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Reviews

Revenge Of The Sisters

 

“Spieler’s straightforward style lets the story and characters shine in this tale of three sisters balancing the scales of justice. It’s delicious to read about how Rose, Josie, and Dorothy—each wronged in a different way because of her poverty and social status—achieve retribution. Along the way, 1930s California comes richly to life through the lives of these three women.” —

  • Audrey Kalman, author of What Remains Unsaid and Tiny Shoes Dancing

“From the acclaimed author of “Housewife Assassin”: The Woman Who Tried to Kill President Ford” comes a wonderful follow-up to “Regina of Warsaw.” Revenge of the Sisters recounts the stories of Regina’s daughters and how three strong-willed Jewish women made their way in a world fraught with opposition. A Jewish story, yes, but also a story of resilience, fortitude, moxy and passion, Revenge of the Sisters is a great read for history buffs, women’s history experts and readers who love a great survival story!”

  • Joan Gelfand, author, Outside Voices: A Memoir of the Berkeley Revolution.

“Regina of Warsaw meet your powerful sequel! Revenge of the Sisters, by author Geri Spieler, picks up when refugee Regina Anusevwicz—broke, homeless, and with four children—ends up in LA in 1918. The most impressive thing about Regina’s young daughters (Spieler’s aunts) is their resilience, strength, and ultimate triumph over the antisemitism they suffered as teens, abuse that would derail most of us for the rest of our lives. This is a story about the strength of the human spirit, about picking yourself up from defeat and finding a way to triumph in the end. And what’s more. This story is so engaging, I couldn’t put it down—something I’ve come to expect from Spieler’s writing.”

  • Tim Flood, author of The Flower of Canaan

Regina of Warsaw

 

“Geri Spieler unfolds an inspirational and sometimes heartbreaking survival story of 16-year-old Regina’s family suffering the catastrophic upheavals of Eastern Europe’s anti-Semitic pogroms of early 20th century Poland, ending finally and triumphantly with a new life in the United States. This novel should be missed by no one seeking a story of a strong, visionary woman bound to protect herself and her family against terrifying odds.”

  • Mary-Rose Hayes, author Amethyst, TIME/LIFE bestseller

 

“Spieler captures the delicate balance of a flourishing society for women in Poland at the turn of the century and the growing antisemitism from Russia. She deftly delivers a nuanced tale of Regina of Warsaw’s story of heartbreak, hardship, and survival, and will evoke emotions you thought buried.”

  • Mary-Beth O’Connor, author, From Junkie to Judge

“Geri Spieler is the rare author that takes the reader inside the heart and mind of a young girl who, alone in her family, sees the coming disaster that Poland will suffer while those around her refuse to admit it. With guts and grit, she extricates herself from the country, on her own, to forge a new life in America, where new tragedy and triumph awaits her.”

  • Nanci Woody, author, Tears and Trombones

 

“In Regina of Warsaw, based on the life of her immigrant grandmother, Geri Spieler invites us into the authentic cultural world of one Jewish family during the 1906 antisemitic attacks (“pogroms”) in tsarist Russia. Heartbreaking violence coexists with a struggle for normalcy as 16-year-old Regina takes on the role of her family’s protector. Whether we are hiding in a closet or sitting around a table piled with traditional foods, we are part of vivid scenes that break our hearts with trauma, warmth, tenacity and hope.”

  • Elise Miller, author, The Berkeley Girl

Housewife Assassin

 

Housewife Assassin is a gripping and chilling account of the life and mind of Sara Jane Moore. Spieler’s personal relationship with Moore adds depth to her extensive research, making the book a must-read for true crime fans.

  • John S.

The story of Sara Jane Moore is complex, and Spieler’s meticulous research and personal relationship with Moore make this book a unique and compelling read.

  • Anne White

As someone who lived through the era and remembered the assassination attempts on Ford vividly, I found this book to be very enlightening. Spieler does an excellent job of placing the events of the time in context and offering a deep dive into the psyche of a woman who played a pivotal role in them.

  • Marianne Adams

Housewife Assassin is a page-turner from start to finish. Spieler’s writing is crisp and engaging, and her ability to pull together disparate threads and offer a coherent narrative is truly impressive.

  • Venessa Rodriguez

I was blown away by the depth and scope of this book. Spieler has clearly put years of research and thought into her subject, and the result is a nuanced and insightful account of one of the most important moments in American history. Great informative read!

  • Joseph Harrison

San Francisco Values

 

A delightful inciteful page turner. The historical research is abundant and apparent. An easy beautifully written read and a clearly presented view of the impact San Francisco values has on the nation and the world. I learned so much of the city’s history and welcomed the well summarized and presented approach to making changes. The writing style delivers a well written book and a pleasurable reading experience.

  • Ivan Levine

 

An engaging and well-researched historical analysis of the origins of San Francisco values and how they were eventually embraced as American values. Action steps at the end of each chapter inspire hope that our divided nation can unite on common ground. Two thumbs up!

  • Hallas C. Midgette

Leading the country and the world

One of the most widely discussed and informative books of the season is San Francisco Values. The vitality and preeminence of the Bay area in high technology, innovation, and start-up enterprise is today universally unquestioned.

In saluting this exciting and productive region, Geri Spieler and Rick Kaplowitz, long-time Bay Area residents and co-authors, identify and elaborate on the core values that drive this national treasure as a mainspring of global leadership.

In systematic and quite convincing cadence, the couple examine the on-the-ground factors and ideals that make this region a national exemplar and something of a high-tech wonderland. In a fact-packed volume the reader will find a strong but easily understood exposition of the true heartbeat of modern American enterprise flourishing at its highest levels.

  • James T. Kenny Ph.D.

 

Geri Spieler and Rick Kaplowitz have written a compelling, interesting, and informative book that delves into such societal issues as brothels, homelessness, home prices in the Bay Area and other parts of the US, HIV, bubonic plague, same-sex marriage, and abortion rights. They also talk about hate speech, racism and voting rights. Each section of the book is accompanied by statistics and interesting facts. Well-known leaders from George Washington to Gavin Newsom are brought into the discussion about the politics of an era. “San Francisco Values” gives a short review of the history related to a certain societal issue and how San Franciscans have handled the issue and also how San Francisco has in many ways led the nation to adopt similar policies. I give the book five stars for its extensive research and the fact that it holds the reader’s attention from start to finish, reminding us along the way to value each other as individuals.

  • Nanci Woody