Midwest Book Review on Raymond Luczak’s Compassion Michigan

The Literary Fiction Shelf

Raymond Luczak
Modern History Press
5145 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105-9627
9781615995288, $33.95, HC, 200pp
Synopsis: Doesn’t history matter anymore? Could we still have compassion for others who don’t share our views? Encompassing some 130 years in Ironwood’s history, “Compassion, Michigan: The Ironwood Stories” by Raymond Luczak (who is a Yooper native, and either the author or the editor of 24 books — including Flannelwood) illuminates characters struggling to adapt to their circumstances starting in the present day, with its subsequent stories rolling back in time to when Ironwood was first founded.
As an author with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling skill set that keeps the readers total and rapt attention to what they are reading, author Raymond Lucazk has created an impressive body of work with “Compassion, Michigan: The Ironwood Stories”
These are deftly crafted and engaging stories about what does it mean to live in a small town (so laden with its glory day reminiscences) against the stark economic realities of today:
  • A Deaf woman, born into a large, hearing family, looks back on her turbulent relationship with her younger, hearing sister.
  • A gas station clerk reflects on Stella Draper, the woman who ran an ice cream parlor only to kill herself on her 33rd birthday.
  • A devout mother has a crisis of faith when her son admits that their priest molested him.
  • A bank teller, married to a soldier convicted of treason during the Korean War, gradually falls for a cafeteria worker.
  • A young transgender man, with a knack for tailoring menswear, escapes his wealthy Detroit background for a chance to live truly as himself in Ironwood.
  • When a handsome single man is attracted to her, a popular schoolteacher enters into a marriage of convenience only to wonder if she’s made the right decision.

Raymond Luczak, author of Compassion, Michigan

Critique: The twin roles of the literary short story are to entertain and to provoke thought. As an author with a genuine flair for originality and the kind of narrative storytelling skill set that keeps the readers total and rapt attention to what they are reading, author Raymond Lucazk has created an impressive body of work with “Compassion, Michigan: The Ironwood Stories”. While especially and unreservedly recommended for both community and college/university library Contemporary American Literary Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that “Compassion, Michigan: The Ironwood Stories” is also readily available in a paperback edition (9781615995271, $21.95) and in a digital book format (Kindle, $6.95).

Editorial Note: Raymond Luczak is a Yooper native, is the author and editor of 24 books, including Flannelwood.

Lost But Found

978-1-61599-548-6
$12.95
A Boy's Story of Grief and Recovery
In stock
1
Product Details
UPC: 978-1-61599-548-6
Brand: Loving Healing Press
Binding: Paperback
Edition: 1st
Author: Lauren Persons
Illustrator: Noah Hrbek
Pages: 26
Publication Date: 12-01-2020

Lost But Found: A Boy’s Story of Grief and Recovery deals with one of the toughest issues a parent may ever have to face—explaining to a child that a loved one has died. Often, to protect them, children are left out of the grieving process. This book allows adults to travel with a young boy as he works to make sense of his loss—and, in turn, their own.

I wrote this book to allow children to ask questions, and talk about their fears and feelings. What I have found is that often children have better insights on these hard life questions than the adults in the room!

"The endearing simplicity and musicality of Lauren's words burst with unspoken emotion, leaving room for every child's experience. Noah's illustrations portray tender human contact, comforting young readers and the families who love them." -- Pegi Deitz Shea, award-winning children's book author

"Lost But Found is a sweet book with beautiful pictures that tackles grief at a developmental level for a very young child. The ambiguous term "to lose" somebody is demystified, as a young boy comes to understand what happened to his father, and how their connection lives on." -- Laurie Zelinger, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, Board Certified Psychologist and author, former Director of New York Association for Play Therapy

"Lost But Found is a brief story that faces a difficult and important topic--the loss of a parent. The story provides a two-pronged approach a caregiver can use as a starting point to approach this delicate topic with a child: a sense of perspective and hope for the future, and the idea that we, as children, can find “pieces” of our parents around us and inside us. I appreciate the incentive to reflect on and remember who the lost parent was and how he lives on through his child." -- Isabella Cassina, MA, TP-S, CAGS, PhD Student, Project Manager, Trainer and Continuing Education Program Administrator (CEPA), INA International Academy for Play Therapy studies and PsychoSocial Projects

"The story of Lost But Found is written to help children understand the loss of a loved one. It is never easy o talk with a child about this subject, and the author provides a tender, truthful and believable story. It is written from the heart and will serve as a conversation starter in assisting a child’s understanding of the grieving process. In addition, the beautiful illustrations provide the reader a sense that they are embraced and one with the story. I highly recommend this book for children and adults." -- Linda Cohen, Elementary School Principal

"At any age, understanding death is confusing and complex. It is especially so for children. In Lost But Found, author Lauren Persons gently removes some of the mystery around loss and invites children into a comforting conversation around lasting belonging and hope. Illustrations by Noah Hrbek enrich this tender and much-needed children’s book." -- Holli Kenley, author of Power Down & Parent Up and Pilates For Parenting

"Knowing Lauren Persons for over 20 years (and happily counting) this children's book reflects a genuine heart full of emotion and love. If all people faced with difficulties had the courage and the dignity and the race that Lauren Persons has, our world would be a better place for our children to live." --John Mascia, elementary school teacher

"With simple, accessible words and drawings, Lost But Found perfectly captures the experience of loss, and the power of memory and love." -- Amy N. Ship

From Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com

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