From The Book Wheel
When Rebecca at Love at First Book invited me to be a part of the #3GAB tour, I immediately agreed because I generally trust her judgment when it comes to books. I’m please to report that she did not disappoint!
3rd Generation and Beyond by Danna Pycher is a short book of life lessons that she learned from being a 3rd generation Holocaust survivor. Simple and heartfelt, she uses her personal experiences from surviving a horrific car accident to an around-the-world journey to find her roots, Danna urges the writer to be grateful and take advantage of life’s opportunities. It reminds me of the life lessons version of The Mastery of Love by don Miguel Ruiz.
I really liked this book and think that it should be a must-read for middle school girls all over. It offers anecdotes such as, “Kindness is infectious. Spread the disease,” and, perhaps more relevant to the age group, “If someone is spewing out hateful words, don’t hesitate to think they will act in a hateful way.” And of course, some of it just made me laugh, like when she talked about her grandfather wearing hand-me-down dresses until he was 8.
But some portions of the book struck a more personal chord with me. First, we have a lot in common. Our favorite number is 18, we both loved our grandmothers more than words can describe, and we’re both jealous of Oprah. While I haven’t been in a horrific car accident and can’t relate to her situation entirely, I have spent a few months being physically dependent on others. Her frustration at needing to be helped to get dressed and her inability to do anything for herself rang true for me and I empathize with her struggles.

For the full review, click here. ( )

Beshert.

This word is Hebrew for “fated” or “meant to be.” And this is how I feel about having been connected to Danna Pycher.

One of my friends sent me a Facebook message that basically said, “here’s my friend’s book, you should read it and put it on your blog and talk to my friend.” Danna and I were connected, she sent me a copy of 3rd Generation and Beyond, and since then, I have made it part of my mission to help promote this book.

Why do I want to help promote this book? For many reasons.

One reason is because Danna is just so incredibly passionate! 3rd Generation and Beyond (3GAB from here on out) teaches morals and life lessons through the stories of her grandparents’ experiences surviving the Holocaust as well as through her stories of triumph after a terrible accident. Through speaking to Danna and reading her story, it is obvious that she feels strongly about this book and her cause.

Another reason is the lessons in morality. Each lesson in morality and values is illustrated through a real-life story of either her grandparents’ survival or her triumph over her accident. The lessons are real, and exemplify values such as kindness, appreciation for what you have, being gracious, and questioning authority if there is injustice, just to name a few.

3GAB is a book that everyone should read. The life lessons apply to all ages, reminding you of values and morals you may already know as an adult but possibly need to re-incorporate into your life. At the same time, it forces you to understand the consequences of not following these life lessons, which can lead to extreme circumstances such as the Holocaust. After all, even the Holocaust started with the small seed of hatred.

Danna has a goal to have her book utilized in schools and I support this so much that I am working with a few other teachers to help create a teacher’s guide for easy use in the classroom. But this isn’t a YA book. It’s a book for all ages. As Danna said when she introduced the book to me, “I’ve had people from ages 9 to 89 read my book and find value in it.”

Did you see Danna’s guest post from yesterday? She explains her reasons why she wrote this book, and it is worth checking out if you missed it!

Thanks for reading,

Rebecca @ Love at First Book ( )

This was well written and shows the hearts and souls of a people's nearly destroyed. I think these stories are important for us so we do not ever forget what happened and what people are capable of, what can happen if society turns a blind eye.

This is one of the most powerful books, brilliantly told true story. I cannot believe that "humans" could be so cruel. This must never happen again. The will to survive is very strong if there is a goal and goal was to let the world not forget the atrocities of a horrible war and a mad dictator.

The Holocaust must never be forgotten. Although it is impossible to truly understand the suffering this book gives you a realistic glance. It is still difficult for me to accept the fact that humans could do what the Nazis did.

A fascinating and courageous account of living through the darkest and most evil days in human history. This book should be required reading in every school in America and Europe. We must never forget the horror and the human suffering of these terrible times.

I enjoy reading books that triumph the resilience of the human spirit, and this book exemplifies that completely. Not only are the horrors of this time explained, but the emotions and sheer will that allowed the author to persevere while keeping her own humanity alive.

Danna Pycher wishes for her legacy to be wise words and inspiration for people in need. Her wish for her legacy to bring to this world a bit more goodness and kindness. She wishes to be remembered as someone who cared and gave a damn. This is a treasure of inspiring, thoughtful life lessons interwoven with what Danna learned from her grandparents who were Holocaust survivors. Live life to its fullest with kindness and compassion. ( )