Book Review - The Night Sky: A Journey from Dachau to Denver and Back. - Maria Sutton

The author is generous enough to offer a copy of her book to one follower of this blog.  Please leave a comment with your contact info
 and the way you follow for an entry.
Thank you Maria.  
The giveaway ends November 6th and the winner will be contacted the 7th.
Good luck...this is a wonderful book.

Title:  TheNight Sky: A Journey from Dachau to Denver and Back.

Author: Maria Sutton

Review:  I really enjoyed this book, the idea of someone not knowing their father and searching for him for years hit home with me.  I have a family member that learned that her father was not who she thought on her mother’s death bed.  Sadly she was never able to get a name from her mother and will forever wonder who her father was.  The author on the other hand had a name and her search for her father lead her to many places and ultimately back to where she had always been.

Her search was hindered before the internet and then afterwards by lost records.  I would like to clear something up about one agency she used in her search.  She called the group, The Church of Latter-Day Saints and the proper name for the organization is, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  It’s a small mistake, but others looking for genealogy assistance need to have the whole name to be sure they are working with the correct group.  This church has huge amounts of genealogical records from around the world and is willing to assist people in their quests for their ancestors.    Their web page is https://www.familysearch.org/.

I loved the stories about the authors family and about the war.   History can be fascinating if put into context with real life and that is what this author did.  She brought the lives of her relatives to life for the reader, real people in a real war situation with real choices to make, this is a book for anyone.  I cried at the end, yet felt proud of my family and the stories I have of them, we all have skeletons in our closets…Oh Well.  Our stories and family history are what made us who we are today, embrace them.

I think anyone would find this book interesting.  The writing is well paced and the story keeps you turning the page.  Who are you?  Where did you come from?  Find out, learn the stories of your ancestor and pass them down to your children.  A favorite quote of mine and one used in the book:  “Those who do not learn from history are forced to repeat it.”  Learn from your family history, embrace your uniqueness and write down your experience for future generations to enjoy.

Publisher: Published June 26th 2011

ASIN: B0058B9FQ6

Copyright: 2011

Pages: Kindle Edition

Quick Review: 5 stars (out of 5)

Why I Read It:  The author was looking for reviewer.

Where I Obtained the Book: Sent by the author.

Synopsis: This extraordinary and unflinchingly honest memoir takes us on a riveting journey into the hearts and souls of three enigmatic people whose destinies are forever changed by the events of World War II. The secrets of misguided love and passions are revealed as the author journeys between the past and the present to solve the mystery of a handsome Polish officer with piercing blue eyes and sun-colored hair. Maria Sutton takes us to the dark green hills and valleys of the ancient Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine, where the woody fragrance of birch trees and new-mown hay fills the fresh, crisp air after a heavy rain. Vicariously, we see a sunrise over Poland obscured by brightly colored swastikas on warplanes and then we will be taken into suffocating cattle cars, lice-infested stalags, and to the Dachau death camp. Further down a country road, the hearty laughter and beer steins clinking with each salute to the Fuhrer’s astonishing victories can be heard.

As Maria takes us on this odyssey to solve a decades-long mystery, she learns the family secrets of untold heroism, quiet courage, and a mother’s love – and of tragedy, disillusionment and heartbreak. At the end of her long journey, Maria uncovers a shattering and painful truth. But the secret, however heartbreaking, would also become the greatest gift she would receive.

Ultimately, the quest to uncover a painful truth becomes an inspiring and absorbing journey of the heart.

 

Author Biography: Maria Sutton's memoir, The Night Sky: A Journey From Dachau to Denver and Back is the culmination of her forty-three year search for her father. Without knowing the spelling of her father's name, or his date and place of birth, Maria was able to find him - proving that with unwavering determination, anything is possible.

Born in a Displaced Persons Camp in war-torn Germany, Maria was three when she immigrated to the United States in 1951 with her sister, mother, and stepfather. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Colorado, and has also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

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