The Daughters of Zelophehad, by Barbara M. Britton, A Trilogy of Women Struggling for Equal Rights!

The story of The Daughters of  Zelophehad, which had escaped me as well as the author who is much more a Bible scholar than myself, was a rare treat for me. These five daughters were what might be called, the first individuals who spoke on Women's Equality Rights! And immediately received a blessing directly from God!

Briefly, Zelophehad and his five daughters, were part of those who relocated to a new land from Egypt. It had been a long journey across the desert; however, God had planned to daily provide for them...Manna from heaven for bread and meat from birds. Nothing would be saved from day to day and it was part of their commitment of trust that this would require daily gathering...

The books are based upon the Biblical story, but have been supplemented with fictional story telling. And so it was said that Zelophehad one day had spoken out about the lack of variety in food and how long their journey was taking. He stormed out of their tent and walked toward where Moses and other elders were located... But he died on the way...

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. --Proverbs 31:30

Mahlah arched her back. A sky, blue and crisp like a faceted gem, draped over the camp. No trade winds cooled the warmth of the fresh, new sun. She picked up a basket from outside her family’s ramskin tent and wedged it against her hip. Grasping her woven belt, she shifted the leather, so her knife was but a flinch away. She wouldn’t allow any beast in the wilderness to harm her sisters.

~~~

When her mother died, she took over the duties of meeting the needs of the family. Mahlah was not yet out of her teens, with the others ranging in ages down to the youngest two that still needed special caring. Years had passed on the journey and the young girls were each assigned duties to be handled daily--collecting the manna, cooking, caring for the livestock... But they all looked to Mahlah for what they most needed--love and guidance. And so, when their father had a fit of anger and frustration, yelling and leaving to go to the leaders, it was Mahlah who immediately ran after him to try to stop him from disgrace... But it was already too late, God had struck him dead on his way for not having the patience He had commanded.

Her father's body would be removed so Mahlah slowly walked back to their tent. She had already begun to wonder. What would happen now? She was afraid for her four sisters. The law was clear. The promised land was only given to...men...

My reading of this first book was that God's heart was touched by the commitment of the daughters to Him. As Mahlah began to pray and seek help in prayer, she would see a cloud; could it be her Lord? She knew that her father had been correct in his rant--without an heir, there would be no land assigned to his family. Mahlah knew that unless she did something, the five daughters would not remain together. Yes, they would be married off, or provided for until old enough to marry, but they would not be permitted to stay as the family of Zelophehad and receive God's promise for the family's long, faithful lives.

Mahlah had no choice. She felt she had God's blessing and she and her four sisters went before Moses seeking God's guidance. And God spoke to Moses...

And changed the law so that, if the father died and there were no sons, then the daughter(s) would receive his inheritance... 

Now, all of the men were astounded and what God had said was not well received... The story of how Mahlah handled God's support of her request is unbelievable, given the time in which this occurred! While she and the other daughters moved forward as one family. Immediately, one of the men began to seek Mahlah's hand in marriage... but Mahlah had been in love with another man, who had been married and had a child. His wife had died, but, then, Reuben had not first chosen her as his wife... Perhaps, now...?

At the same time, the promised land was before them...and the first battle was designated at Jericho...But God's guidance was extraordinary and His people followed His instructions... And the Walls Came Tumbling Done!

Mahlah's love story is delightful to watch as the young man, for whom she had always pined, had married and a child was born to them. Her death had allowed Mahlah to again...hope... The relationship is tender, contentious, yet loving as Mahlah cared for his son as he went to battle...

This historical story, now fictionalized, has been wonderfully expanded. Surely, the author has been given a great gift to study and interpret the scriptures for today's readers... At this time in the world, it is important for a reminder that, God had given women the same rights as men in gaining their inheritance... 

But, additionally, the three books are a fantastic historical saga, based upon the Biblical story of a family coming out of Egypt and depending upon God to bring them to their promised land. It moves from daily living as they traveled all the way through the battles and, finally, being given their individual inheritance of land.  Extraordinary Stories!  Highly Recommended.

!!!

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ~ James 1:17 

The camp at Gilgal 

In the Promised Land of Canaan

 Near the fortress of Jericho 

Noah bat Zelophehad tugged her donkey farther from the ramskin tents of her tribe of Manasseh and farther from the stone fortress of Jericho. In the distance, the walls of the Canaanite city rose up, up, up, above the lush plain. How would the army of Israel lay siege to a barricaded city? No one had gone in or come out of Jericho for several Sabbaths. 

If any of her tribesmen dared to draw near the gates, they would be struck with arrows and rock. Boiling oil awaited warriors who neared the city of the false moon god. 

The sooner Jericho fell, the sooner she and her sisters would inherit their father’s land. Land where she could watch over her herds and flocks without the oversight of her kinsmen.

