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Something Beautiful Happened: A Story of Survival and Courage in the Face of Evil
Something Beautiful Happened: A Story of Survival and Courage in the Face of Evil | Yvette Manessis Corporon
10 posts | 3 read | 26 to read
Seventy years after her grandmother helped hide a Jewish family on a Greek island during World War II, a woman sets out to track down their descendants--and discovers a new way to understand tragedy, forgiveness, and the power of kindness in "an engrossing peek into a little-known chapter of World War II, and one family's harrowing tale of finding the lost pieces of its own history" (Karen Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of Liar Temptress Solider Spy). Yvette Manessis Corporon grew up listening to her grandmother's stories about how the people of the small Greek island Erikousa hid a Jewish family--a tailor named Savvas and his daughters--from the Nazis during World War II. Nearly 2,000 Jews from that area died in the concentration camps, but even though everyone on Erikousa knew Savvas and his family were hiding on the island, no one ever gave them up, and the family survived the war. Years later, Yvette couldn't get the story of the Jewish tailor out of her head. She decided to track down the man's descendants--and eventually found them in Israel. Their tearful reunion was proof to her that evil doesn't always win. But just days after she made the connection, her cousin's child was gunned down in a parking lot in Kansas, a victim of a Neo-Nazi out to inflict as much harm as he could. Despite her best hopes, she was forced to confront the fact that seventy years after the Nazis were defeated, remainders of their hateful legacy still linger today. As Yvette and her family wrestled with the tragedy in their own lives, the lessons she learned from the survivors of the Holocaust helped her confront and make sense of the present. In beautiful interweaving storylines, the past and present come together in a nuanced, heartfelt "story of compassion and collective resistance" with "undeniable emotional power" (Kirkus Reviews).
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review
TrishB
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Be prepared to cry your eyes out 😢
Some really sad moments, but all balanced by faith and love and support.
I‘m not religious, but could feel the strength of faith and support of religious communities that helped people get through the toughest times.
I know I would be the horrible bitter, old cow that could never react as these wonderful people did, I am in awe of them.
Thanks Cindy 😘

Cinfhen This book BROKE ME!!! I LOVED this family. I‘m so glad you were as moved as I was. This would also work for #FoodAndLit #Israel @Butterfinger @Texreader 4y
Texreader @Cinfhen Thanks for the tag! Stacked 4y
Reggie Great review, TrishB! 4y
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LeahBergen Wonderful review! 4y
Cathythoughts Yes!! Great review ❤️ 4y
Butterfinger Wonderful review @TrishB Thanks @Cinfhen for tagging me. 4y
erzascarletbookgasm Yes, wonderful review 💖 4y
TrishB @Cinfhen such things they all went through! 4y
116 likes3 stack adds9 comments
blurb
TrishB
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Mother daughter read. Daughter finally having a break from essay writing. Sansa showing off 🐶♥️

Leftcoastzen Awww ,funny Sansa!❤️🐶 4y
MrT I'm reading SOC right now! 4y
MsMelissa Sansa 🥰 4y
See All 8 Comments
Cathythoughts Great pic ! What is Sansa doing 😂they are so funny when they start showing off 4y
TrishB @Leftcoastzen @MsMelissa @Cathythoughts she usually does this when she‘s not getting any attention 😁 4y
TrishB @MrT my daughter is determined to read them all before the Netflix series comes out. 4y
LeahBergen Sansa! 😆😆 4y
batsy Sansa 😁😘 4y
123 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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TheSpineView
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OriginalCyn620 📚👍🏻📚 4y
51 likes2 comments
review
suzie.reads
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Pickpick

What a truly beautiful book, I cried so much reading this. Something beautiful definitely did happen!
#ReadtheUSA2020 #Kansas (31st state) #Murder2020 (book 65)

Cinfhen I LOVED this book SO HARD!!!! And after I posted a review on GoodReads the author responded with the kindest words....which made me cry some more 🥰 4y
suzie.reads @Cinfhen that is so lovely that she responded to your review 🙂 4y
54 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Cinfhen
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Thanks for the tag @Eggs #WondrousWednesday

1. I took the quiz on BuzzFeed ....I‘m water 💧 not surprised , as the beach is my #HappyPlace 🏝
2. Tagged book was the last book that gave me ALL THE FEELS
3. I just started this audio / a recommendation from @Megabooks and it‘s CAPTIVATING The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Feel like playing @CoffeeAndABook @MariaW @Smrloomis

