"Hell exists. It's here on earth. It's called hatred and racial discrimination, and I saw it with my own eyes during the Tutsi genocide that took place in Rwanda between April and July of 1994. I am one of the few to have escaped such a fate, and the events I am about to relate have been seared into my soul." -- Back cover
Cartoonists have captured the culture of the nineties. From codependency to adult children to New Age beliefs, American society has proven fertile ground for the growth of the recovered memory movement. Using cartoons as a common thread, Smiling Through Tears is a unique nonfiction book that employs humor to tackle a painful & controversial issue, guiding the reader through a complex web of psychological & social elements that have nurtured one of the nations' most bizarrre moral panics of this century. The public's awareness & perception of the underlying causes of False Memory Syndrome became evident through the parody & satire of one of America's beloved mediums - cartooning. Through the use of mind-altering techniques, misguided therapists have contributed to the devastating damage inflicted upon tens of thousands of families. Smiling Through Tears offers a light & insightful perspective on this psychological drama.
An old carpenter sends Puppet off into the world with a red backpack and a newly carved smile. But when Puppet's backpack gets stolen, he discovers that smiling is not all it's cracked up to be. Now Puppet is learning that happiness might not be the only important human emotion.
On October 21, 1989, airline TAN SAHSA's Boeing 7Z7-200, registered as N88705, was a passenger flight en route from San José, Costa Rica, to Miami, with stops in the cities of Managua, Nicaragua, and Tegucigalpa, Honduras. At 7:53 in the morning the plane crashed into Cerro de Hula as it approached the Toncontín International Airport in Tegucigalpa. 135 people died. Of the 146 passengers on Flight 414, only 11 people survived . . . Vivian Pellas is not a fictional character, although she could well be one. Her story is that of a life "forged through fire". She faced the hardest tests and, with her immense faith, not only defeated death, but now saves lives and alleviates the suffering of countless children. Her experiences and her work inspire women and men from different parts of the globe. Today she wants to touch the hearts of others to make this a better world,where children's tears are turned into wonderful smiles of hope.
A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage. After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember? Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future?
Near the edge of the Baltic Sea, in a small East Prussian town, lives a happy and prosperous family. The Wobsers are patriotic Germans and faithful Lutherans with four beautiful children: chatty Trude, fearless Lotte, careful Ilse, and precocious Gerhard. The decade-older sisters treat Gerhard as their little prince. He is the apple of his father's eye. Then, one day in 1933, their world falls apart. They have been identified as Jews, a heritage never denied, but a religion never embraced. This chilling true story follows the four Wobser siblings as they struggle to survive a Nazi regime intent on their extermination. Even those that manage to flee will find themselves without a home or country to call their own. From Edinburgh to Shanghai, the Wobsers will travel the world in search of a place they belong. Author and historical chronicler Ralph Webster (a descendent of the Wobsers) deftly connects their story and survival to the struggles modern refugees face every day. In addition to serving as a fascinating piece of history, A Smile in One Eye: A Tear in the Other is a passionate call to arms for organizations and individuals to properly protect and help the world's refugees.