~~~

In the first book, we learned that God provided for The Daughters in an extraordinary way, changing the laws to reflect a new situation--the faith of the five daughters and their commitment to Him who provided for their family...

Noah might have been selected by her father to become the shepherd for their animals based upon her loving care provided as she grew. She was a physically strong women who had no problem handling and caring for those animals in her flock and working to find them, or help with births, and more... Noah also was kind enough to share support to another shepherd, as he provided her mutual support. 

Noah was just 16, but she was also Mahlah's "second in command" and was able to stand behind her and support her both physically and emotionally. Readers will thoroughly enjoy her story as she not only works within the family of sisters but cares for her herd...

For me, a primary character interest in this second book is Jeremiah, Noah's friend and fellow shepherd and a mute.  Noah had shared so many years with him that she was able to understand and communicate with him. I believe they were already in love, even before it was time to think of marriage. But Jeremiah's family looked upon him as only able to care for animals... Incredibly, he will later show just how much he could do...and how brave he was... An interesting situation occurred, when the brother of Jeremiah was looking to court and marry a daughter of the family. His own desire for their inheritance creates a drama that could only exist when great riches are being provided...even if they were coming from God as a gift. The tension of pressure some of the men felt was very real as the daughters struggled to work together as a family to provide for their future lives.

Ahh. She knew the identity of one of the men in the tent. Her teeth clenched at the thought of Keenan. The troublemaker had tried to trick her sister Noah into marrying him. Praise God, Keenan’s scheme had not succeeded. Though, the menace was now her sister’s brother-in-law. 

“I am well aware of my brother’s curse.” Keenan’s final word hissed through the tent wall. “My brother will oversee the land of his wife, but two of the daughters of Zelophehad are unmarried. Why should unwed women be allotted land they did not fight for?” 

Because God gave us our father’s land.

~~~

In the greatest adventure of the trilogy, the writer has separated, but beautifully blended the stories of the five sisters within this saga, so that the conclusion really completes the individual tales of each sister as they participated in daily life. For instance, for the other three daughters: Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. One cooks for the family and the other two younger ones do basic chores to bring water, the manna...and to help with playing with a younger son of a widower...

There is little emphasis on the battles that take place. The people of lands being given to the Tribes of Israel worship gods whose graven image were statues--idols created by man, rather than the worship of One God. Interaction between God's chosen people with these individuals reveals how that association can taint the children of God if allowed.

The realization that, even with the Israelites, the emotions of jealousy, covetous actions, and the "role of women" at that time is, in my opinion, one of the major thrusts identified  and the role of The Daughters of Zelophehad in that long future journey that women still face.

Finally, arriving at the designated land for the Daughters creates the most memorable family drama and ultimate conclusion that is brought to each of the Daughters through God's love. Their faith, perhaps greater than others? Their commitment to God, perhaps greater than others? We don't know. But, what we do conclude through this fantastic sage of women of the Bible is that God also touches and welcomes the association and devotion of women around the world... For so many reasons, I recommend  all three books as Must-Reads!


GABixlerReviews

Afterword

(From Final Book)

 Devotional Moment 
JOSHUA SAID TO THEM, “DO NOT BE AFRAID; DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED. BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS. THIS IS WHAT THE LORD WILL DO TO ALL THE ENEMIES YOU ARE GOING TO FIGHT.” ~ JOSHUA 10:25
  
God promises to go into battle with us always. Whether it is a war of the flesh, heart, or mind, He is a constant companion in our time of need. When we accept God as our Saviour, we step into a battle for our souls. Temptations will abound, things of the fallen world will be tossed in our path to make us stumble or fall. But God is our rock, our steadfast defender, and He promises to help us over every obstacle, large or small.

Have you ever felt torn between doing what

 your peers want and doing what you know to be right? It can be difficult to face rejection or ridicule or loss, but your strength of character comes directly from God. All you have to do is let it shine through. When you stand with courage and strength, God upholds you through every battle to the end. He tells you in His Word that all things will pass. And it always does. This life is impermanent, but God’s Kingdom is everlasting. Hold on and face whatever life throws at you. God has your back. 

LORD, WHEN I AM WEAK, HELP ME TO BE STRONG AND COURAGEOUS AND TO FACE ALL BATTLES WITH YOUR GRACE. IN JESUS’ NAME I PRAY, AMEN.

