 FAR ABOVE RUBIES: Reviews on Barnes&Noble.com Reviews on Amazon "Far Above
Rubies" by Cynthia Polansky (ISBN978-0-9773893-3-7) is a
brilliant literary historical fiction narrative. Polansky has given
tribute to...a selfless woman of incredible strength. The novel is
based on the woman known by her niece as "Tante Soof." Sofie was a
[Dutch] Jew who married a man with six wonderful girls. Although not
their biological [mother], she became their mother... So much so
that when her six girls were summoned to report for resettlement,
Sofie decided she could not let them go alone. Sophie made a
mother’s sacrifice to her six stepdaughters, selfish [sic]
and with love. She willingly accepted deportation and yet had to
persuade the SS to take her. The horrors of Auschwitz told through
the eyes of Sophie are real. This unflinching woman who faced up to
the SS, survived the atrocities of this death camp even though at
times she jeopardized her own life to help her daughters and other
prisoners. Tante Soof lived life with dignity and an ability to
inspire hope in hundreds who would not live another day. You will
feel an inspirational uplift unmatched when you read this moving
memoir [sic] who Polansky quotes from Proverbs, “A woman of
valor who can find? For her price is far above rubies.”
"I hope this book will
eventually become as well-known as The Hiding Place and
The Diary of Anne Frank...A woman more compassionate and loving
would indeed be very difficult to find -- a woman willing to give up
her life for that of her stepdaughters, leaving behind the love of
her life, in order to take care of his daughters to give him the
peace of mind that at least the seven of them are together...[a]
Powerful story with a powerful telling.
"Polansky has
written a good and important story here...at times it felt as if
Polansky herself was there. The writing is very good...very vivid
and well-done...it struck a lot of authentic emotional notes...great
job! "
"When
the Rijnfeld women are sent on to Auschwitz, Sofie reaches deeper
for the resilience to keep her daughters and herself alive in the
face of atrocities carried out at the Reich’s foremost killing
center. Although the book is fiction, Polansky bases it on
fact. Sofie did exist and she did accompany her stepdaughters all
the way to Auschwitz. Polansky tells Sofie’s story of
self-sacrifice filling in fictionally how those years may have
unfolded. Reading the frightening truth about the Holocaust is
never easy, but the triumph of this woman who survives despite great
loss is inspiring."
"Few
books leave me thinking of it days after finishing it. Even
fewer can make me cry. Far Above Rubies touched me like
so few others can ... [it] is a gripping novel ... while one can
read it quickly, to do so would almost be a shame, as this is a tale
of courage and survival worth digesting one word at a time.
Polansky has taken the life of a strong woman and put a spotlight on
it, showing us just how so many others like Sofie persevered during
such horrific times. This is the story of more than one woman
-- it is the story of terrible times, all those who were lost, and
how life still went on. And it is a story worth your time." |
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" ... Cynthia Polansky skillfully depicts the courage of heart that
cannot be broken by man's cruelties.
Far Above Rubies incorporates,
within Sofie's story, the story of all who suffered at Nazi's hands
... Rubies begins with
the end, offering a whole picture of life renewed from the ashes of
destruction. Polansky tackles this incomprehensible subject
with integrity and honesty. Keep a box of Kleenex nearby while
reading [it]."
-- Dena Kosche for Women on Writing "...
the novel appears to be the result of tedious research,
documenting this terrible era in detail ... Despite the
subject matter, the book is an easy read, full of the lives
of the people who survived or perished in the labor camps.
The author creates characters who are real and imperfect
and just happen to be Jewish,
sealing their destiny for no other reason. Everyone
should know about this time in our history and
Far Above Rubies provides
an intriguing glimpse into those years we should never
forget."
-- Conny Bryceland for
ScribesWorld.com
"...
this is a largely true story, recounted by the niece of the
woman it concerns. Polansky has used her intuition and
imagination to unravel [Mieneke's] aunt's life story, and has
handled this difficult tale with
honesty and wisdom. This is an uncompromising text, stark,
often intensely distressing -- I have wept several times whilst
reading it ... the writing style is powerful and needs no
further comment ... to venture, even in the imagination into the
dark places Sofie saw, takes courage. Polansky has done
something very special in creating this personal history."
