Psychotherapist Confronts the Trauma of Her Youth and Courageously Tackles the Demon

DUNDAS, Ontario - May 28, 2013 - PRLog -- Raised by two Holocaust survivors in Toronto, Canada during the 1960s, Ms Goodman recalls in striking detail the events of her childhood. She deftly manages to present her story with insight, laugh out loud humor, and empathy, the perspectives of her parents, her brother, and herself.

It is the story of a young girl born in a modern North American city who has to make her way and also juggle the horrific past of her parents. The tale begins with her being terrified of the dark.

She embodied a feeling of dread that she couldn’t explain then, except now she suspects it was the imprint of her parents’ trauma. The book’s title Peril is that terrible feeling, and coincidentally, her name in Yiddish.

In a series of juxtapositions that occur throughout the book, she tells two stories. There’s laughter in one incident and the kind of despair that makes you weak in the knees in another. No matter when or where you lived, if trauma has ever touched you, you will find this book engaging, thoughtful and ultimately hopeful.

And the reviews have been uniformly positive. Bani Sodermark, writing on Bookpleasures.com says "This book appears to be some sort of a catharsis, where the psychotherapist in Pearl Goodman emerges. That this is her first book, shows the strength of the need for her to come to terms with this childhood experience." Her review concludes with the book "creates an ambience that sits in the memory, long after it has been read and laid aside. Warmly recommended".

Another review on bookpleasures by Sandra Shwayder Sanchez concluded that the book is "a powerfully moving book that deals with the lingering intergenerational effects of the horrific history of the holocaust."

A review translated from the Dutch states the "the traumas she describes are terrible but she describes them with warmth and humour. Her dialogue sparkles and so you smile despite the tragedy of ruined lives."

Open Book Toronto said "Peril: From Jackboots to Jack Benny  is a moving, witty portrait of a life. Raised in Toronto by Holocaust survivors, Pearl tells both their story and hers in Peril. She also paints a picture of a Toronto struggling, sometimes comically, to find its identity."

Further information about the book and links to the reviews can be found at http://www.bridgeross.com/peril.html

On June 2, Ms Goodman will be in New York at the Jewish Book Council Network Meet the Author Presentations. During the rest of June, she will be at a number of Chapters/Indigo stores in Toronto to talk about her book. Her schedule is:

June 8, Yorkdale Mall 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
June 15, Manulife Centre 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
June 20, Mt Sinai Hospital 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
June 23, Bayview Village 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Peril: From Jackboots to Jack Benny ISBN  978-0-9878244-6-2, 300 Pages, $21.95, Available on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Barnes and Noble, Chapters/Indigo, Kobo, Kindle and Google Play. Distributed by Ingram