#TBT: The Ultimate Survivors

This week's #TBT is one that is near and dear to my heart.  One of my favorite periods in history to study is the Holocaust during World War II.  People have called me morbid because of it, but that doesn't change the fact that it is a truly fascinating time period to study.  It shocks and saddens me that so many people, so many nations turned blind eyes to what was really happening in Germany and the surrounding countries. 

The stories written by survivors, the tales of the nightmares that they have endured, and will continue to endure until their last breath takes them to a place of no suffering are the ones that tend to stick with me, more than any fantasy story written. 

These are some of the books that have impacted me the most, and further encouraged me to read the stories of survivors, visit the memorials, the museums that are set up to remember, remind and honor those who were among the millions that lost their lives in the face of hatred. 

I read this in high school. I own a copy, I will always own a copy of this book.  This book more often than not brings me to tears every time that I read it.  I do not blame him his hatred for God as he comes face to face with evil at its most vile, and his reminder that this horror should never be forgotten and never be allowed to repeat. 

Who has not read this tale?  If her story does not bring you to tears, then there is something seriously wrong with you.  A young girl, one of many, who were forcefully separated from her family after they managed to hide for so long.  Eventually, I want to go to the house where she was hidden, walk the paths that she took within that house and see how she lived, fearing that the next moment could be her last moment of freedom.  

When I was attending Flagler College, I had the honor and the privilege of meeting a Holocaust survivor.  There is not a lot of his lecture that stayed with me, however the fact that he survived.  He survived that horror is enough for me to know that the man I met was meant to survive that atrocity and share his story with the world.  I wish I could even recall his name, it saddens me that I cannot even do that.  

Review: Dark Passage by Griffin Hayes

This is the second work I've read by Griffin Hayes and I fall in love with the twisted thrillers all the more.  This story, about a man named Tyson Barrett, who is tortured by nightmares of his traumatic childhood, receives a miracle cure for his insomnia.  However, as we've learned, if it sounds too good to be true it usually is.  That is the case with this so called "miracle cure" that Tyson hopes will not only solve his medical problems but his personal ones as well (considering he has become estranged from his wife and young son) and his business is on the verge of collapse.

However, this miracle cure is not without its dark side.  Tyson still dreams, however, when he wakes, something returns with him.  Something spawned from the deepest, darkest depths of his psyche, however there is something bigger, something more evil than what has already come through.  However, this evil isn't after Tyson - it wants his son.

This book is a fantastic lesson that not all dreams were meant to come true.  This book had me on the edge of my seat most of the time, and more often than not I would only read it during day light hours because I've read Stephen King before bed, and Griffin Hayes has managed to have a Stephen King like effect on me with his thrillers.  My dreams are not a safe place when I read his thrillers, so I highly recommend not reading this before a nap, before bed...broad daylight, outside, where you stand no chance of falling asleep is definitely good!

Vividly descriptive characters weave a web of horror and mystery that will keep you intrigued until the very end.  It will keep you on the edge of your seat and ultimately is one that I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of horror or if you occasionally like to indulge in the "darker" type of stories...read this one!  The pace is perfect and the story won't feel rushed at all.

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an unbiased review.  Thank you Griffin Hayes for the opportunity to read yet another one of your fantastic thrillers.