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Forever Torn
Forever Torn is the true and amazing story of two brothers and three generations of one family - a family torn apart by deaths, poverty, deceit and a promise made by a small boy to his Grandfather over 80 years ago.
It is the story of one man who refused to acknowledge his past and his brother who remained bound to protect the secret, despite his own pain.
If you have enjoyed fictional epics such as Blood Brothers and Kane and Abel, you will love Forever Torn, which unlike the aforementioned is based on a true and tragic story.
It is the story of one man who refused to acknowledge his past and his brother who remained bound to protect the secret, despite his own pain.
If you have enjoyed fictional epics such as Blood Brothers and Kane and Abel, you will love Forever Torn, which unlike the aforementioned is based on a true and tragic story.
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2013
63 people are currently reading
241 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 13, 2018
Love and Loss plays out for Two Brothers
This tale of how fate tore two brothers apart as they grow up during the turbulent events of the ear!y 20th century is filled with historical details as it chronicles the struggles, success, loves and losses faced by author Greenfield's family. The characters were given life by Greenfield's skillful use of humor, his storytelling and the effort he made to flesh out the characters showing flaws as well as admirable traits. Thoroughly enjoyed.
This tale of how fate tore two brothers apart as they grow up during the turbulent events of the ear!y 20th century is filled with historical details as it chronicles the struggles, success, loves and losses faced by author Greenfield's family. The characters were given life by Greenfield's skillful use of humor, his storytelling and the effort he made to flesh out the characters showing flaws as well as admirable traits. Thoroughly enjoyed.
February 21, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed this book based on the real-life events of the author’s family during the early 20th century. The tale of two brothers is filled with historical details that bring the past to life.
September 17, 2014
Fantastic
This was a really impressive attempt to tell a Jewish family's long history in Europe, England and South Africa. It was written clearly and vividly. The unbelievable thing is that I could keep all the characters apart. This is a totally absorbing and fascinating romp through different eras and venues which kept my attention throughout. Would love to see more from this writer.
This was a really impressive attempt to tell a Jewish family's long history in Europe, England and South Africa. It was written clearly and vividly. The unbelievable thing is that I could keep all the characters apart. This is a totally absorbing and fascinating romp through different eras and venues which kept my attention throughout. Would love to see more from this writer.
May 27, 2014
Very interesting and a great story
I am NOT a history buff and I am not sure why I chose to read this particular book. It had a slow beginning and I thought more than once of not continuing but I am glad I did cus once the story got interesting I really enjoyed it and was anxious to pick it back up to continue the story!
I am NOT a history buff and I am not sure why I chose to read this particular book. It had a slow beginning and I thought more than once of not continuing but I am glad I did cus once the story got interesting I really enjoyed it and was anxious to pick it back up to continue the story!
December 5, 2014
A rich book of family and faults and loving through good times and bad!
It is a bittersweet story of a family that spans the 20th century to the beginning of the 21St. The story telling was such that you feel a kindred spirit with the family. This book will remain in my mind over the years as to the love and life's of this extended family.
It is a bittersweet story of a family that spans the 20th century to the beginning of the 21St. The story telling was such that you feel a kindred spirit with the family. This book will remain in my mind over the years as to the love and life's of this extended family.
December 24, 2014
It's an amazing debut book. I would never have guessed this was Jason Greenfield's first book if I hadn't paid attention to the Author's Page on Amazon.
It's a gripping story which you won't put down until you get to the very last page.
It's a gripping story which you won't put down until you get to the very last page.
November 15, 2015
Very slow moving. Way too much unnecessary information. It took mr almost a month to read because I found some parts quite boring.
August 6, 2017
It took me a painful month to finish this book. The first chapters, written about 2 friends fighting in a war, were so boring to me, I could barely trudge through them. I made a commitment to finish it so slowly but surely made it to the part that made the book somewhat more interesting. One of the friends marries and has his first child, a son. His wife, a poorly young woman, has been warned not to have anymore children as it would not be in her best interest. Sadly, she does have another son and dies not too many years after. Another few years go by and their father also passes away. The children are sent to grandparents and then in another unfortunate turn of events, the boys have to be separated as their grandparents do not have the means to raise them both. One boy is given to a wealthy Jewish family, while the other stays with his poor relations. The terms of the adoption were that no one was to ever mention again that the two boys were brothers. There are parts of this book that are so painfully boring that I could barely read more than a few pages before putting this down again and leaving it for days. The font changes are weird; the editing even more so. How strange it was for me to get to the end to find that this book was loosely based on a true story. I had thought it was a Memoir when I started it, but as I was reading kept thinking there was no way this could be based on factual events. Not my favorite book for certain.
