her daughter Angel at a perilously premature time. Sola and her husband Chris were thrust into an unimaginable odyssey spanning seven months, several surgeries, and a painful separation with their newborn. The Summer Called Angel provides intimate, hands-on details of the medical complexity as well as the emotional toll taken on parents who must witness their tiny baby struggle for life. The Summer Called Angel also touches on Sola's second premature birth. This memoir serves as a powerful tribute to maternal love in the face of unexpected challenges. It is certain to offer strength to readers experiencing prematurity and offer a celebration of devotion that will resonate with parents everywhere.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sola Olu was born and raised in Nigeria. As a child, she loved making up stories and as soon as she could write she started putting them down on paper. She holds degrees in English and Information Systems, Sola works in the retail industry and volunteers as a counselor to mothers of premature babies. Her writings include essays, poetry and children's stories. She loves to cook, travel and attend the theater. She lives in Illinois with her husband and two children.

AUTHOR'S WEBSITES

Sola Olu’s website

The Summer Called Angel Facebook Page

REVIEW

What a heart-wrenching story! Giving birth to her daughter three months early was not on Sola's agenda. Neither was the roller coaster ride as she and her husband along with the doctors and nurses struggled to help Angel survive.  The ups and downs would be enough to thoroughly exhaust and wrench the heart of any parent.  I found the book both touching and inspiring as Sola honestly portrays her struggles with the challenges of prematurity. The author includes notes from the doctors and nurses as well as her own thoughts and feelings.  There is quite a bit of physical description of Angel's condition and the surgeries and care that her physical condition required.  This helped me get a better overall picture of the challenges that come with prematurity.  Sola's account truly touched my heart and helped me feel more empathy for all those who struggle with the same or similar concerns. For those who have experienced similar things this is a story of hope. For those who simply want to better understand, this is an honest and open account of the importance of family and the support those going through such things really need. I can easily recommend this book as a thoughtful and emotionally powerful read. Note: the editing does leave something to be desired, I mean periods outside quotation marks? Hopefully these problems will be fixed in future editions.