-- Bryn Colvin for EbookReviews.net
"... Polansky presents
in this novel a gorgeous and haunting story of self-sacrifice and
love. Based on a real-life character whose life experiences
she overheard at a Holocaust memorial,
Far Above Rubies details the
effect of the Holocaust on Dutch Jews, particularly those from
Amsterdam ... Polansky synthesizes historical fact here with
well-drawn, memorable characters in recreating scenes from Amsterdam
and the camps ... Polansky's work is written with painstaking
attention to grisly historical facts; this is what makes it most
compelling. Readers of other Holocaust [books] such as
The Diary of Anne Frank or the
work of Corrie ten Boom, will find Far Above Rubies a valuable
addition to the range of voices that have been lifted before.
The title, incidentally, is from Proverbs, a story about a loving
and true wife: "Her price/Is far above rubies."
Polansky's work itself is priceless."
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REMOTE CONTROL:
Reviews on Amazon Reviews on Barnes&Noble.com ...Mindful of Albert Brooks' Defending Your Life, REMOTE CONTROL is one woman's experiences in the afterlife and her determination to save her husband from harm which is more important to her than her spiritual growth. Readers will like her in spite of her hubris in believing she can meddle in someone's destiny, even out of love. The afterlife is fabulously described by Cynthia Polansky and readers are treated to see five levels of that realm. This is an enchanting and spiritual book that will appeal to readers of all religions. Harriet Klausner for Midwest Book Review When you pick up a new book and discover that the first sentence of Chapter One is "I died on a Tuesday when I was thirty-one years old," you know that you're in for an interesting read. Cynthia Polansky's REMOTE CONTROL is that and more. The main character Judith is an average, normal, happily-married woman with a best friend, two dogs, and a good job -- until her untimely death from hilariously embarrassing circumstances.
After her death, Judith
is anything but average. Unable to fully concentrate on the
afterlife lessons of her spirit guide Ashraf, she obsessively
watches over her bereaved husband Saul and best friend Micaela.
Judith's initial concern for Saul's adjustment to widowerhood morphs
into jealous anxiety after watching Saul become romantically
involved with their gorgeous and greedy accountant. Judith
figures that she can fulfill her responsibilities in the afterlife
and protect her husband at the same time. She discovers, however,
that meddling busybodies who show up late for work are just as
annoying in the afterlife as in her past life, but with far more
serious consequences.
...just finished
REMOTE CONTROL and I loved it! In fact, I can’t stop thinking
about it...will be featured in SOUTH JERSEY MOM magazine as the
September Chick Lit Pick...Thanks so much for sending your amazing
book.
"Judith dies unexpectedly at age thirty-one, during a relatively
routine surgical procedure brought on by an unexpected health
situation. New to the after-life, Judith finds herself trying out
her limits, moving quickly from operating room view to mortuary to
graveside ceremony, where she discovers that the rabbi's and
mourners' prayers bathe her spirit in total onrush of love that she
has never before experienced. In addition, she realizes afterward at
the mourners' gathering that the simple negativity of criticism and
sarcasm render her heavy and dull; so she decides it's time to move
on to the further arenas of life in spirit. "A remarkable novel…Cynthia writes with gentle wisdom and an uncanny ability to create funny and charming characters which touch the heart…one woman’s journey from the physical to the spiritual world…it’s about adjustments, making choices, and about self-discovery. But most of all it’s about the realization that loving sometimes means ultimately learning how to let go. A must read…" -- Chad Bowles for BookCoveReviews.Com "Even death can’t
stop Judith McBride from controlling things like keeping her husband
away from their sexy, yet dangerous accountant! Loved the humor,
sensitivity, and enlightenment in Remote Control and how in the end,
a simple truth remains: spiritual growth means relinquishing control
and giving to a higher power."
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© Cynthia Polansky 2004 |
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