The Light In The Window

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It is fair to say that there would be few in her position who would have the stones to stand against the might of the Catholic Church in Ireland, in the fifties, but one would hope that there would be fewer still who would witness the abhorrent treatment of these women by a nun, and then allow that nun to slather her in tanning lotion before she tripped off out to a "dress dance". Stále si vravím, že po knihách z 2 sv. vojny už nesiahnem a stále sa k nim vraciam. Čítala som už veľa príbehov, veľa sa na seba podobalo, ale tento bol niečim iný. Kniha sa mi čítala skvelo a rýchlo a páčilo sa mi, že nás autorka hodila rovno do deja a nehrala sa s nami. Žiadne úvodné opisy a zoznamovanie sa s postavami ale rovno surový dej. Compare Miss Sadie’s gift of money to build the nursing home with Edith Mallory’s promise of donations to the children’s hospital. What is each looking for in return for her gift? I really loved Not Without my Sister by Marion Kummerow. So, when I saw that Kummerow had a new book release, A Light in the Window, I knew I had to read it as I really enjoy her writing style and how easily Kummerow can draw you into her stories. A minor critique stems from a few instances of unnecessary repetition in the story and the somewhat annoying focus on how often various Nazis styled their hair with Brylcream.

In Ireland homes run by the Catholic Church and nun’s for unwed pregnant young women were sadly very common. These young girls and women were treated like prisoners, but that of course was kept from the public. They worked like slaves, where told that they were no more then whores and sinners. Then their precious babies where taken from them. They were not given even the most basic medical treatment, were barely given enough food. Then after their babies were born, unless they had the money which, most did not, they had to stay for three years to work off their “debts.” The children often were adopted overseas, the church of course profited from this. The mothers had no way of knowing what happened to their babies. A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW is a heartwrenching tale of survival that is a compelling read you won't want to put down. It draws you in and has you questioning the moral dilemma of whether one human life is worth more than another. The despicable views of the Nazis concerning Jews and even the French people has you shaking your head with disbelief. The German people actually believed the brainwashing propaganda of the Nazis concerning their superiority and the unworthiness of the "filthy Jews". There were times when Wilhelm shook his head in disbelief when he was actually puzzled as to why the French did not welcome them with open arms. He actually believed the propaganda Hitler spouted.

READERS GUIDE

The only positive I could take from this book was that these women had June looking after them, by all accounts a kind and caring person. She details some of their stories here and I often think of those women now and what happened to them as the years went on.

This is a true account of June Gouldings work as a midwife in a home for pregnant, unmarried mother's. This home was set in Ireland in the 1950's, and it was owned by the Catholic church, and ran by nuns. This book is presented as a memoir, and the names and place is not mentioned. A friend in uni has just finished reading this book and asked if I would like to borrow it, given that we are student midwives I thought it would be a good human interest story to read. It was done in an afternoon, and by the evening I was in disbelief. That's the worst of it, maybe, but it's also the tip of the iceberg. Goulding rapidly realised that nursing at the convent was going to bear little resemblance to the standards of care she was used to. The sister in charge had the final say, and her focus was punishment. That meant: insufficient rations, and hard physical labour while acutely pregnant, and no painkillers, and no stitches no matter how badly a women tore during birth, and no calling the doctor, and on and on it goes. I wouldn’t say that the ending particularly leaves you on a cliffhanger, but it does make you want to find out what happens next. I am glad to have noticed there will be a sequel to this book!stars. This may be a Father Tim year. I love these characters so much, and they get better with time. So many laughs and smiles inside this one. Vojnové knihy u mňa nie sú žiadnou novinkou. Keď ma anotácia zaujme, veľmi rada (aj keď to pri vojnových knihách znie divne) ale naozaj rada si niečo nové na túto tému prečítam na knižnom trhu. A tale that is heartbreaking as well as intriguing, A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW is ultimately Margerete's story and her plight to survive the war. Does Margerete get her happy ending?

Jan knew that she wanted to be a writer, and even wrote a novel at the age of ten. Her first real opportunity as a writer came at age eighteen when she took a job as a receptionist at an ad agency. She kept leaving her writing on her boss’s desk until he noticed her ability. Soon she was launched on a forty-year career in advertising. She won assignments in New York and San Francisco, numerous awards, and finally an executive position with a national agency. Berlin, 1941: The story opens with a bang - quite literally - an air raid on the city sees the Hubers scrambling to the safety of their cellar. An officer of high standing within the SS, Huber and his wife along with their daughter Annegret push their maid aside in an attempt to save themselves without sparing a thought for her. And why would they? She was nothing but a dirty Jew, employed as a housemaid to undertake their every whim and every chore...ableit unpaid. Her life meant nothing to the superior greatness of the German people. I learned about how the Nazis forbade the Jews from using public libraries, from shaking hands with Aryans, held public book burnings and created lists of books to be burned. I was unaware that the Gestapo had their national headquarters in Leipzig in the national library where they oversaw the banned book business and kept a meticulous record of those who requested banned books. I was in awe when I read that a book from my Grade 9 English curriculum was on the list – All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque! Until I was twelve I lived in the country, then I spent many years in cities. I think that I was born with a kind of deep affinity for the rural, the rustic. In addition, I’m very drawn to the pastoral novels of the English genre — the village novel where a small group is used to paint a picture of a larger society.She speaks of Archbishop John Charles McQuaid who permitted the nuns a kind of moral dispensation so they could falsify the details of birth certificates for children being adopted in the US who would thus be rendered untraceable for ever by their birth mothers. Many people don’t like to talk about their faith. Why? Why do you think it is socially permissible to discuss sexual behavior, income, politics, and other highly personal matters, yet discussing one’s faith is often discouraged? The Light in the Window is set in Ireland in 1950, most specifically in a home for pregnant, unwed women. The book is written by June Goulding who worked as a nurse there and had as a life goal to tell everyone what those poor girls, which were considered outcasts and sinners by the society of that time, went through. My two stars serve only as a hope that other will be able to read this book and realise the horrors of what women in that place went through, but please borrow this from a library, don't do anything to furnish that woman's estate with any more ill gotten gains. Many people shelve this series as "Christian literature" and for some reason or another I have never placed it in that category. To be sure, Father Tim quotes plenty of scripture - especially to his big floppy dog, Barnabus (the only way to keep Barnabus from jumping on you is to quote a verse from the Bible; amazingly, Barnabus immediately sits or lies down upon hearing scripture. Barnabus is also fond of Wordsworth!) Even though scripture is quoted, it is not proselytizing. This series is about how the life of a sixty year old stressed out, worn out priest, was infused with new spirit and energy when a dog, a boy and a new neighbor entered his life. It is also about kindness, love and caring neighbors who look after each other. Who wouldn't want to live in Mitford!