Rita K. Read

Nothing to Declare Rita K. Read

Nothing to Declare traces the story of Mila, a victim of the poverty of post-WWII Finland. Sold by her mother, sent alone across the world to a seemingly better life, she is adopted into a family ruled by a malevolent woman who makes Mila's growing-up years a living hell. The book alternates between Mila's life in America and her beloved brother's life in Finland where he fights a deadly disease. An uplifting story of the bonds of family and hope. Forces the reader to keep turning the pages, searching for the next event. A life-sized painting. Layer by layer you discover darkness, a ray of light. The colors, the smells, the past and present, come to life. I feel powerfully connected to the little girl. Her pain makes me weep, her spirit is strong. Marianne Friberg, Finnish artist: hemp weaving, metal sculpture. A penetrating psychological portrait of the bond between brother and sister. Frightened, isolated, Mila fights fate's cruelty as her brother struggles for his life. Their resolve, not only to endure life's hardships, but to transcend them, is remarkable and compelling. Fay E. Kagan, M. D., Child Psychiatrist, Los Angeles, CAYoung people lived with the shadow of death during Finland's tuberculosis epidemic. Some found a way to live, and to love, in the midst of despair. Powerful. Teems with life, determination, hope. Raimo A. Andersson, Finland