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During World War II, eleven-year-old Alice, whose life has been sheltered and comfortable, discovers some important things about herself and the people she meets when she and her grandfather board a train and begin an increasingly intolerable journey to an unknown destination.
Imagine your pick up a book and you think it is going to be interseting, but its not. Would you like to read a book like that? I guess not. I read the back of Final Journey thinking "Wow this sounds like a great book to read," but boy was i wrong. If I would have known that,"The sliding-door of the railway truck closed with a deafing clang." was the beginning to a boring book i would have never read it. The main character Alice, an 11 year old girl, along with other people are crammed into a cattle car to be deported and stay there for almost the entire book. All you read about is what's going on in a dark cattle car, and Alice's life before she was sent away, which wasn't really interesting because she talks about when she lived in the basement for a part of her life. The only good thing I found in this book was its message. Final Journey tries to communicate that no matter if you are rich or poor, you should help others in need. If i had the chance to read this book again I would choose not to. Take my advice and don't waste your time reading Final Journey.
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Posted December 11, 2007
The book that I have chosen is a historically fiction book. This book is a series of stories about living, dying, death and the thoughts, feelings and struggles of seven dying people and their families which is seen through the eyes of the principal author (The nurse).I think that the title (The Final Journey) was a rather good title for the book. The reason I think that is because the final journey meant the end of several different persons lives. The stories illustrate how a skilled listener can help people adapt to complete loss and how ¿the paradox of hurt story tellers is that their sharing of the story often becomes a gift of caring for others, rather than a plea for receiving care.¿ The principal author is a nurse with experience as a head nurse, director of nursing, educator and clinical nurse specialist. Her role as a person who pleads for patients and their families and her helping present come through very strongly throughout these narratives. She describes becoming more involved than many health care professionals would think necessary or appropriate (for example, she goes on a long weekend vacation with a dead patient¿s wife and sister). The stories of these families are told to improve our understanding of the emotional and spiritual needs of people experiencing loss or death. The authors hope that the stories communicate the importance of truth telling, listening, compassion and celebration in the midst of dying. The authors¿ thoughts in this book are somewhat unfamiliar. At times it seems to be very confusing, and the thoughts are disconnected. The author would say one thing and then talk about something totally different at times. I would recommend this book for Health care providers. I would rate this title/ book as pretty good. Strengths: Outlines role of listener and ¿helping presence¿ Weaknesses: Thoughts seem a little disconnected at certain times
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Posted May 25, 2002
The Final Journey is a thrilling and compelling story. Although the character ,Alice, is fictional you can still feal and hurt for her. Alice and her grandparents were taken from their hiding place in a cellar in the middle of the night to a train. Alice had never been told what her true destiny was. She had only been told lies to try to protect her from the terrifing truth. On the train she finds the truth and where the train is taking them to, a consentration camp. This book will have you feeling her pain and crying for her. You won't want to put it down until the last agonizing pages are closed. This book not only hits the heart but tells you what the real Hollocaust was like. I highly recommend this novel to anyone that would like to know the truth about the Hollocaust or to who ever is interested in this brutal time period.
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Posted May 6, 2002
I was telling all my friend about this book because it is beyond believeable! I am a critic on stories written about the Jews and Holocaust, and I have to say, this book is almost so accurate it's like you're there! Alice/the author portrays the people in the truck with such feeling it's like you know them. I talked with my Gramma about this (she was in the trains/camps, ect. but not Jewish) and she liked what she heard (you know what I mean.) I liked how the whole setting was in the truck, because rarely do the authors tell you much about it. It really fills in the gaps. I definately would recommend this book to any one, any age level. Thos who don't read it, are really missing out.
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Posted December 2, 2001
The book I read was titled 'The Final Journey'. Although this story was based on a fictional character, the facts were based on actual events. 'The Final Journey' depicts the deplorable conditions faced by many Jews being transported to Concentration Death Camps by way of cargo trains during WWII. Through the eyes of a child one experiences the horror of all those aboard one such train. This book takes you on a journey to witness death, deification, pain, hunger, suffering, and other atrocities faced by those victimized for simply being Jewish. I highly recommend this book to those willing to experience what millions of Jews lived through before their ultimate demise.
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Posted November 12, 2000
my favorite book which is hard for me to decide because i love just about all books.it made me realize things i took for granted and was a moving story.i love this book and recomend it for older children because it did get a little graphic at times. over all terriffic!
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