A Review of Out of the Dark by Poet Barbara Pelman
“These powerful poems, written from the anguish of a child survivor of the Holocaust, transcend that anguish through the revitalizing nature of writing itself. The poems move from the ghettos in her native Warsaw, through cities and villages—Talesnal, Tofino, Venice, Paris, Vancouver– seeking that peace which comes from the work of the soul, not through escape but through memory and resilience and hope. “I picked up my life, brick by brick, and built a stronghold” the poet states, as these poems so strongly attest. They are a paean to that pain, and to the world of poetry and family and love which can cleanse it. “To live/ at the end of earth water and sky/ inside a verse.”
Comments on Mouth of Truth: Buried Secrets
“Very powerful and well done.”
Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of Irena’s Children
“This is an amazing and powerful book. In studying the Holocaust, I have considered NIGHT and MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING to be essential reading. I would now add MOUTH OF TRUTH to the list. It is very important to know that the Holocaust did not end when the camps were liberated. The suffering it caused has continued, as does suffering from every crime against humanity. If we are going to move forward and heal our world, we need to embrace this truth and look upon our neighbours with compassion.
Thank you Lillian Boraks-Nemetz for a courageous and beautifully written book!”
Gerry Chidiac, Amazon
“Fascinating book of truth. Deep and human story of survival that continues to trouble and influence this wonderfull and sensitive women , a talented writer, and lovable person. Reader could feel how unjust was this socially imposed silence and indifference to Shoah child survivors horrific experiences. Denied their right to expect compassion and understanding, they were conducted to feel the shame and culpability for surviving as it was imposed on adult survivors of ghettos and camps by superficial and ignorant social environnments. Hoping that this book will contribute to enlighten thousands of readers how cruelty and racism still infuences our destinies even in the opulent and free North American societies.”
Benezra Genevieve, Amazon
“Mouth of Truth: Buried Secrets is the story of a woman in search of her identity who leaves her husband and children and travels to Europe to seek the answers to her questions. The journey is not an easy one as she discovers the dark secrets that have been hidden from her until now. They are heartbreaking and real as she takes us with her every step of the journey. A beautifully written book that evokes our sympathy and understanding for the woman and her parents as she heals and returns to her family a changed person.”
RH, Amazon
“This is a fascinating but deeply distressing book. It is an account of one family’s survival in Warsaw, Poland under the Nazi occupation during World War II.”
Janemb35, Amazon
“To me the book was an extremely important account of society’s non accepting moral choices that we make in our lives to survive the horrors of life.”
Wisenka Engel, Amazon