From There To Here

A little girl and her family have just moved across the country by train. Their new neighborhood in the city of Toronto is very different from their home in the Saskatchewan bush, and at first everything about “there” seems better than “here.” The little girl’s dad has just finished building a dam across the Saskatchewan River, and his new project is to build a highway through Toronto. In Saskatchewan, he would come home for lunch every day, but now he doesn’t come until supper. The family used to love to look at the stars, and the northern lights dancing in the night sky. But in the city, all they can see is the glare from the streetlights. All the kids used to run and play together, but now older brother Doug has his own friends. Then one day there is a knock on the door. It is Anne, who lives kitty-corner and is also eight, going on nine, and suddenly living in Toronto takes on a whole new light. Laurel Croza and Matt James have beautifully captured the voice and intense feelings of a young child who, in the midst of upheaval, finds hope in her new surroundings.

Within a split second, life can change forever. The comforts, conveniences, and relationships we take for granted can be lost without warning. Trauma comes to us all at some point in our lives, whether as a sudden shift or a slow erosion of trust, but God’s plan for our lives—our divine destiny—will stand firm. We can be victorious through trauma and come out on the other side more whole and complete than ever before. With God leading us, trauma isn’t the end of our story … it’s just the beginning!

The stories he tells here were written at random over a period of several months, appearing as layers peeled off a consciousness onion, never knowing which ones would "arise" next. Eventually they were arranged into a chronology which resulted in a rather unusual autobiographical form. Each story is complete and essentially stands alone, yet together all blend into one encompassing and distinct story. As new stories continue to take shape, and more old ones emerge from the onion, these may serve the possibility for future stories. The acclaim Rock's stories have begun to receive is evidenced by one having already been selected for reading over National Public Radio, June past of this year within only one week of submittal the Striped Pen story.

We asked people from any background to send us their true personal accounts of immigration to Britain. The response was significant, and the range of entries overwhelming. Six judges - including Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty and the novelist Kate Mosse - selected the best, most illuminating and most powerful entries to be published in this book. The result is the widest-reaching contemporary survey of the immigrant experience published in many years. In these pages you'll discover sixteen very different voices, each one presenting a very different point of view. In taking us around the world, each account shows a new side to the most complicated journey of all, Finding a place to call home. 'The country's ethnic and religious make-up is already making a vivid mark on our literature. I am proud and delighted to be its patron' David Lammy MP

From There to Here is the life story of Herman Haenert, an American citizen who spent his youth in Germany first under Nazi and then Communist rule. Haenert recalls his early years during World War II and his subsequent oppressive life in East Germany—nightmares from which his family eventually fled to the United States. Their escape allowed the young Herman to come of age in a country he regards as a land of freedom and opportunity. In sharing his experiences and successes over the years, Haenert presents a detailed and informed perspective on the last eighty years of US history and reflects on how that history informs America’s current political landscape. This sweeping memoir follows one man’s journey as he escapes the turbulent Germany of his youth and builds a new life as an immigrant who cherishes his American opportunities.

This is the story of Sylvias journey from being born during wartime to living through health and other challenges and eventually achieve living out her lifes purpose. It is a journey of twists and turns, synchronicity, with both humour and sadness interspersed. Her story illustrates how we can overcome in life with a determined spirit and reach our true purpose. The challenges in life can be our greatest teacher. It is in these times, as Sylvia shows through her journey, that we find our inner eternal spirit that will lead us ever onwards to living who we truly are, free of fear!

A famous writer exiled from Albania and Greece. A Somali nomad-turned-multinational banker. An Asian-born virtuoso violinist with perfect pitch, and many more . . . In this eye-opening collection of immigrant trials, triumphs, and contributions, leading immigration lawyer Susan Cohen invites you to walk with her clients as they share their incredible journeys coming to America while overcoming unimaginable dangers and often heartbreaking obstacles abroad. Cohen masterfully uplifts marginalized voices, laying bare the remarkable realities of staggering hardships and inspiring resilience. Sprinkled with amusing anecdotes, tense junctures, and heartwarming segments, you will sit front and center at the courtroom learning about US immigration policies and systems—which often become an immigrant’s greatest hurdle—while also discovering the ways unscrupulous American citizens take advantage of those not born in the States. As you ride the ups and downs and follow the zig-zagging twists and turns of their travails, you will discover the many ways immigrants from all over the world give back to their local communities and enrich the fabric of the nation. Finding yourself enmeshed in their stories, you will gain insight, grow in empathy, and come to understand what it truly takes to become an American citizen.

From There to Here is a look at the severe abuse one person had received at the hands of her parents. She had four people in her life that helped her through it. She survived and thrived, despite them. She went through college and became someone successful anyone would be proud to be, a survivor. Never to be a victim again.