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.
As Christina's great-granddaughter, Julia Anderson became intrigued as to what her life might have been like and how choices that were made affected her descendants. Julia became compelled to tell Christina's story, which is of a young Swedish immigrant, arriving in the Chicago, Illinois area in the late 1880's. The story of the Swedish immigration to America in the late 1800's is not generally well known. Julia wanted to give that experience a voice, and to explore how her great-grandmother might have seen her children's lives unfold.
The second major part of Through Christina's Eyes is to describe the struggles Julia's daughter, Anna Christina, has gone through. Julia wants the world to have a glimpse into the challenges that people with disabilities face, and see that there is triumph even in the face of great adversity.
Reading and now writing are activities that absorb her attention.
Through Christina's Eyes is Julia Anderson's first novel. She plans to write more historical fiction books.
Reviewed by Alice DiNizo for Readers' Favorite
Author Julia Anderson tells her family's story in "Through Christina's Eyes". Her grandfather Walter's mother, Christina Nilsson, was born in Hagnarp, Sweden, in 1866 and left her economically struggling for a life in America in 1887. It is through Christina's telling that most of this story unfolds. Christina makes it quite clear that in her lifetime, the man was the head of a household and made decisions, and the woman's job was to perform chores that supported family life. After working as a maid and then as a family cook, Christina married Charles Anderson in 1891 and for the next twenty years cooked, cleaned, washed and ironed clothes and gave birth to nine children. Christina doesn't complain; she did what was expected of her but died at age 45 in 1912, worn out from birthing and keeping house for her family. She watches over her family from beyond death, and rejoices when her mother and sister join her. Christina watches over her son Walter's granddaughter Julia, the story's author, as Julia's first born, daughter Anna Christina, suffers a stroke before her birth and is born with medical issues that must be monitored all her life.
"Through Christina's Eyes" is a well-written and moving account of the author's brave and unending fight to give her non-verbal daughter, Anna Christina, the best possible medical care as Anna Christina is in constant and excruciating pain. Author Julia Anderson cleverly uses her great-grandmother Christina's life with her never-ending work as a mother and wife as a clear introduction to her own story. In Christina's day, a child like her great-great granddaughter Anna Christina would not have lived much beyond infancy as there was inadequate medical care back in those days at the beginning of the last century. "Through Christina's Eyes" is a book for all parents of children with disabilities to read and treasure and give thanks to modern medicine.
