The Trip Back Home

A young girl and her mother travel to Korea to visit their extended family.

Kris Keller, a rising star reporter for an Atlanta newspaper, is called back to his struggling Southwest Georgia hometown to make final arrangements for his father who authorities say took his own life. In Fort Phillips, Kris encounters an ex-girlfriend, a high school rival and odd occurrences. He is told secretly that has father's death may not have been self-inflicted. Despite being estranged from his father, Kris feels obligated to investigate his death. As he does so, the town's secrets begin to unravel, putting Kris and those closest to him in peril. His quick trip back home becomes an extended stay as he struggles to save his career, his relationships and unlock the mystery of his father's death.

Part memoir, part inspirational and part spiritual exploration, “Coming Home: Be the Hero of Your Own Story (regardless of previous chaos, choices and chapters)” is songwriter Karen Novy’s personal story, including the life-changing breast cancer diagnosis that rocked her world and woke her up to pursuing her life’s passion and purpose. “Coming Home” is about the journey we are all on, to return to ourselves, our truth and living the life we love.

What if you could take your grandchildren on a trip back in time to 1956? This novel combines nostalgia with a grandparents special relationship with his grandchildren in a tale of time travel. As he clearly sees their reality, he resents the blatant deterioration of our current society. Evident is the results of inflation, moral degradation, and the destruction of family values. It is his intent that though their view of the future is dim, and having been a victim of child of abuse himself, to show them that their ten year old lives will soon change, and what they observe and experience will never control their destiny. Imagine a grandfather taking his granddaughters on journey back in time, when he was their age and the year was 1956. Together, he shares what his life was like as he walks with them as equals in this innocent age of nickel pop and penny candy. His relationship with his granddaughters is a close one, and he mourns the loss of so many freedoms that he enjoyed when he was their age. They would nver know a parent sending them out to play and saying, be home before dark, or, just stay in the neighborhood. At ten years old, in 2011, they unfortunately are aware of what the word predator means, and having their television censored for foul language or sexual content. So when telling them of the Mickey Mouse Club, or Winky Dink, they laugh as if it was all fantasy and a fabrication of their Grandpas mind. He shares a special bond with them, because two are in a broken home shattered by divorce, and two are adopted and have formerly suffered the abuse of the foster care system. Being a product of a broken home and abuse himself, he understands their fears and recognizes that this new generation is having their childhood and innocence destroyed by our culture. So at the critical age of ten, he lets them visit an era when children could walk freely to the park. A time before electronics dominated and interaction with friends and family was all important. A time before musical lyrics were censored, yet those 'Oldies but Goodies' were considered so threatening, as Rock and Roll was born. He sees his little girls being thrust into a very adult world long before their time. Where texting has replaced direct communication, and where the games he once played in the park are now played on video. He resents this society where children must guard against dark elements that he never knew of at their age. He understands the age of tween," where short of adolescence, they have an astute perception of adult problems that they already are beginning to worry, yet are still very much children. He is sorry for the deterioration of society that forces his granddaughters to exist in a culture of Amber Alerts and sex offender registries. At ten years old, they already have a dim view of relationships, being surrounded with a population where nearly 50% of children have broken homes and experience either single parent homes, or stepparents. Having stated when I was your age, so many times they find it unbelievable, he gives them a glimpse of the past. When men stood and gave a woman their seat and a time when a movie could be seen for a dime. An age when soda fountains made ice cream creations and each neighborhood had one, and when phones had party lines that were shared by multiple families, in a golden time when everything came in glass bottles and people were happy with black and white television and only three channels. It was an age when children could truly be children and purchase toys like BB guns and bows and arrows and where every boy had a pocket knife to peel an apple. A time when girls had miniature electric sewing machines, dinner sets with real knives and forks, and electric ovens. Where instead having to learn martial arts for self defense, he shows them a time when man would never lay a hand on woman, and no such situation would even be considered for viewing in television or movies. It was when comic books were affordable, and like Classics Illustrated, even educational, as a preview of great literary works. This is story of love and relationships, with the nostalgia that comes from remembering the Good Humor man, and Mickey Mouse Club. It was a decade when most had no air conditioning and screen doors and windows were left open without a care. It was a time when we looked forward to a future that held such promise and hope. Remember when our media promoted family values? Hopefully, this will recapture some warm memories and understanding what our children are suffering today from a grandparents perspective.

This is a fascinating ethnography about young Khmer women moving to the city to work in the garment factories, in prostitution, and as street sellers. The author makes good use of new theoretical approaches in anthropology that focus on negotiation and creativity in situations of rapid change. The result is not only a welcome new book on post-war Cambodia but an important addition to the literature on women, migration, and labor in Southeast Asia and the world. —Judy Ledgerwood, Northern Illinois University Khmer Women on the Move offers a fascinating ethnography of young Cambodian women who move from the countryside to work in Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh. Female migration and urban employment are rising, triggered by Cambodia’s transition from a closed socialist system to an open market economy. This book challenges the dominant views of these young rural women—that they are controlled by global economic forces and national development policies or trapped by restrictive customs and Cambodia’s tragic history. The author shows instead how these women shape and influence the processes of change taking place in present-day Cambodia. Based on field research among women working in the garment industry, prostitution, and street trading, the book explores the complex interplay between their experiences and actions, gender roles, and the broader historical context. The focus on women involved in different kinds of work allows new insight into women’s mobility, highlighting similarities and differences in working conditions and experiences. Young women’s ability to utilize networks of increasing size and complexity allows them to move into and between geographic and social spaces that extend far beyond the village context. Women’s mobility is further expressed in the flexible patterns of behavior that young rural women display when trying to fulfill their own "modern" aspirations along with their family obligations and cultural ideals.

Farm boy wakes up in vibrant habitation, grows happily in Lion Mountain Nation. His childhood aspirations, is to be business professional and leads in life. After Farm Boy graduated from high school, life becomes unpalatable in the Lion Mountain Nation. Instability crops up and life turns upside down in the nation. He seeks refuge in the far countries over Sea Ocean, to better his life. He dwells with other friends and relatives in countries over the sea ocean. He embarks on professional training course. Soon then he experiences life break down, and this training course put on hold. Life becomes so unpleasant for Farm Boy, and struggle daily with life. He was admitted in to a mental institution. Medical practitioners’ works all angles to better Farm’s Boy life. He received care from medical professionals, while stay in hospital. His life improves, and restore to the state of good mental health. Farm Boy seeks religious worship to polish his life. He associates with many, in the name of the creator. He eventually becomes graduate professional. He becomes practitioner, helps to do business. He becomes an author, husband and father, raising kids, keeps the family, praising the creator.

A study of Jewish life in Germany from 1618 until 1945, this work investigates the details of daily living, the homes and neighbourhoods in which Jews lived, their families and friendships, religious practices and feelings, as well as their educations and occupations.