A moving, true story, told in four separate parts with four different authors, each telling a piece of the tale of a harrowing journey to freedom.

A child survivor of the Holocaust, Trudie Strobel settled in California, raising a family and never discussing the horrors she witnessed. After her children grew up, the trauma of her youth caught up with her, triggering a paralyzing depression. A therapist suggested that Trudie attempt to draw the memories that haunted her, and she did--but with needle and thread instead of a pencil. Resurrecting the Yemenite stitches of her ancestors, and using the skills taught by her mother, whose master seamstress talent saved their lives in the camps, Trudie began by stitching vast tableaus of her dark and personal memories of the Holocaust. What began as therapy exploded into works of breathtaking art, from narrative tapestries of Jewish history rendered in exacting detail to portraits of remarkable likeness, and many of her works are now in public and private collections. InStitched & Sewn, Jody Savin tells the dramatic story of how a needle and thread saved Trudie Strobel's life twice, and Ann Elliott Cutting's photographs showcase Trudie's remarkable works of art. With a foreword by Michael Berenbaum, author of eighteen books, co-founder of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and co-producer of the Academy Award-winning documentaryOne Survivor Remembers.

When Sophica was abruptly separated from her father as a toddler, she found a haven in Grandmother Gitté. But one sunny day in July, when she was six years old, gendarmes marching and shouting in the streets stopped her dreamy childhood and her hopes to go to school and to be a big girl like her sister. She was deported together with her mother and the whole of the Jewish community of Mihaileni, Romania. On foot, through icy fields, they arrived in eastern Ukraine, a strip of land called Transnistria. Death, illness, brutality, shame, became her daily scenes. Sophica suffered hunger and fear but kept her hopes and sanity, albeit losing her sister and her father and witnessing her mother being viciously attacked. She survived typhus and starvation by being strong and quiet. Herman was a jolly little boy who didn’t care much needing to wear the yellow star and being forbidden from school. He continued playing outside with his friends while his father and brother were sent to a labor camp. At the age of 14, when the Second World War ended, he joined a Jewish youth movement and embarked on a ship to the Promised Land. However, their journey was interrupted and they were taken to a British detention camp in Cyprus. Sophica and Herman were given new names, Shulamit and Tzvi. They met and made a home in Israel. Shulamit/Sophica never mentioned her sad childhood, but the essence of the past found its ways out. Sixty-five years after those events, her daughter comes across a family secret and starts asking questions, inducing Shulamit to break her silence and become again the frightened little Sophica. This book tells her moving childhood story.

“Riveting . . . American Tapestry is not only the remarkable story of the First Lady’s family, but also a microcosm of this country’s story as well.” —USA Today In this extraordinary feat of genealogical research—in the tradition of The Hemmingses of Monticello and Slaves in the Family—author Swarns, a respected Washington-based reporter for the New York Times, tells the fascinating and hitherto untold story of Ms. Obama’s black, white, and multiracial ancestors; a history that the First Lady herself did not know. At once epic, provocative, and inspiring, American Tapestry is more than a true family saga; it is an illuminating mirror in which we may all see ourselves. “The First Family becomes ever more fascinating—and ever more representative of the nation as a whole—in Rachel Swarns’s terrific investigation into the roots of Michelle Obama . . . This is a most compelling read and more evidence for our interconnectedness as a people.” —Henry Louis Gates, Jr. “Rachel Swarns has not only excavated, with painstaking care, the family tree that is Michelle Obama’s, but, with great insight and beautiful prose, has revealed the complex, eye-opening, and disconcerting experiences that are America. This is a work of impressive historical imagination and deep cultural significance.” —Steven Hahn, Pulitzer Prize-winning author “Richly detailed . . . A lushly layered portrait of the nation itself.” —The Boston Globe “A fascinating account of the First Lady’s family . . . Few important women come from such raw places. The book makes you remember why the Obamas . . . seemed so new, so implausible . . . Extraordinary.” —The New York Times

Swathes of the human world are covered in ornamental grass lawns; they are the single most commonly encountered horticultural feature on the planet. Unfortunately, they are now often viewed as resource-draining green deserts due to the lack of plant and animal diversity, the need for frequent mowing and watering, and addition of lawn greening products to keep them looking at their best. It is a venerable horticultural feature that is essentially frozen in time, and with few alternatives to whet the appetite, the lawn has languished in its current grass-only format for decades. Until now. Tapestry lawns are a new, practically researched and timely development of the ornamental lawn format that integrates both horticultural practice and ecological science and re-determines the potential of a lawn. Mown barely a handful of times a year and with no need for fertilisers or scarifying, tapestry lawns are substantially richer in their diversity of plant and animal life compared to traditional grass-only lawns and see the return of flowers and colour to a format from which they are usually purposefully excluded. Tapestry Lawns: Freed from Grass and Full of Flowers traces the changes in the lawn format from its origins to the modern day and offers information on how and why the tapestry lawn construct is now achievable. It provides guidance on how to create and maintain a tapestry lawn of your own and champions the potential benefits for wildlife that can follow. Features Accessible and informative to all types of readers from academic to amateur Includes a refined and tested set of useful tapestry lawn plants Contains step-by-step instructions for creation and management methods of grass-free lawns Illustrated in full colour If you have ever thought about mowing your lawn much less, making it much more colourful and wildlife friendly, then this book will inform and guide you to create a perfect, grass-free lawn.