~~~

Barbara M. Britton lives in Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. Barb writes romantic adventures from Ancient Israel to Modern Day USA and especially enjoys bringing little-known Bible characters to light. She has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate. Barb is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Wisconsin Romance Writers of America, Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. You can visit Barb online at www.barbarambritton.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

The Milk Moon Assassin by L. A. Couriel - An Amazing Historical Story!

This book is an echo. No more than an echo. There is no truth to it. Seek, and you will not find. There are no lies in it. Seek, and you will not find. This book is merely an echo returned by the hillsides that surround the Hill of Battle where thirty-five sacred souls fell in the War of Independence, fighters from Palmach and infantry units, on their way to attempt the rescue of besieged Gush Etzion. Their footsteps pressed a deep furrow through our lives, where stories, myths, and echoes have grown. The tale of their heroism echoes in the hilly landscape facing the windows of my home, and it sounds deeply in my life. Their song was played on a unique string that has broken and disappeared from the instrument, and if we, the author and the reader, listen very closely, the instrument’s sound box—the times we live in, here in the State of Israel—provides us with echoes that help us imagine and extrapolate their origin. Most of us no longer have a direct connection with the strings of objective truth, but I hope that we all still seek their pure tone.  And I hope that you find an echo of the notes that I personally found.

It was the title of the book that made me consider buying and, of course, the brief description allowed me to proceed to purchase. Neither of these prepared me for the book itself. It is extremely long, but does not allow for speed in reading. Be prepared to spend time with this story...An amazing story that is like no other, nor should it be. It is based on a true story of what happened on a Hill of Battle. Tragic, yes, but for one man, the main character, it changed his life dramatically, even though he didn't participate in that war...

Instead, he was a young boy, who had just learned about photography and carried his camera everywhere. So, it was that day, when the troup were about to take that hill preparatory to battle, that the young boy was called over to record forever those who were there to serve...

He professionally lined up the men, taking time in preparation so that all who were there were captured. And he promised that group that he would make and present the photograph for them when they returned.

None of them returned... Was that the truth? Thus begins a mystery to be solved--one that will not be solved until the climactic ending of the book!

Promised Land Homestead

Judean Hills—May 4, 1985 

(Hebrew date—Iyar 14, 5745) 

9:59 p.m. 

A kill? 

An actual kill? 

Again? 

His practiced finger slid around and around the trigger guard. Clockwise. Counterclockwise. Around. And back. The pistol lay in front of him, a Smith and Wesson Model 41. Magazine. Ten bullets. Long barrel. The amber-colored grip responded silently to his touch. Clockwise. And back. Re-accustoming itself to the feel of his hand, to his fingertips, after years of not killing. 

His body, toned and tensed, began to sink into the old armchair. The dim veranda was surrounded by a thick jumble of low stone walls, sketching a plan many times more grandiose than his available budget, and they brought to mind the sides of some ancient unfinished fortress. His resources had dwindled, and now those walls were his testament, the echo of his legacy to the coming generations. 

