From Grief to Glory


Non-Fiction - Cultural
480 Pages
Reviewed on 12/07/2013
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite

From Grief to Glory an "Otto-Biography" by Otto Rieke is an amazing story and one that will pull you in from the first sentence. Rieke, in his author bio, says it better than anyone else could.

"Whether by circumstance, disposition or both, Otto Rieke has led a curious and comical life, and recounts it with great passion. First and forever foremost, Otto, and his wife of many years, parented five beautiful children. They currently have four grandchildren, each of whom is a uniquely wonderful light in life. Otto was High School Valedictorian, Magna Cum Laude graduate from Rockhurst Jesuit University, and has performed graduate work in Mathematics, Nuclear Physics, and Political Science. He has earned varsity letters in all sports. Otto is a veteran, a veritable war hero, as the "gunning guard" for the Brigade Bombardiers at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo, while the real war, the one in Vietnam, raged without him...He was born and raised in Jefferson City Missouri, but has yet to grow up...The Rieke family has suffered cataclysmic tragedies in life, which have rocked hearts, minds, and spirits."

Rieke writes with such prose, intelligence, wisdom, and emotion that it's easy to forget your own surroundings and become lost in his world. Rieke captivates the reader with tales of his life, beginning with his ex-wife's run-off (which he tells with wit) and the death of his two sons (heart-wrenching) to his more resolved life, with twists, turns, drama, heartbreak, and everything else in between. Rieke's writing is so engaging that it's difficult to stop reading until the end. It is a riveting story and one that puts life in perspective. I would give this more than five stars if I could.

Brenda Wood

"From Grief to Glory" by Otto Reike is a worthy read for both men and women, but men may especially enjoy the frequent references to sports. Don't let the length of this book put you off the read. This is a sarcastically funny story of life as a member of a large Catholic family during the past 60 or so years. It is intertwined with American history of the time. Otto is brilliantly blunt on occasion and I have to wonder if some family members are still speaking to him. Honestly though, he does say the things we all want to and dare not. He talks politics a bit and puts his slant (from a Catholic point of view) on something and fiercely defends the faith, at least for a while. He is brutally honest about his divorce and how it affected him and his family. Even more sad is the way he tells about the unexpected death of his two sons.

Some pictures are included and I must admit, I do like to see the folks I am reading about. While it does include some of the author's 'rants' over the years, and a bit of mild off-color language, I found it quite enjoyable and occasionally laughed right out loud while I read. I do admit that I am particularly fond of memoirs because I write them as well. "Meeting Myself, Snippets from a Binging and Bulging Mind" is my latest. So all in all, I do recommend Otto's book. Enjoy.

Alice D.

Missouri born and raised, Otto Rieke writes that "all of grief can be turned to glory after what we've endured in life." Ardent, devout Roman Catholic, Otto married his love, Mary Beth, and fathered five children only to have Mary Beth leave him for another man and to have two of his beloved sons, Gabriel and Michael, killed in senseless auto accidents in 1993 and 2000. Otto writes of his belief that a functioning family is the root of a society and is quite forthright in taking on newspapers, politicians, and anyone with whom he disagrees. With an off-beat, self-ridiculing sense of humor, the author admits that he is selfish, angry at the world, hard to live with and an egomaniac. When he attempts to run for office, he is amused with the Kansas City Star's calling his candidacy "all blabber and smoke and mirrors." Otto Rieke takes on anyone, any issue, and despite hip surgeries and illnesses, writes about what he believes in, including sports and maybe even tilting at windmills!

Otto Rieke is a first-rate writer, make no mistake. However, his paragraphs are much too long and should be separated into several shorter ones. The texts of letters and opinions that he wrote should be written in italics so the reader will know when they begin and end. But From Grief to Glory is too good a work to not be re-edited a bit. If people don't know who Rieke is, and even if they totally disagree with his viewpoint, this is a book that many people will enjoy reading just for the joy of knowing that Otto Rieke lives and thinks and lets people know what he thinks. A joy of a good read!