While this book is a first-hand account of a Hungarian family destroyed in the murderous Holocaust as well as those who survived, it is also the story of two men from different generations who discover each other's existence to remember and record their family's history. "The Fittest Survivor" provides an insightful and under-reported aspect of World War II history, refracted through the personal perspective, and courageous life of one notable forced slave labor survivor, Vilmos Abeles. Through the sharp memory of Vilmos Abeles, the author, Sigmund Abeles, discovers his heretofore unknown patrilineal heritage. At two years old, the author's mother left his abusive father, taking him, an only child, from Jewish Orthodox Brooklyn, New York to non-Jewish South Carolina, where she raised him with almost no contact with his father or his father's family. As the years passed, and the desire to know more about his father's side of the family grew stronger, Sigmund Abeles discovered his father's cousin, Vilmos Abeles, already 90. Thus began the series of interviews over a five-year period that provided Sigmund Abeles with a treasury of family facts to paint the tapestry of the Abeles family.

Step into a world reshaped, a landscape reborn from the ashes of the old. "The Post-Apocalyptic Survival Handbook" is your ultimate guide to thriving in the wilds of a world transformed. Each chapter unfolds secrets to mastering this new environment, sharing must-have skills in the relentless pursuit of survival. Imagine a world where water is as precious as gold—and just as hard to find. "The Post-Apocalyptic Survival Handbook" reveals prized techniques for locating, purifying, and harvesting the essence of life itself. Learn to engineer solar stills that coax water from the most unexpected places, securing your lifeline in a parched new era. Food is not just about sustenance; it's hope, it's energy, it’s survival. Turn the earth’s generosity to your advantage as the book guides you through foraging, hunting, and nurturing the seeds of tomorrow. Unearth the secrets of small-scale agriculture and permaculture, transforming the barren into a bounty that sustains life itself. When the safety of four walls is a luxury of the past, shelter becomes a profound priority. Discover how to select the safest grounds and craft a haven from natural and scavenged materials. Navigate the fine balance between insulation and exposure, mastering the art of making a home in the heart of the wilderness. Harness the power of the wind, sun, and water with DIY renewable energy systems that shine a light of hope onto a world left dark. "The Post-Apocalyptic Survival Handbook" empowers you to craft an electrified future, from scratch, with its detailed guides on energy storage and distribution. Delve into the depths of post-apocalyptic healthcare, where every scratch could be perilous. This guide stands as your first responder, imparting wisdom on managing trauma, using herbal medicines, and preserving both physical and mental health against overwhelming odds. Facing danger requires more than brute strength; it needs wit, strategy, and adaptability. The handbook equips you with defense strategies that make the difference between being a victim and a victor. From hand-to-hand combat to crafting makeshift weapons and implementing security measures, be prepared to stand your ground. In a world where cash is kindling and gold has lost its glimmer, "The Post-Apocalyptic Survival Handbook" transforms you into a master of barter and trade. Learn how to assess value in a currency-less economy, ensuring that when you trade, you triumph. As you turn each page, you'll unravel the fabric of a new society through collective effort and shared wisdom. Building communities, upholding human dignity, and setting ethical standards—this handbook is the blueprint for civilization’s rebirth. Venture beyond mere existence. Dare to dream, plan, and build for generations yet to come. Your handbook for the dawn after darkness, for the life beyond survival, awaits. Embrace your new beginning with "The Post-Apocalyptic Survival Handbook," your essential companion in charting the course of mankind's resurgence. The future is not written; it's survived.

Dive into the gripping world of "Echoes of Survival," an essential guide for anyone intrigued by the complexities and necessities of communication in the most challenging situations imaginable. This eBook explores the depths of human ingenuity, resilience, and the critical role of communication in navigating through crises and rebuilding from the ashes of disruption. Are you ready to journey through the fascinating anatomy of crisis communication? "Echoes of Survival" sets the stage, understanding not just how we communicate, but why it's vital for survival. Uncover the underpinnings of post-conflict communication landscapes and delve into the psychological nuances that can make or break a message's success when it matters most. Travel back in time in Chapter 2, where you'll explore the evolution of emergency signals from historical methods to current adaptations, using enlightening case studies that highlight signals pivotal to past survival scenarios. As technology increasingly becomes the backbone of our connectivity, "Echoes of Survival" takes a revolutionary step back, guiding you through low-tech strategies in a high-tech age. Discover how to craft makeshift radios, antennas, and even dive into the art of encryption and coded language to preserve your messages when the grid goes down. Your voyage through the eBook will take you to the heart of establishing a communication hub—choosing locations, setting up operations, and the critical formation of teams. Prepare for pressure scenarios in Chapter 6, educating yourself on prioritizing and contingency planning amidst chaos and misinformation. Witness the silent language of survival through non-technological communication methods, explore resilient network-building in Chapter 8, and innovate with alternative energy solutions that keep you connected even when conventional sources fail. Your messages can inspire hope—learn to craft content that mobilizes, informs, and uplifts spirits even in the direst of circumstances. Push beyond borders as you tackle international distress signals, and grasp the delicate balance of ethical considerations that come into play when sharing information post-conflict. Prepare for tomorrow with a glimpse into the future of communication, learning from the past to rebuild societies stronger than before. And perhaps most poignantly, witness the power of connection through personal narratives of hope and renewal amidst ruins. "Echoes of Survival" is a testament to the indomitable spirit of humanity, the wisdom found in sharing our voices, and the beacon of hope signalled through our words and actions. This guide isn't just an eBook—it's an essential companion for the path ahead, lighting the way for communication that not only conveys information but also touches lives. Whether for the professional communicator, the avid survivalist, or the curious mind, this guide is ready to serve when you need it most.

Two sisters survive seven months in Auschwitz and another five months marching through the Sudeten Mountains at the mercy of SS-guards before being rescued near Denmark. From these traumatic beginnings two fulfilling life stories emerge.

"Invisible Years tells the story of an extended Jewish family in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, who, when faced with imminent deportation and death, split up and went underground. With intimate firsthand accounts, photographs, artifacts, and historical references, award-winning book designer Daphne Geismar weaves together her family's multi-generational experience during World War II." --