Grace Revealed by Greg Archer

Synopsis: Grace Revealed is ‘Hollywood’ journalist Greg Archer’s memoir chronicling his family’s deportation to Siberian Gulags during World War II.

Writing Style: Warm. Personable. Engaging.

Pacing: Fast.

Personal Highlights: Aside from the memoirist doing a fantastic job purposefully inserting humor to create an engaging story, I found Aunt Janina’s story and grandmother Jadwiga’s letter to her mother, tremendously powerful. I, as well, thought the research was well done.

I've tried several times to explain my view of the opening, however having failed on each try tells me to omit my feelings there, only to insert how endearing, and ironically symbolic I found Jadwiga’s mother’s early warning to the family about moving so far East. This is not to say had the family remained further from the border where Stalin was reigning his terror, that this may have alleviated Greg’s grief, but there was an ever so subtle message, or "sign" (for me) lingering between those lines.

Suffice to say, I now have a notebook littered full of notes and comments about the family’s tragic experience, and Greg’s turmoil putting his life, and this phenomenal story in perspective.

Potential Audience: Everyone. Highly recommended.