As always, mid-month on the Hebrew calendar meant a full moon—but the moon, piercing through the the sooty blue paint on the face of Moshe Roth-Vardi, was already beginning to abate. Twenty-three minutes before, his eyelids had been bathing in the sensation of the magic, silvery light when the bottom left edge of the moon had suddenly showed erosion, which progressed with a speed that left no doubt: a lunar eclipse! An unexpected glitch. Moshe screwed his nerves tighter. Can’t go slack, not now. Despite the rare obstacle to his plan, nothing would stop him. Tomorrow, when the moon came up, it would shine on a fresh new mound added to the other memorials that Moshe had left in nation after nation.

~~~

As a young boy, Moshe's parents had left their son and small baby alone to go out and enjoy dinner. During that time, Moshe had become afraid and though his parents had warned against any lights, that young boy turned on a very small light.  Just enough to allow a mosquito to come in and bite that small baby. And he died...

Instead of accepting their own responsibility for leaving the children, Moshe's mother instead blamed Moshe. So much so that she told her husband to send him away...

Memories of that event haunted Moshe throughout the rest of his life. He was never able to forgive himself. But having left home, he did form a long-time friendship--Maurice, who through his magnetic personality became his mentor and leader...and a rivalry that also lasted through their lifetimes... especially with regard to women...

Moshe became an assassin. He didn't see himself as a murderer. He was trained to kill and through his vivid mental and psychological skills soon became the best of the best. He was sent all over the world for one reason. To kill whoever he was told to kill. Until that fateful "incident" that led to his forced relocation to another job and ultimately retirement.

Was he really free to go away and create a new life? His family and friends second-guessed him at every turn, up until the point he decided it was time for him to act on his own to make decisions. In writing the story, Couriel has chosen to begin at a place after retirement--he is set up for a new assignment a new hit job...and then he leaves readers to proceed through various points of his history to slowly build an unbelievably taut, extraordinary tale of how an assassin is forced to come to the reality of his past and how each life incident had influenced his actions.

There are periods of deep depression and, perhaps, escapism from reality, for Moshe. On the other hand, he becomes friends with "an enemy" of the past from whom he acquires the land and builds the home he wanted based upon his strict specifications. Can you be neighbors with a man who may also be your enemy? 

More importantly, Moshe had chosen to come back to the days of his youth when he had taken his first picture...of a group of soldiers...who had all died on The Hill that was located just above his new home... Little by little Moshe works through everything that had happened since his younger baby brother died, and he had been blamed.

If you find yourself hearing echos from your past as I did, then perhaps, you will find yourself arriving at the place where Moshe finally lives for the rest of his life. I found it to be a remarkable journey, though vastly different from my own life. Yet, I found myself often seeing Moshe in myself as each of us struggles to proceed through and, hopefully, arrive at a point in life where we are, at last, content, if not totally happy. 

Assassinating other people may be a job. But it also can be the destruction of the mind and heart of he who assassinates. During times of war or in times of daily living, we are often stifled in so many ways from our own reality. Moshe taught me much, even in just realizing that there is no truth in this story, only echoes of a past we have been forced into... If you hope to find yourself in a story, however, this just might be the best possible book into which to immerse yourself. Some might even declare it a must-read... The music of your past life must be heard only by you... Highly recommended.

GABixlerReviews

Lior Couriel is an architect and urban planner who has practiced both in the US and Israel. He is also an e-commerce specialist, fierce environmentalist and a veteran of an airborne intelligence wing. He enjoys volunteering for local public positions to help with his community.
He loves to write about topics describing both struggle and tragedy: romance, vengeance, espionage, history, conspiracy, the Mossad, flight...
Lior is the father of four adults. He's married to his teenage crush, and lives amid forested hills in a stone house, with a fireplace inside and Sienna, the cat, outside.
Lior Couriel pursues the kind of life he would like to remember, never taking his eyes off the target: passionate writing. More historical fiction novels are currently under way, the locations of whose plots he researches thoroughly through extensive traveling.
Wish to take part in the journey? Contact Lior by sending an e-mail to Couriel@012.net.il or by leaving a message at nazur.net.

The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir - by John Bolton

