The Lives They Left Behind

The Lives They Left Behind
Author: Darby Penney
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant.com
Total Pages: 374
Release: 2010-02
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1458765989

More than four hundred abandoned suitcases filled with patients' belongings were found when Willard Psychiatric Center closed in 1995 after 125 years of operation. In this fully-illustrated social history, they are skillfully examined and compared to the written record to create a moving-and devastating-group portrait of twentieth-century American psychiatric care.

The Lives They Left Behind

The Lives They Left Behind
Author: Darby Penney
Publisher: Bellevue Literary Press
Total Pages: 291
Release: 2009-01-01
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1934137235

The acclaimed portrait of institutionalized patients whose abandoned possessions recall their forgotten lives “A deeply moving testament to the human side of mental illness.” —Oliver Sacks When Willard State Hospital closed its doors in 1995, after operating as one of New York State’s largest mental institutions for over 120 years, a forgotten attic filled with suitcases belonging to former patients was discovered. Using the possessions found in these suitcases along with institutional records and doctors’ notes from patient sessions, Darby Penney, a leading advocate of patients’ rights, and Peter Stastny, a psychiatrist and documentary filmmaker, were able to reconstruct the lives of ten patients who resided at Willard during the first half of the twentieth century. The Lives They Left Behind tells their story. In addition to these human portraits, the book contains over 100 photographs as well as valuable historical background on how this state-funded institution operated. As it restores the humanity of the individuals it so poignantly evokes, The Lives They Left Behind reveals the vast historical inadequacies of a psychiatric system that has yet to heal itself.

The Girl They Left Behind

The Girl They Left Behind
Author: Roxanne Veletzos
Publisher: Atria Books
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2019-09-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1501187694

A sweeping historical romance that is “gripping, tragic, yet filled with passion and hope” (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author), offering a vivid and unique portrayal of life in war-torn 1941 Bucharest during World War II and its aftermath—perfect for fans of Lilac Girls and Sarah’s Key. On a freezing night in January 1941, a little Jewish girl is found on the steps of an apartment building in Bucharest. With Romania recently allied with the Nazis, the Jewish population is in grave danger so the girl is placed in an orphanage and eventually adopted by a wealthy childless couple who name her Natalia. As she assimilates into her new life, she all but forgets the parents who were forced to leave her behind. As a young woman in Soviet Romania, Natalia crosses paths with Victor—an important official in the Communist regime that she used to know as an impoverished young student. Now they are fatefully drawn into a passionate affair despite the obstacles swirling around them and Victor’s dark secrets. When Natalia is suddenly offered a one-time chance at freedom, Victor is determined to help her escape, even if it means losing her. Natalia must make an agonizing decision: remain in Bucharest with her beloved adoptive parents and the man she has come to love, or seize the chance to finally live life on her own terms, and to confront the painful enigma of her past. The Girl They Left Behind “is a vividly told, beautifully written, impossible-but-true story” (Helen Bryan, internationally bestselling author of War Brides) that you won’t soon forget.

What She Left Behind

What She Left Behind
Author: Ellen Marie Wiseman
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Total Pages: 369
Release: 2019-08-27
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1496730038

Includes discussion questions and an excerpt from The orphan collector.

The Willard Suitcases

The Willard Suitcases
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2016-10-01
Genre:
ISBN: 9781937650773

Willard Asylum for the Insane was opened in 1869 for the purpose of treating individuals in need of long-term care. Some of these patients came from other hospitals, some came from families no longer able to care for them, many came from county poorhouses, and a few came in chains. The asylum, later known as Willard State Hospital, and finally as Willard Psychiatric Center, was in rural upstate New York on the shores of Seneca Lake. Over time, Willard grew to hold several thousand patients. Throughout the twentieth century, the institution changed from an almost self- sufficient, isolated institution to a modern psychiatric hospital. In 1995 New York State closed it for budgetary reasons.The asylum distinguished itself by having a particularly close relationship to nearby communities. Generations of families worked at Willard, and when it closed, many of its recently laid off employees volunteered with the decommissioning. It was during this time that Beverly Courtwright opened a locked attic door and "rediscovered" more than four hundred suitcases belonging to former patients. Thanks to her, and the involvement of Craig Williams from the New York State Museum, the cases were preserved, and a few were eventually displayed in an exhibit at the museum in 2004. The cases are now in the permanent collection of the museum and have been catalogued and preserved. Jon Crispin has photographed at Willard regularly over the past three decades, and in March of 2011 was granted access to the suitcases and began a through documentation of the collection. His main concern throughout this project is to maintain a respect for the integrity of the resident's lives, and he is determined to tell their stories through his photographs.

These Will Not be Left Behind

These Will Not be Left Behind
Author: Tim LaHaye
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2003
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 9780842365932

While the characters in the "Left Behind" series are fiction, the stories in this book are real. With more than two dozen real-life stories of series readers, this book chronicles the miraculous way that God has used the series to change people's lives and draw them closer to Him.

