History Book Reviews

Taking readers on a historic journey across the Atlantic and into the burgeoning American continent, Searching for Charles: The Untold Legacy of an Immigrant’s American Adventure by Stephen Watts is a stunning portrait of the past.

In 1835, Charles Watts left the oppressive gloom of Dickensian London in search of a better life in the nascent nation of the United States. What followed were years of curious exploration, keen observation, and diligent letter-writing that captured the energy, emotions, and events of that formative period in American history.

This book serves a number of purposes, and will appeal to a variety […]

Unearthing an astonishing family history from the dark heart of the 20th century, Broken Promises: The Story of a Jewish Family in Germany by Bonnie Suchman is a revelatory and powerful read.

In an effort not to let a valuable story be lost, the author dove into the annals of Heppenheimer family history, from their humble beginnings to their industrial accomplishments, as they fought and struggled for their identity, security, and place to call home. From the first decade of the 1700s, once Jewish people were “allowed” to return to Germany, all the way to the decades following World War […]

Immersing readers in a vibrant slice of the past, Called by Marlena Fiol and Ed O’Connor is an original account of unsung heroism and unwavering faith in the face of impossible odds.

The story begins in the 1940s, as World War II raged and Hitler’s shadow seemed to stretch across the world, even to Paraguay, and right into the lives of Dr. John and Clara Schmidt. While his whirlwind invitation to Paraguay and sudden proposal may have been the tumultuous start of their journey into revolutionary medical practices, the stakes remained just as high in the many decades that followed […]