Revital Shiri-Horowitz

The book is based on a true story and has two timelines. The bulk of the story involves the narrator as a young Jewish boy experiencing the horrors of the Holocaust, when he and his family was displaced (from Poland to Russia) and impoverished. He attempts to be brave beyond his years, as he experiences great hunger and cold, and is moved from one place to the next, as people die around him. There is a secondary plot about the woman who is transcribing these memoirs in 2019 in TelAviv, as she goes through some marital discord. There is a happy ending to both stories. It was good but not great, and I found myself skimming in places.
I won a free copy of this book and voluntarily provided an honest review.… (mere)

The book was so much more than I expected. The story revolves around 3 women, two sisters, Farida and the deceased Violet, (we hear from her via her diary) and Violet's daughter, Noa. It is a story of family, hurt, love, forgiveness and growing up.
I believe this book will especially appeal to women who like inspirational books, historically based books, those who like to learn more about other cultures and women of the Jewish faith. I must ask you not to pass it up because you feel that if you are not Jewish you will not have an interest in it. If you do you will be missing an excellent book that could enrich your own life regardless of your religion.

* I received this book from the author who requested an honest review. I was not compensated for it.*
For a more in depth review please see my blog.… (mere)

It’s Just Your Imagination by Revital Shiri-Horowitz is a touching story of the author’s own life growing up with a narcissistic and selfish mother. It details her experiences and reveals her own, very personal and private, revelations and confessions. Her journey from being broken and damaged, to healing and recovery, is a remarkable story that everyone must read.

Revital Shiri-Horowitz is an incredible writer and woman that has suffered much pain and distress. With tedious determination to heal from, the unavoidable, harm and devastation placed upon her by a narcissistic mother, she has now become a compassionate and successful woman. This book is extremely inspiring and will help other women that are daughters of narcissistic mothers. It will enable them to search out help, and do the important work required, to go from despair and dysfunction to hope, wholeness and joy.

Recognizing the narcissistic person can be difficult, but Revital explains it well and emphasizes that a child knows when there is something wrong. Their mother doesn’t support them, and instead, it’s all about the mother and her own selfish needs. I grew up with a narcissistic mother, myself, and could relate to this entire book. I was able to glean from it and had many “ah-ha” moments while reading it. It has given me the courage, knowledge and understanding that I need to confront my own issues, and desire to work through them to become whole, strong and happy.

Written with sensitivity and emotion, Revital, opens her heart in hopes to help others. I commend her for her honesty and ability to enlighten readers. She brings the knowledge, steps and tips to overcome the effects from being raised by a narcissistic mother, and to guide others as adults and parents.

With courage and strength, she has shared her journey of growth with the world and exposed many secrets and personal sufferings. This book must have been hard to write and I thank her for doing so. It is a subject that needs to come to light and will give inspiration and hope to so many. The ideas and discussions expressed are intelligent, clear and concise and is clearly based on much research. But it is accompanied by the author’s telling of her own aching and painful memories which led me to tears and sorrow at many points.

I believe, It’s Just Your Imagination, is a must read for everyone because it will give light to our own behavior towards others and our children. It will help those who have suffered from the words and actions of a narcissistic parent. It’s not just in your head, it is really happening. Highly recommended!… (mere)

The story is told in pieces, mostly by two sisters, Violet and Farida (Violet has died of cancer but left a diary for her children) who were born and lived in Baghdad, Iraq until they were in their late teens. This part of the story was fascinating for me - Jews and Muslims lived peacefully side by side until Israel became a nation and suddenly Jews were not allowed to attend University and many, including the girls' father, lost their jobs. I guess I'd never considered that Jews might have once lived in Iraq and the descriptions of their lives - extended families living in one large home in different wings - sounded lovely. The transition to Israel was a hard one and it gave me a good appreciation for the difficulties the nation of Israel had to deal with when Jews from many different nations began immigrating. The sisters were my favorite characters although the daughter of Violet was needed for the reading of the diary. Her character is in her 20s, has already been in the Army and yet, I felt that she acted far younger than she should have. The only slightly negative thought I had was that the book read like a YA novel but I don't think it is meant to be. Farida, in particular, could have been living in in New York instead of Israel - the language seemed a tad too westernized. But some of this may be a result of translation. Those minor points aside, it's definitely worth reading.… (mere)