One attraction of being National Security Advisor is the sheer multiplicity and volume of challenges that confront you. If you don’t like turmoil, uncertainty, and risk—all while being constantly overwhelmed with information, decisions to be made, and the sheer amount of work, and enlivened by international and domestic personality and ego conflicts beyond description—try something else. 

It is exhilarating, but it is nearly impossible to explain to outsiders how the pieces fit together, which they often don’t in any coherent way. I cannot offer a comprehensive theory of the Trump Administration’s transformation because none is possible. Washington’s conventional wisdom on Trump’s trajectory, however, is wrong. This received truth, attractive to the intellectually lazy, is that Trump was always bizarre, but in his first fifteen months, uncertain in his new place, and held in check by an “axis of adults,” he hesitated to act. As time passed, however, Trump became more certain of himself, the axis of adults departed, things fell apart, and Trump was surrounded only by “yes men.” 

Pieces of this hypothesis are true, but the overall picture is simplistic. The axis of adults in many respects caused enduring problems not because they successfully managed Trump, as the High-Minded (an apt description I picked up from the French for those who see themselves as our moral betters) have it, but because they did precisely the opposite. They didn’t do nearly enough to establish order, and what they did do was so transparently self-serving and so publicly dismissive of many of Trump’s very clear goals (whether worthy or unworthy) that they fed Trump’s already-suspicious mind-set, making it harder for those who came later to have legitimate policy exchanges with the President. 

I had long felt that the role of the National Security Advisor was to ensure that a President understood what options were open to him for any given decision he needed to make, and then to ensure that this decision was carried out by the pertinent bureaucracies. The National Security Council process was certain to be different for different Presidents, but these were the critical objectives the process should achieve.

Because, however, the axis of adults had served Trump so poorly, he second-guessed people’s motives, saw conspiracies behind rocks, and remained stunningly uninformed on how to run the White House, let alone the huge federal government. The axis of adults is not entirely responsible for this mind-set. Trump is Trump.

!!!

If Donald Trump had not been president. In my opinion, John Bolton would never have written the book that he did. I knew little about Bolton...and I knew little about Trump--before they walked into the White House...

The thing is, until Bolton walked into The Room, I don't think he realized that it could have been...so...bad... There were rumors about Bolton, but I had little desire to do much research on him. What I saw in this book was a man who, though he may have had strong feelings about some issues, he had, probably, more experience and extensive knowledge than any other individual assembled in that room.  He read alot...worked hard...and took notes... This book is based upon those notes, now being shared across the world, including his personal thoughts and attempts to act...and his thoughts about that failure...

By the time I finished the book, I had no real personal feelings about Bolton. I already hated Trump if that at all responds to the excerpt above. What I did know about Bolton at the end of the book was that--on every single issue that was dealt with in the book, I knew enough about the issue to be able to evaluate Bolton's response. I was amazed! Not necessarily about his decisions about this issue or that...but that he had prepared to provide the President with the best possible information and options that were available. And, that he was not afraid to speak out to the president with disagreement--he was no "yes man."

The President assured me that Flynn’s successor would have a free hand in organizational and personnel matters, which I believed essential in running an effective NSC staff and inter- agency process. We covered the full range of world issues, a tour d’horizon, as the State Department loves to call it, and Trump interjected at one point, 
“This is so great. John sounds just like he does on television. I could just keep listening. I love it.”
Kushner asked, “How do you handle the point that you’re so controversial, that people either love you or hate you?” 
As I was opening my mouth to answer, Trump said, “Yeah, just like me! People either love me or hate me. John and I are exactly alike.”

!!!

Bolton was dealing with both the reality of the situation, but he was also dealing with Trump and the other individuals surrounding him. What he saw was that each had an agenda which they were quite willing to share with Trump's ear only. Bolton soon realized that there were many personal opinions that had nothing to do with the "good of the United States..."

There is chapter after chapter that proceeds through the months during which Bolton served as National Security Adviser. But I think that the Ukraine incident is, perhaps, the most outstanding in pure debacle:

• It was issue upon which impeachment occurred. Bolton's comments on that are in the last chapter.
• Trump had a personal agenda with Guiliani, et. al., carrying on a separate investigation under Trump's direct supervision.
• Trump was attempting to blackmail the new president of the Ukraine by seeking a formal investigation on the family of his 2020 presidential opponent.