April 17, 2020
Awesome read
I love this book. Great job telling your grandfather's story. He was an incredible man. I'm sorry his brother missed out as I'm sure his life would have been greatly enriched in truly knowing his brother. I'm glad you invented Avram, he added a bit of color to the tale. I hope Harry is still around and I guess he'd be about a 100 now. You were very lucky to have him and all the other wonderful family members!
I love this book. Great job telling your grandfather's story. He was an incredible man. I'm sorry his brother missed out as I'm sure his life would have been greatly enriched in truly knowing his brother. I'm glad you invented Avram, he added a bit of color to the tale. I hope Harry is still around and I guess he'd be about a 100 now. You were very lucky to have him and all the other wonderful family members!
June 10, 2018
Poorly written and to no real purpose.
Poorly written and to no good purpose. It seems vindictive. I wish Harry had just got on with his life. I kept waiting for that to happen. Poor spelling and grammatical errors abound.
Poorly written and to no good purpose. It seems vindictive. I wish Harry had just got on with his life. I kept waiting for that to happen. Poor spelling and grammatical errors abound.
September 26, 2018
A fascinating journey
Covering nearly a century of the author's family history, this dramatised account deals with many major historical events and provides fascinating insight into how people coped with war and the trials of everyday life.
Covering nearly a century of the author's family history, this dramatised account deals with many major historical events and provides fascinating insight into how people coped with war and the trials of everyday life.
July 28, 2023
Forever Torn
The true story of two brothers, who overcome adversity, with the help of family. One is totally devoted to his family: the other to his new family and pretentious friends. At times heartwarming, at other times heartbreaking, but an excellent story. Highly recommend!
The true story of two brothers, who overcome adversity, with the help of family. One is totally devoted to his family: the other to his new family and pretentious friends. At times heartwarming, at other times heartbreaking, but an excellent story. Highly recommend!
September 25, 2016
This is the strangest, most haunting adoption story I've ever read.
I've read many adoption stories, all involving an infant surrendered for adoption by the parent(s) and later making contact with the birth family. It's always interesting to read about family "dynamics" and how different families (both birth and adoptive) deal with this very emotional subject.
In this book, the adoptee's parents were dead and he was given up by grandparents who could no longer afford to care for him. Even more unusual, he was six years old at the time of the adoption, which separated him from his older brother. That separation was a tragic loss for the older brother, whose grandson has recorded his story. The brothers continued to have contact, but the adoptive parents were determined to pass the younger boy off as their biological son and even moved in order to promote this fiction. The older brother continued to live with his grandparents and both families were part of London's close-knit Jewish community, so the "secret" was known to many. The two brothers were further divided by the wide difference in their economic circumstances and opportunities.
The author is not a professional writer, but the story is so compelling I had no trouble staying with it. It's a book which sheds light on Jewish culture and on human nature in general.
I've read many adoption stories, all involving an infant surrendered for adoption by the parent(s) and later making contact with the birth family. It's always interesting to read about family "dynamics" and how different families (both birth and adoptive) deal with this very emotional subject.
In this book, the adoptee's parents were dead and he was given up by grandparents who could no longer afford to care for him. Even more unusual, he was six years old at the time of the adoption, which separated him from his older brother. That separation was a tragic loss for the older brother, whose grandson has recorded his story. The brothers continued to have contact, but the adoptive parents were determined to pass the younger boy off as their biological son and even moved in order to promote this fiction. The older brother continued to live with his grandparents and both families were part of London's close-knit Jewish community, so the "secret" was known to many. The two brothers were further divided by the wide difference in their economic circumstances and opportunities.
The author is not a professional writer, but the story is so compelling I had no trouble staying with it. It's a book which sheds light on Jewish culture and on human nature in general.
September 23, 2014
I found this book odd. It was akin to reading someone else's journal only to find out in the last chapter some of the more interesting parts were fiction.
I assume there was an editor. But let's hope he/she was fired.
I assume there was an editor. But let's hope he/she was fired.
January 17, 2015
The structure was not conducive to my total enjoyment. The editing wasn't either.
It was okay, nothing more, nothing less.
It was okay, nothing more, nothing less.
August 30, 2016
Wonderfully written! A real page-turner; a partially-fictionalized interpretation of grandfather's life in the context of 20th century historical events touchingly and humorously told.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews