MSI Press Blog

  What happens when the baby in the family occasionally “dies” or lives in constant danger of dying? The answer is surprisingly simple, because we witnessed it firsthand. They become eternally bonded—and exceptionally independent. Whenever Doah stopped breathing or slipped into a clinical death, Donnie and I were wholly absorbed with him. We would tear out of the driveway behind the ambulance, racing to the children’s hospital miles away. At home, nine‑year‑old Lizzie—old enough to babysit, but just barely—took command. She kept Shane and Noelle organized. She catheterized Noelle on schedule. She taught 23‑month‑old Shane to read and to follow along with her fourth‑grade lessons. No one told her he was too young, so he never knew he was. One day we heard him reading a book aloud… then another… then a stack of flash cards. The preschool we enrolled him in was equally stunned; overnight, they promoted him to first grade. This crucible of crisis created more than bonding. It forged in...

  Pre-order sales available on Amazon . Release date: June 30. Paperback release date: June 30. Watch for it. Book Description: They sold the farm, packed up seven children, and chased a promise called California. Based on Hazel’s journal, this true story follows a family that leaves Wisconsin hoping for relief from brutal winters—only to run out of money with hundreds of miles still to go. Stranded and desperate, they enter a world of labor camps, endless fieldwork, hunger, and exhaustion, where families are worked hard, paid little, and treated as disposable. Once respected and secure, they find themselves suddenly labeled vagrants. Pride becomes a liability. Dignity must be defended daily. And survival depends on grit, faith, and refusing to give up—especially for Hazel, who will not allow poverty to erase who she is or break her family apart. This is a raw, gripping true story of endurance, injustice, and a woman who stood her ground when everything was taken away. Endorsement:...

  Pre-order sales available on Amazon . Release date: June 30. Paperback release date: June 30. Watch for it. Book Description: They sold the farm, packed up seven children, and chased a promise called California. Based on Hazel’s journal, this true story follows a family that leaves Wisconsin hoping for relief from brutal winters—only to run out of money with hundreds of miles still to go. Stranded and desperate, they enter a world of labor camps, endless fieldwork, hunger, and exhaustion, where families are worked hard, paid little, and treated as disposable. Once respected and secure, they find themselves suddenly labeled vagrants. Pride becomes a liability. Dignity must be defended daily. And survival depends on grit, faith, and refusing to give up—especially for Hazel, who will not allow poverty to erase who she is or break her family apart. This is a raw, gripping true story of endurance, injustice, and a woman who stood her ground when everything was taken away. Endorsement:...

  Recently released: hard cover edition of  Good Blood  by Irit Schaffer. Book Description: When she was a child, her father said he had "good blood" and that is why he and his wife survived and healed from the Holocaust. The author searched for the meaning and significance of her father's words over two continents and through four generations. Her journey uncovered a unique voice of wisdom revealing mysteries of the healing powers within us and the existence of light in every situation that helps us overcome and transcend any obstacle. This book is a quest into the depth of the human spirit. It is a rich family memoir, being deeply personal, sharing joy and pain and fear and forgiveness. It encompasses the themes of life and a topic in common with every reader: complicated family relationships. Keywords: Holocaust survival memoir;  Family healing journey;  Intergenerational trauma healing;  Holocaust family story;  Memoir of resilience and hope; ...