The Life She Left Behind

The Life She Left Behind
Author: Nicole Trope
Publisher: Bookouture
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2020-07-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1838882278

When I wake up in the middle of the night, it’s not a sound that disturbs me. It’s a feeling. Silently, I creep to my daughter’s room, breathing a sigh of relief when I see her sleeping, her night-light twirling, butterfly shapes moving their pink wings. Quickly, I lock the door. I won’t let anything happen to my little girl. You tell him everything. The husband you adore, the father of your child, your best friend. He knows, just by looking at your sage-green eyes, when something is wrong. The two of you can communicate with a glance, or a touch of the hand. Except what if you can’t? What if your happy marriage has plastered over one huge lie? A lie you have even started to believe yourself, in order to survive? What if you have a secret, something you have hidden from your beloved husband and your strawberry-scented baby girl, to keep them safe? What if the guilt has kept you up, night after night, for as long as you can remember? Because, after twenty-eight years, that secret is refusing to stay buried. The past you have tried so desperately to outrun is catching up with you. A faded photograph, torn in half, threatens to expose the truth and everyone you love, everything you cherish, is in harm’s way… An emotional, thought-provoking and beautifully written novel which examines the pieces of ourselves we are afraid of, and the impossible decisions we make when we are desperate. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Kerry Fisher and Liane Moriarty will be moved by this heartbreaking tale. Readers absolutely love The Life She Left Behind: ‘Oh my... This was literally “un-put-downable”... This was not a book I could read chapter by chapter and take breaks in between, I NEEDED to keep going!… I know I will be thinking about this story for days… Amazing.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘What a fantastic book!! I absolutely loved it, and it is hands down the best book I’ve read this year so far… Amazing… I couldn’t recommend it more highly. Now I’m off to buy several more of Trope’s books to get stuck in to.’ My Little Bookcase, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow oh wow, what an absolutely gorgeous read. I devoured this beautiful book in just over an hour… I adored the writing style in this one, the author writes elegantly and in a way that just pulls you into the pages. I cannot say anything negative about this book, I have been truly engrossed and shocked by how quickly I read this one. I didn't want to put it down. This is definitely a beautiful read by a very talented author.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Loved this book! Very emotional! Read it in 1 sitting!’ Reading through the Looking Glass, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A highly emotional read that had me hooked from the start. This is another fantastic book by Nicole Trope!’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. It was that good. It was definitely emotional, and left me guessing until the end.’ The One Where She Blogs, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Page 1, I was hooked and couldn’t put the book down… So enthralling.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Loved it!… This is my third book by this author and they have all struck gold!... As soon as I picked it up, everything around me faded to grey… The author is a great storyteller and she enchanted me.’ B for Bookreview, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘5 stars! Nicole Trope continues to be one of my favourite authors! While her books aren't often easy to read due to their content, I'm always left amazed at her ability to tell a story so well… Very gripping and I found myself race through it. I think this one will stay with me for a while.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Superbly written… Well worthy of 5 stars.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow what an emotional book a rollercoaster of emotions… Definitely my number one book of the year.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Boys Enter the House

Boys Enter the House
Author: David Nelson
Publisher: Chicago Review Press
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2021-10-05
Genre: True Crime
ISBN: 1641604883

"Here is a work that emphasizes the full view of the lives of those young people that Gacy took. . . . It is essentially the Gacy story in reverse. Victims first." —Jeff Coen, author of Murder in Canaryville As investigators brought out the bagged remains of several dozen young men from a small Chicago ranch home and paraded them in front of a crowd of TV reporters and spectators, attention quickly turned to the owner of the house. John Gacy was an upstanding citizen, active in local politics and charities, famous for his themed parties and appearances as Pogo the Clown. But in the winter of 1978–79, he became known as one of many so-called "sex murderers" who had begun gaining notoriety in the random brutality of the 1970s. As public interest grew rapidly, victims became footnotes and statistics, lives lost not just to violence, but to history. Through the testimony of siblings, parents, friends, lovers, and other witnesses close to the case, Boys Enter the House retraces the footsteps of these victims as they make their way to the doorstep of the Gacy house itself.

No Man Left Behind

No Man Left Behind
Author: Patrick Morley
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2008-09-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0802480047

David Murrow's book, Why Men Hate Going to Church, has heightened awareness of an epidemic--Patrick Morley offers the solution. No Man Left Behind is the blueprint for growing a thriving men's ministry that has the power to rebuild the church as we know it, pulling men off the couch and into active involvement as part of the body of Christ.

Secrets She Left Behind

Secrets She Left Behind
Author: Diane Chamberlain
Publisher: MIRA
Total Pages: 495
Release: 2013-05-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0778315509

Abandoned by his mother, teenaged Keith struggles with physical and emotional scars from an arson fire and harbors hatred for his half-sister, Maggie, who has been released from prison for her role in setting the fire.