• Congress had earlier committed money for Ukraine as they were working to create their independence from Russia.
• Trump attempted to hold off sending that money to Ukraine until he got what he wanted. He finally approved submission just hours before the budget director would have been unable to legally send it at end of year.
• The president of Ukraine spoke of his relief that he was not required to investigate per Trump's demands.

The above word phrases are mine; Bolton presented it, as he does for his entire book, in a topical breakdown of issue(s), what was happening, the individuals involved, the options, and the result. This format allowed what was not earlier provided. The view/ear of what was happening inside that White House room, and elsewhere.  Here's just a little of the "riff(s)" in a routine meeting...

(Trump noted)...it was cheaper to rebuild the World Trade Center than to fight in Afghanistan, inconveniently ignoring the loss of life in the 9/11 attacks, not just the cost of rebuilding. It also ignored the reality that a Trump withdrawal, followed by a terrorist attack, would be devastating politically. Dunford pressed on, saying our military pressure kept the terrorists from reconstituting and was like an insurance policy. He had no precise timetable in mind, but the Pentagon would allow the diplomatic reconciliation process to set the timing. I thought we were approaching dangerous ground here, again opening the question of whether we should be in Afghanistan at all. 
The discussion meandered around for a while, with Trump asking me why we were fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan but not Venezuela, which at least showed everyone else in the room what he really wanted to do. Following more chatter, Shanahan turned to the cost reductions that maintaining the counter-terrorism capability would entail, but before he got too far, Trump broke in to complain about Congress’s refusal to fund the Mexico border wall. Then he was off: “Why can’t we just get out of Syria and Afghanistan? I never should have agreed to the other two hundred [in Syria], and it’s really four hundred anyway.” Dunford explained that other NATO countries would hopefully contribute to the multilateral observation force in Syria, and Trump responded, “We pay for NATO anyway,” which in turn produced another riff about Erdogan and what he was doing in Turkey. Then after literally forty-five seconds back on Afghanistan, Trump asked, “Why are we in Africa?” He soon made it clear he wanted out of Africa altogether, expounding for some time on our $22 trillion national debt, followed by the problems of our balance-of-trade deficits, followed by complaining, again, about how Nigeria received $1.5 billion annually in foreign aid, as he said the President of Nigeria had confirmed to him in an earlier visit...

!!!

I was happy to have the opportunity to read Bolton's book. Although it is extremely complex and involved with all the issues facing the White House since Trump hired Bolton as National Security Adviser, it provides ample opportunity to "see the ending" of what was announced before it was even in the planning stage as Trump is prone to do. If you have an interest in knowing more of the picture, I consider this a must-read. And if you are still undecided about the November election, I consider this also a must-read. John Bolton has already announced that he will not be voting for Trump...

GABixlerReviews

Want to check out a few more shorter excerpts? Join and Read:

Memorable Book Quotes!  

JOHN BOLTON is the former National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump. He served as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2005 to 2006. He has spent many years of his career in public service and held high-level positions in the Administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush. Ambassador Bolton is also an attorney, and was in private practice in Washington, DC, from 1974 to 2018, except when he was in government service. Ambassador Bolton was born in Baltimore in 1948. His first book was Surrender Is Not an Option. He graduated with a B.A., summa cum laude, from Yale College and received his J.D. from Yale Law School. He currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland.

Mary L. Trump's Too Much and Never Enough - How My Family Created The World's Most Dangerous Man

It's been years since I've felt excited to be writing a review on my latest read... Perhaps it has been because my attention had been turned to the president rather than on books. I knew depression had set in--big time!  The thing is: I Just Couldn't Understand the "Why?" of Trump. Thanks to Mary Trump's book, now I can.

It turns out to be a family biography like no other... Mary, a once central member of the Trump family has now revealed her "Why?" Of her need to write this book. There is a hint--a big revenge one--for Mary writing the book... But, believe it or not, it is NOT the major reason for her words...

More, it is a warning to Americans--Here's Why the president needs to be removed...

For those of us who've been watching since his campaign, worried, and becoming amazed, as well as frustrated, as to the "why?" he was elected, I believe this book may be your answer. It is not, simply, the difference in one political party versus another... We have seen everything that Mary Trump talks about and wondered... Now, Mary has provided the "context" into which the entire life and family and the present president is now captured...

