The Circles of Life: My Ukrainian Family's Odyssey of Secrets, Love and Survival from Pre-War Odessa to the Promised Land and America

by Anna Aizic

In this memoir in letters, Anna Aizic retraces her Ukrainian family’s odyssey of secrets and escape from Odessa to Israel, her own journey to America, and her creative path to healing from metastatic breast cancer

204 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2014

About the author

Aizic was born in Communist Odessa of Ukraine; she has been working for over twenty years with people with Special needs,developmental disabilities,mental illness and psychiatric rehabilitation. Her parents hoped she will become a concert violinist, Sorry Mom.

Born into an artistic family, Aizic was educated at The Art School of Jafa in Tel Aviv, and trained in jewelry design, yet it is in paintings and sculptures that her fascination with energy and divinity found full expression: in her art, figures come forth from their amorphous abstraction, at once fluid and crystalline, they twist and recede upon themselves, defying gravity while reflecting the color and light of surroundings.

There is a playfulness and freedom in the work of Anna Aizic, yet the joy seems ephemeral and but a momentary glimpse at the true joy of existence. Anna Aizic lives and works in New Jersey with her husband, daughter, son and a cat."

There is an elemental quality inherent to the works of Anna Aizic. Her artistic progression and interest in the nature of properties has led her to experiment with a variety of media including wood, stone, metal and glass in addition to efforts in painting, photography and writing; she recently published her first book (memoir in letters:The Circles of Life), and working on other writing projects.

Reviews

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Historical Gem

Once I got into this story I wasted no time getting through it. The drawback was trying to understand the cultural language and some of the culture itself. I was quite surprised at how much I liked it. Since it was written in the form of letters my understanding became much clearer and focused. It was easy to read so the author gets high marks for that. I love history and came to appreciate the story which was sad and captivating at the same time. I was angry along with her and sad and full of despair, as I poured through the pages. Being a writer of history myself I could relate to why she wrote this at all. I learned more about Jewish history than I ever did because it was a little more up close and personal. A great book for the classroom right along with the "Diary of Anne Frank." And that is saying a lot.

[Judie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Circles of Life is a fascinating memoir of a family that survived many trials and triumphed through their own fierce spirit and love of life. I read late into the night, unable to put this book down. Ms Aizic's family are very special survivors and her book is an inspiration.

[Anna Aizic]

So glad my first book took wings and many readers sending wonderful and very supporting comments,I wish to share here with You. Kindly see bellow:

Editorial Reviews
Review
Aizic took me along on a fast-paced, engaging ride:I highly recommend Circles of Life for anyone: Upon putting the book down, I almost felt as if I were a part of her family!
Cat Goldberg, CA
==================================================================-A fascinating read, coupled with captivating details that allow the reader to truly see
and feel your gripping story.Your book contains valuable lessons and touching anecdotes
of struggle, strength and perseverance.An enduring message of hope and inspiration for
your family and so many others.
Rabbi Mendy Lewis
Chabad of Old Tappan, NJ
=============================================================
-An amazing story! It touches every part of the human senses, from shedding tears to rage and anger, sympathy and laughter, it's truly an emotional journey thru one of the darkest period of human
history. Unfortunately in todays news we see more of the same.
Pinhas Izack retired photographer and veteran War(Jerusalem)
=============================================================
-The Circles of Life is a remarkable and well written book I am planning on sharing with my own family including my children and their grandfather who is 93 is a Holocaust survivor. Let alone, while struggling with her own diagnosis, Anna Aizic sought a way to make a difference, encourage others, keep busy and come to terms with an uncertain future.
The future is no longer uncertain and Mrs. Aizic is an inspiration to breast cancer survivors everywhere and a force to contend with.
Helen N. Rock, MBA, R.T. (T)
Administrative Director
Breast & Women's Health Prevention Services
Nyack Hospital, NY
==========================================

Thanks
Anna:-)

[Jena Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

“But how do you pack your whole life into two suitcases?”

I learned from Twitter that Anna Aizic had written a memoir about life during and after World War II in Odessa, Ukraine. That area of the world has been in our news recently, so I decided to explore this book. The Circles of Life is described as a memoir in letters, but these are not dry letters. Instead Ms. Aizic has created a vibrant and lyrical collection of essays that capture her extended family’s journey from the horrors of war, through the dirge of Communism, to lives of hope in Israel and America.

"Living in America is not that easy of a task because it comes with the huge responsibilities of freedom, the need to choose to either become you own very best self, or to become absolutely nothing. That is the price attached to any free society.

You see how many stories our family has? Before it is all lost and gone, what choice do I have but to keep writing it all down? So I collected bits from here and there…translated articles and poems and letters from Hebrew and Russian, I put them all in this book. For you."

I highly recommend this book. The history of the individual is the history of the world. Anna Aizic shows us this as she reveals the tragedy, and secrets of her family as well as the love and humor. She wrote these letters to her children, and I am thankful that she is allowing us to bear witness as well.