The Risk of Sorrow by Valerie Foster

The Risk of Sorrow by Valerie Foster

A beautiful, honest portrayal not only of survival, but of a friendship built from the telling of such a devastating experience. -Kim Klett, Regional Education Corps, United States Holocaust Memorial

Helen Handler was just fifteen years old when she found herself alone in Auschwitz. The horrors she faced, family she lost, and lessons she learned would shape every moment of her life in ways few people could imagine. After rebuilding her life in America, and sharing her dramatic tale of survival to one group of high school students, she feels a unique connection with Irish-Catholic teacher, Valerie Foster, and entrusts her with her inspiring story. Helen bares her soul, challenging Valerie to listen, learn, and search her own self. The teacher becomes the student as their weekly visits begin to sculpt the profile of a Holocaust survivor as rarely seen before.

More than a Holocaust memoir, The Risk of Sorrow is an intimate look at two women of different generations, religions, and cultures who forge an extraordinary friendship as together they examine deep questions of survival, faith, humanity, and love. This is a story for today's world.

Valerie Stapleton Foster taught high school English for thirty years and currently holds an adjunct faculty position at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Arizona, teaching future teachers. Author of a memoir, Dancing With a Demon, and a short story, Loss, published in the River Poets Anthology, she lives in Gilbert, Arizona with her husband, Tom. Helen Handler is a long-standing member and past president of the Phoenix Holocaust Survivors Association and a member of Beth El Congregation and past president of the Jewish Free Loan. As a former business owner of a drapery shop in Phoenix's Metro-Center Mall, she is proud of having provided a livelihood for her loyal employees for thirteen years. Helen was a member of Toastmasters International for seventeen years and is a prominent public speaker in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area. A recipient of numerous awards and recognition, she devotes her time to speaking to schoolchildren every chance she gets, imparting her wisdom and message of hope and peace.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781685135492
ISBN 10	1685135498
Title	The Risk of Sorrow
Author	Valerie Foster
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Black Rose Writing
Year published	2025-01-30
Number of pages	258
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.