And know why he can't help himself in his actions... It is...too late...for him to change...

We begin  watching Trump's early life within a family where the father was a sociopath--where he was the one and only authority and everybody feared him. Indeed, we can also say that Fred Trump was able to dedicate himself to his career, so much so that it became the only thing that was important to him... But, he knew one thing, he personally had some limitations that affected his image for his company which are, literally, bringing in millions daily...

Much of his backing was from the FHA, perhaps legitimate in the beginning. But then, as connections were made and Fred learned of the money that was available at the Federal level, he began to expand and increase his income...

But his image--that was still a problem. In order to expand, he needed a face. His first son, Freddie, was the apparent choice...Freddie is Mary's father.

When that failed, as clearly shown in the book, Fred turned to Donald. By that time, Donald had been watching and learning within "the House." What occurs during the early years and on into the ongoing years, is revealing. Not only revealing, but it makes everything that is happening now, within the White House, at least understandable to those of us who've kept asking, "Why?"

An authoritarian father who placed money above his family, in his fear to ensure his empire would continue, expand? Surely, many of us will immediately see the parallel to today's Trump's infatuation with Putin, et. al.

What we also see is that Donald, in watching how his father treated family and others, he learned from him...and surpassed him...

Now he is using his tools to obfuscate,  distract, and engender fear from many, but, more importantly, has developed a charisma that actually fools those who begin by providing loyalty--until--they are no longer useful...

Wow! An Amazing family drama that is right out of the headlines, from the beginning, to, perhaps, the final chapter of the Trump empire. I want to personally thank Mary Trump for her story. For whatever reason, many of my family have chosen Trump as their leader while I have not. I see him for what he is. Mary Trump's story has proven that I am seeing the real Donald Trump.

She includes actions related to the present pandemic in her closing chapters. It is an important addition, timely story that could not have been told by anybody other than Mary. You'll see why. Her decision to work to gain the educational background to better understand and write about her uncle has proven to produce a book worthy of not only being recommended... But declared a must-read! You've done what needed to be done, Mary Trump! I'm proud of you and your desire and, willingness, to share this important, yet, in many ways, unbelievable story of the family dynasty that, slowly, may be dying away...

GABixlerReviews

Mary L. Trump holds a PhD from the Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies and taught graduate courses in trauma, psychopathology, and developmental psychology. She lives with her daughter.

"Jesus is Back!" Sharing the 5-Minute Cross--poetry by Adolph Caso...

The Five Minute Cross

By Adolph Caso

Sitting trance-like

In my hospital chair

I glance at the architecture outside

Enveloped by the blue color of the sky,

Creating and recreating itself

Into forms which are never the same,

Just like two snow-flakes falling to the ground.

The door bell rings.

My nurse turns towards me,

Her hand stretching forward

To welcome me into her world--

Her belly bulging!

“How many more months…?”

Not giving her a chance to answer,

I extend my hand as I always do,

Over the baby yet to be born:

And,

With this humble hand,

I bless it.

On placing her hand over mine--

Two individuals,

Of two races,

Become two humans

Together

Into one.

With the exception

Of receiving news

On her delivery day,

I continue to glance thru the pristine window.

Once again,

My eyes follow

The contours of the gray building

In a mismatch of sizes and shapes

Having no order or designs

And

Defying my presence

They all stand still.

Suddenly, from the East,

Two thick lines of gray air

Begin to fill the sky above the buildings

Bulkier to its extreme left,

One line extends itself east to west,

The other,  north to south.

They are

Thick and solid to the left--

And lighter to the right,

Its left outline strong and thick,

Its right line evanescent

As if I were watching

A Renaissance artist

Create the image on canvas;

And

I look at its large and white frame

Inject itself into the solid blue of a receptive sky.

Phone in hand,

I call my nurse to come back--

The digital clock registering 4:25,

I wait to see time moving on.

Finally, just as the clock is reaching 4:30,

She rushes in with a flustered look on her face

“Are you alright?” she blurts out.

Clutching her hand, I take her to the window.

“There, look: it’s about to disappear.”

Her eyes fixed on the phenomenon cross,

She squeezes my hand.

As the last part of the cross’ outline

Is about to disappear into the deep blue sky.

It is exactly 4:30.

Her mouth open,

She turns toward me:

“Jesus is back, “she asserts,

And quickly leaves the room.

Sitting on my hospital chair,

I ask myself in disbelief:

“What has just happened?”

Adolfo