Reviews
"Grounded in extensive research and enriched by family anecdotes. . . . The result is thoughtful discourse on political activism and the toll exacted from those dedicated to unpopular causes."-Deborah Donovan, Booklist, "Sharp human insights on the omnipresent moral complications of living in Nazi Germany make this a worthwhile read. . . . [A] unique, imaginative take on the family memoir." - Kirkus Reviews"In every chapter, [Huber] weaves stories of her activist life with richly imagined scenes of her grandfather, reconstructing his life from anecdotes and documentary evidence. . . . Most radically of all for a progressive activist, Huber embraces the past. Instead of tossing it all out in search of something new, she ties a firm knot between then and now." - Los Angeles Times"Writing family history is a notoriously fraught enterprise. . . . Sonya Huber's book of creative nonfiction, Opa Nobody, tracks an innovative course through this thorny landscape. . . . [I]t is precisely Huber's play with the imaginative possibilities in the gaps between historical fact and family memory that makes her project so poetic and moving. . . . Through her admirably candid writing, Huber makes visible the inability of political activism to manage failure and despair." - Valerie Weaver-Zercher, The Christian Century"Grounded in extensive research and enriched by family anecdotes. . . . The result is thoughtful discourse on political activism and the toll exacted from those dedicated to unpopular causes." - Deborah Donovan, Booklist"In her first book, teacher and activist Huber reaches across time and space to find guidance and camaraderie in the reconstructed life of Heina Buschmann, the German grandfather she never met. . . . Family relationships and political situations are wrought finely enough to illustrate what's at stake for Heina." - Publishers Weekly"Opa Nobody is good, folks. . . . Fiction and nonfiction flow together so easily under Huber's control that it looks easy to accomplish. . . . Opa Nobody is a masterful book and a testament to the talent of its author. After reading this, there will be many people impatient for Sonya Huber's next work. I am." - Conan Stuart, Connect Statesboro, "In her first book, teacher and activist Huber reaches across time and space to find guidance and camaraderie in the reconstructed life of Heina Buschmann, the German grandfather she never met. . . . Family relationships and political situations are wrought finely enough to illustrate what's at stake for Heina."- Publishers Weekly, "Sharp human insights on the omnipresent moral complications of living in Nazi Germany make this a worthwhile read. . . . [A] unique, imaginative take on the family memoir."-- Kirkus Reviews "Grounded in extensive research and enriched by family anecdotes. . . . The result is thoughtful discourse on political activism and the toll exacted from those dedicated to unpopular causes."--Deborah Donovan, Booklist "In her first book, teacher and activist Huber reaches across time and space to find guidance and camaraderie in the reconstructed life of Heina Buschmann, the German grandfather she never met. . . . Family relationships and political situations are wrought finely enough to illustrate what's at stake for Heina."-- Publishers Weekly "In every chapter, [Huber] weaves stories of her activist life with richly imagined scenes of her grandfather, reconstructing his life from anecdotes and documentary evidence. . . . Most radically of all for a progressive activist, Huber embraces the past. Instead of tossing it all out in search of something new, she ties a firm knot between then and now."-- Los Angeles Times " Opa Nobody is good, folks. . . . Fiction and nonfiction flow together so easily under Huber's control that it looks easy to accomplish. . . . Opa Nobody is a masterful book and a testament to the talent of its author. After reading this, there will be many people impatient for Sonya Huber's next work. I am."--Conan Stuart, Connect Statesboro "Writing family history is a notoriously fraught enterprise. . . . Sonya Huber's book of creative nonfiction, Opa Nobody , tracks an innovative course through this thorny landscape. . . . [I]t is precisely Huber's play with the imaginative possibilities in the gaps between historical fact and family memory that makes her project so poetic and moving. . . . Through her admirably candid writing, Huber makes visible the inability of political activism to manage failure and despair."