Reviews about: Thanks for the Memories – The Serra family Tree and Stories
ISBN: 0-9749291-0-7 Copyright© 2003 by Christopher Obert
“Mr. Obert’s book is a wonderful testimony to a family I would love to know. So many of the photographs show smiling people, obviously glad to be with their family and sharing in good times. It is a remarkable record of the people who dared to seek a better life but who treasured and taught their children to treasure traditions and places of the family’s past. I think that including some family recipes is a terrific touch. Some of the happiest times for families center around a table spread with good, good things to eat.”
Timothy J. Mullin, Dept. Head, Library Special Collections, Western Kentucky University Connie Mills, Kentucky Library Coordinator, Western Kentucky University
“The Serra Family has been in the United States for slightly over 100 years – Replete with numerous family photographs, genealogy reports, charts, and stories of family happenings, this narrative traces the five generations of the Serra family. This is a book that non-family members will pick up to read in order to learn of the lives of recent immigrants as they adapt to the new surroundings and customs so different from those of the ancestral homeland. A non-Serra descendant and non-Italian, this reviewer found the book well done, educational, and just plain fascinating.”
ACD, Book Reviewer, Connecticut Society of Genealogists
“This family history is unique. Rather than collecting family stories and pictures and then writing the story, Obert has enlisted siblings, cousins and buttonhole relations to write chapters in this history of a big Italian family. This is a big book-nearly six hundred pages, and an 8 ½ X 11” format. The cover is a cleaver combination of old-time photographs and good graphic art, and the book opens easily, which means the binding process was careful.”
Writer’s Digest, 13th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards
“I want to tell you congratulations for an amazing book. I absolutely loved it…Although this is not my family, I will cherish this book. Thank you for sharing it with me. This is partly what I hoped my book would be, but it’s not.”
Denise Grayson, Author – “From England to the States and Beyond – Descendants of John B. Grayson”
“Christopher Obert created this masterpiece for the descendants of the Serras of Salina so the members could have a documented tree for their offspring. That in itself is rare. But Thanks for the Memories is more than that to those of us who have a devotion for the history of this country, a passion for travel to other countries, and who enjoy studying snapshots of those who have helped create the culture of this vast and varied country.”
Coralie Hughes Jensen, author of “Passup Point”
“I’ve flipped through the book and wow! What an undertaking. I wish I had the fortitude to tackle such a project. And you’re planning another book? It really is a wonderful piece and I have it proudly in my office on my bookshelf for anyone to look through.”
Christopher Group, Owner – Travel-Italy.com
“This is so great! I have been reading and reading and reading…Can’t put it down! Nice touches through out the book! Great history! I will treasure this more than my old encyclopedia! What a fortunate family we are to have you as a good strong limb!!!”
Christine DiGrandi Jones, Serra Family Member
“GREAT Job!! With all the e-mails you sent talking about it I thought I could visualize it but I didn’t expect anything like that.”
Mike Charowsky, Serra Family Member
“I want you to know how much I am enjoying the family book. I can’t thank you enough.”
Josie Keenan, Serra Family Member
“The Family Tree Book looks great! I knew it was going to be large, but having the completed book in my hands is kind of nuts. It’s the size of a college textbook!! Who would have thought it would get so big? I haven’t read the whole thing yet, but I like everyone’s stories so far.”
Lorraine Charowsky, Serra Family Member
“THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! The book is truly wonderful and all your hard work surely paid off. I can’t thank you enough for taking this project on.”
Donia Blanton, Serra Family Member
“(Your book) really is beautiful.”
Phil Nanzetta, Signature Books
“Not sure if it will ever sell since it is so specialized but it was a perfect and beautiful book.”
Anita Danielson, MsAnnasBooks
“I wish to thank you for the very comprehensive Serra Family history book…I can appreciate the tremendous amount of time that went into the compilation of such a book…Jersey City is barely a half-mile from Ellis Island and has been home to countless immigrants…We get emails from Alaska to Florida and many places in between. At some point, someone may contact us and turn out to belong on the Serra Family Tree!”
Cynthia T. Harris, Manager, New Jersey Room, Jersey City Free Public Library