Unscripted Magazine Spring 2024 - Flipbook - Page 18
WHAT WE’RE READING...
“S P EC I A L R I S K ” BY SA N DY N O R K
Recommended by: Beth Transue, Pathways
Institute Instructor / Information Literacy
Librarian at Messiah University
Who might be interested in this book: Someone
who likes mystery novels or has an interest in
musical instruments
One book I’ve just finished, “Special Risk” (2019), is
from a friend and local author, Sandy Nork. Sandy
worked as a librarian in various libraries around
Central PA before retiring and becoming a writer.
She is currently working on writing the “Risk Series,”
a mystery series that explores suspected insurance
fraud of musical instruments.
The first book of this series, “Special Risk,” introduced
the series’ characters, including Valerie Sloan, a
Japanese-American insurance investigator, and her
old friend and new boss, Harry. The book centered
on suspected insurance fraud involving a stolen
rare guitar.
“The Plateau” is a little-known true story set in 1942
during WWII—researched, written, and published
in 2019.
Though France is primarily Catholic, there existed
at the time a small number of Protestant churches
led by Andre Trocme, and other pastors, who
felt the burden to attempt to save Jewish children
from isolation and transferal, bound for concentration
camps and furnaces deep inside Germany.
The book recounts the story of these Protestant
pastors in occupied France who risked their lives
gathering the children, nurturing and protecting
them until they found them safe harbor in Switzerland
or elsewhere. They saved hundreds of children, and
some of the pastors even paid the ultimate sacrifice
for doing so—their lives.
When looking at it in its entirety, “The Plateau” is
a good happy story—the highest level of happiness—
in a sea of awfulness. The story shows the power of
humanity and provides hope for the good that exists
in the world, even amid the darkness.
As expected from a librarian writer, the book is quite
well-researched, and it takes place just to the east
of us in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties.
“ R E M A R K A B LY B R I G H T C R E A T U R E S ”
I enjoyed the interaction of the characters and
B Y S H E L B Y VA N P E L T
learning about musical instruments and their values,
all interwoven with history, culture, and mystery.
Recommended by: Molly Pavlovich, Editor-in-Chief
of Unscripted Magazine
Who might be interested in this book: Those who
“ T H E P L AT E A U ” B Y M A G G I E PA XO N
Recommended by: Paul Wengert,
Messiah Village Resident
Who might be interested in this book: Those who are
enjoy heartwarming fiction stories with complex and
relatable characters and/or have a love for animals
I was on the waiting list at the library for three months
to read this book, and it was worth the wait!
interested in nonfiction stories, history, specifically
WWII history, and the heart of humanity
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