--Valerie Weaver-Zercher, The Christian Century, "Writing family history is a notoriously fraught enterprise. . . . Sonya Huber's book of creative nonfiction, Opa Nobody , tracks an innovative course through this thorny landscape. . . . [I]t is precisely Huber's play with the imaginative possibilities in the gaps between historical fact and family memory that makes her project so poetic and moving. . . . Through her admirably candid writing, Huber makes visible the inability of political activism to manage failure and despair."-Valerie Weaver-Zercher, The Christian Century, "In every chapter, [Huber] weaves stories of her activist life with richly imagined scenes of her grandfather, reconstructing his life from anecdotes and documentary evidence. . . . Most radically of all for a progressive activist, Huber embraces the past. Instead of tossing it all out in search of something new, she ties a firm knot between then and now."- Los Angeles Times , "Sharp human insights on the omnipresent moral complications of living in Nazi Germany make this a worthwhile read. . . . [A unique, imaginative take on the family memoir."- Kirkus Reviews, "Sharp human insights on the omnipresent moral complications of living in Nazi Germany make this a worthwhile read. . . . [A] unique, imaginative take on the family memoir."- Kirkus Reviews , "Writing family history is a notoriously fraught enterprise. . . . Sonya Huber's book of creative nonfiction, Opa Nobody , tracks an innovative course through this thorny landscape. . . . [It is precisely Huber's play with the imaginative possibilities in the gaps between historical fact and family memory that makes her project so poetic and moving. . . . Through her admirably candid writing, Huber makes visible the inability of political activism to manage failure and despair."-Valerie Weaver-Zercher, The Christian Century, "Sharp human insights on the omnipresent moral complications of living in Nazi Germany make this a worthwhile read. . . . [A] unique, imaginative take on the family memoir." - Kirkus Reviews "In every chapter, [Huber] weaves stories of her activist life with richly imagined scenes of her grandfather, reconstructing his life from anecdotes and documentary evidence. . . . Most radically of all for a progressive activist, Huber embraces the past. Instead of tossing it all out in search of something new, she ties a firm knot between then and now." - Los Angeles Times "Writing family history is a notoriously fraught enterprise. . . . Sonya Huber's book of creative nonfiction, Opa Nobody, tracks an innovative course through this thorny landscape. . . . [I]t is precisely Huber's play with the imaginative possibilities in the gaps between historical fact and family memory that makes her project so poetic and moving. . . . Through her admirably candid writing, Huber makes visible the inability of political activism to manage failure and despair." - Valerie Weaver-Zercher, The Christian Century "Grounded in extensive research and enriched by family anecdotes. . . . The result is thoughtful discourse on political activism and the toll exacted from those dedicated to unpopular causes." - Deborah Donovan, Booklist "In her first book, teacher and activist Huber reaches across time and space to find guidance and camaraderie in the reconstructed life of Heina Buschmann, the German grandfather she never met. . . . Family relationships and political situations are wrought finely enough to illustrate what's at stake for Heina." - Publishers Weekly " Opa Nobody is good, folks. . . . Fiction and nonfiction flow together so easily under Huber's control that it looks easy to accomplish. . . . Opa Nobody is a masterful book and a testament to the talent of its author. After reading this, there will be many people impatient for Sonya Huber's next work. I am." - Conan Stuart, Connect Statesboro, "In every chapter, [Huber weaves stories of her activist life with richly imagined scenes of her grandfather, reconstructing his life from anecdotes and documentary evidence. . . . Most radically of all for a progressive activist, Huber embraces the past. Instead of tossing it all out in search of something new, she ties a firm knot between then and now."- Los Angeles Times, " Opa Nobody is good, folks. . . . Fiction and nonfiction flow together so easily under Huber's control that it looks easy to accomplish. . . . Opa Nobody is a masterful book and a testament to the talent of its author. After reading this, there will be many people impatient for Sonya Huber's next work. I am."-Conan Stuart, Connect Statesboro