MariaW Thanks for the tag! 😊 4y
EadieB @Cinfhen I'm on hold for a copy of The Guest List. Can't wait to read it! Loved her other book 4y
CoffeeAndABook Thanks for the tag 😘🍹☀️ 4y
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Cinfhen Are u doing the audio @EadieB ??? It‘s really good 4y
EadieB @Cinfhen Yes but it's not available until 1 more month. 4y
Eggs Thanks for playing 🙌🏻📚🤗👏🏻 4y
Smrloomis Thanks for the tag! 😄 4y
59 likes7 comments
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Cinfhen
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I recently read and reviewed this memoir, which I absolutely loved. So I was truly touched to find a lovely note from the author on my GoodReads page. (See above)
A story of one family‘s heroic act of bravery, an unforeseen tragedy and a quest to reunite the descendants. Pick up this book but make sure to have plenty of tissues on hand 😭

squirrelbrain How nice that she took the time to thank you! (and not a generic message either - she clearly read and cared about your review) ❤️ 4y
Reggie That‘s awesome! 4y
Cathythoughts That is so lovely ❤️ 4y
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runswithscissors007 That is so lovely! 4y
AmyG Wow. 4y
erzascarletbookgasm 👏lovely 4y
Cinfhen Right @squirrelbrain it makes me love this book even more than I already did @AmyG @erzascarletbookgasm @runswithscissors007 @Cathythoughts @Reggie 💕💕 4y
Megabooks What a great interaction! Couldn‘t happen to a nicer person. I‘m glad you connected! 💖💖 4y
LiteraryinPA That is so special! 4y
Cinfhen I knew there was something really genuine about the author as I was reading this book and I was right @LiteraryinLititz @Megabooks It was a really sweet and an unexpected but wonderful interaction 🥰 (edited) 4y
BookwormM Wow what a lovely message 4y
kspenmoll What a lovely note!❤️ 4y
Cinfhen I hope she does write something else @kspenmoll @BookwormM I think she‘s a great storyteller 4y
Centique 💜💕💜 4y
98 likes2 stack adds14 comments
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Cinfhen
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#WondrousWednesday
Thanks for the tag @Eggs
1. These daisies were given to me by the fruit vendor...occasionally he hands me a small bouquet 💛🤍💛
2. My first thought was Princess Buttercup/ The Princess Bride
3. Tagged book just unexpectedly captured my heart ♥️

Feel like sharing @TrishB @Centique @Cathythoughts @squirrelbrain @RachelO

rockpools Thanks for the tag, Cindy! I‘ll have a think 😊 The flowers are lovely. 4y
Cathythoughts Thanks for the tag ! I love that about the fruit vendor 💕💕💕 4y
Eggs Lovely flowers 💐❣️ thanks for playing 👏🏻 4y
71 likes3 comments
review
Cinfhen
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Pickpick

Wow! I wasn‘t expecting to be so emotionally moved from this book. I cried so HARD, SO MANY TIMES (I have a migraine to prove it). A story woven around many stories, all true & each one compelling & astonishing. An entire Greek Island risking their lives to hide the Jewish tailor and his daughters during the Holocaust, a deeply religious Catholic family in Kansas, a survivor of the Rwanda genocide & an Israeli web developer all converge 👇🏽

Cinfhen in this heartfelt journey of piecing together a family puzzle. I‘ve seen reviews that thought it was too much, or unstructured. I never had trouble following the threads and I thought the book was constructed seamlessly. Once I started reading I could not stop. Grab a box of tissues and this book. It will remind you that there is always light in a world of darkness. 5y
TrishB Stacked and lovely review 👍🏻 5y
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KarenUK What a wonderful review.... 💕 (edited) 5y
kspenmoll Have to read this after your review!💕 thank you for being this book to my attention. 5y
Cinfhen I hope you get to this book @kspenmoll I‘m still thinking about it. I loved it @TrishB @KarenUK 4y
Centique Stacked! 4y
94 likes10 stack adds7 comments
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Cinfhen
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Up next!! I had meant to read this for #ReadingEurope2020 #Greece but ultimately read a different book. Bonus, this book also works for #Kansas #ReadingUSA2020 - I‘ve read the first 4 chapters and I‘m hooked.

Cathythoughts I love this title and cover ... ✨✨✨ 5y
erzascarletbookgasm Something calming about this photo too. 🙂👍 5y
Librarybelle This sounds really good! 5y
85 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Cinfhen
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#RedRoseSeptember #NeverForget #NeverAgain Two stories of resilience and survival, both from my #TBR Both sound incredible!

Cinfhen @Hollie have you read either of these books??? I bet you have a few good memoirs to suggest. #Holocaust #WWII 5y
arlenefinnigan Excellent ❤️ 5y
Hollie @Cinfhen I have not, but I need to! 5y
71 likes1 stack add3 comments