# NUNZILLA WAS MY MOTHER AND MY STEPMOTHER WAS A WITCH.



## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Below are excerpts from reviews of my memoir covering my childhood in three Ohio orphanages -- Still only $1.99.

Ms. Silver writes very well, with her vivid descriptions of life in the three orphanages she lived in and her relationships with both the adults who ran the orphanages and the other kids she met while living there. She's had an interesting life for sure. This was a fascinating memoir. I hope Ms. Silver writes a sequel. I think the lady has a few more stories to tell. 
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the author tells a story so intriguing in its truth that I found it difficult to put it down. As soon as I finished it, I read it again. If anyone doubts the story just as the author wrote it, please reconsider. 
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This was my very first Kindle book and made the whole experience a great way to start off with e-reading. I honestly couldn't put it down; I just had to know what was going to happen next. Time and again I had the sensation that I wasn't actually reading a book, I was sitting down with my grandmother and she was telling me her life's story. 
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One of the incidents that most stood out for me was the cruel April Fool's "joke" played on the hungry children. This incident clearly shows the mean spirit and the insensitivity to the children's needs and, like so many other little cruelties inflicted on the innocent children in the orphanage, must have been terribly damaging to young psyches. 
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As others have said, this book really is a must read for anyone who works in the field of child care or teaching.
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Being that this was my first Kindle book, I couldn't have chosen a more appropriate read. I loved it. I also grew up, not in an orphanage, but in a very strict, Catholic home and could relate intensely with Terry's observations, thoughts and curiosity. There were instances of humor and understanding in the book, and the author did a wonderful job of portraying her childhood without self-pity
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I feel that Terry was more fair in her portrayals that I would ever be were I to write a book on this subject. I cannot even begin to imagine having to live with nuns 24/7. Bravo for surviving sheer hell. 
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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Welcome to KindleBoards, Terry, and congratulations on your book!

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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Terry, I'm so happy that "Nunzilla" is now available for the Kindle. After reading the paperback of your memoir last year, I hoped that you would make it available for Kindlers.

Reading "Nunzilla" made me even more appreciative of growing up in a home with my parents there!

You have a marvelous book, and I wish you great success with it.


JimC


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## ljloula (Dec 16, 2008)

This was a good read and I finished it in 2 days.


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## Sandra Edwards (May 10, 2010)

Congratulations on your book!

Sandy


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## Anne (Oct 29, 2008)

I have to read this book. I grew up going to a school that had mean nuns.


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## Thea J (Jul 7, 2010)

JimC1946 said:


> Terry, I noticed this morning that The Kindle Reader blog has a blurb about "Nunzilla." It's on the sidebar as "Today's Frugal Kindle Book Pick."
> 
> The blog's link is: http://kindlereader.blogspot.com/
> 
> JimC


The blurb in the Kindle Reader blog looks great.


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

I have been thrilled with the reception that _Nunzilla_ has received. In the two weeks since I published the Kindle edition, I have sold 51 copies.

Thanks to everyone who bought _Nunzilla_. I hope you enjoy reading it, and, of course, reviews are welcomed.

Terry


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Following topics are covered by my memoir, "Nunzilla Was My Mother and My Stepmother Was a Witch," regarding my childhood in three Ohio orphanages during the great depression (1929 through 1943).  You can still get it for only 99 cents.

Sisters of St. Francis
Religious Fears and Shenanigans
Other Fears and Horrors
Bums of St. Vincent’s
Orphanage Pets
About Sex
Work Assignments
Boys vs. Girls
Depression Cuisine
Playing the Orphan Game
Playground Entertainment
Visits to the Mental Hospital
Nunzilla’s Fangs
What’s in a Name?
My Hero – My Father 
Happy Days at St. Vincent’s
Getting Ready to Transfer
The Home Hospital
Cottage 15
Culture Shock
Comparisons
Teenage Crushes
World War II
The Witch
Cottage 15 Rebellion
The Wicked Witch is Dead 
A Year of Turmoil
Emotional Breakdown
To Hell with It All


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

I'm thrilled with the success of "Nunzilla" in the two months since it was published for Kindle. More than 150 copies have been sold in the US and UK.

Read the most recent review here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RSDYS3LCTE4LL?ie=UTF8&tag=kbpst-20 _(Edited as we ask that Amazon reviews not be reposted here, even in part. Thanks! Betsy)_

"Nunzilla" is still only $0.99 for the Kindle. A paperback edition is also available.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Terry, I noticed that "Nunzilla" was featured on Spalding's Racket today. That should boost your sales a bit.

JimC


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I bought this a couple of weeks ago, think I'm going to move it up the TBR list...

Betsy


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

This has been a great week for "Nunzilla." The book was featured on The Indie Spotlight on Monday, and it received another 5-star review over the weekend.

Find out why my memoir of growing up in a Catholic orphanage during the 1930s has been so well received and has garnered so much praise.

"Nunzilla" is still only $0.99.


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Here's the latest 5-star review of my self-published memoir, Nunzilla Was My Mother and My Stepmother Was a Witch -- available for $0.99 for a little while longer.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and bravo to the author's spirit and intellect - and whatever else- that contributed to her survival. I couldn't help comparing my and my mother's experiences to Terry's as I read this book in half a day. (I was riveted.) Although not in an orphanage, both of our Catholic school experiences were almost as horrific. Mom's nuns (this in an urban school)would bring the children to be punished to the front of the room, pull down their pants, and get a scissors and threaten to cut off their private parts. No kidding!!!! This was not in the dark ages, folks! And that was just for starters! She swore she would never send her kids to Catholic school, but for circumstances that are too complicated to go into here, I was the lucky one. Mine were Sisters of Mercy, and yes, aptly named as we children would beg for mercy from unusually cruel human beings. The physical punishments were not as frequent as the psychological ones. But just often enough to make the assaulted fall down or have bodily marks. One child I still can't forget was the sweetest soul who was taunted by both kids and nuns alike for no other reason than he was different. My little kid heart ached to help him, but there was nowhere to go. I heard that he later killed himself after years of constant torment. Back to this book, I enjoyed it from start to finish. I feel that Terry was more fair in her portrayals that I would ever be were I to write a book on this subject. I cannot even begin to imagine having to live with them 24/7. Bravo for surviving sheer hell.


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Due to the success of "Nunzilla," I have increased the price to $2.99. I don't know how long it will take Amazon to show the new price, but until then you can still download "Nunzilla" for $0.99.

"Nunzilla" is my personal story of growing up in three orphanages during the Great Depression of the 1930s. A number of readers have said that this is one of the most fascinating and compelling memoirs that they have read in years, even comparing it to "Angela's Ashes."

An excerpt from a recent review: _That said, the author tells a story so intriguing in its truth that I found it difficult to put it down. As soon as I finished it, I read it again._

"Nunzilla" has eleven reviews, with ten of those being five stars.


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

It's so wonderful when someone reads my memoir, gets the message I was trying to convey, and then is kind enough to give me a review. I just received my 12th review--ten five-star and two four star reviews. My memoir, Nunzilla Was My Mother and My Stepmother Was a Witch is not a tear jerker although there are moments of sadness. My story also has humor and provides a window to the strange world of a medieval-type orphanage in Twentieth Century America during the Great Depression, including the every-day interactions among the children themselves and between the children and adults. In truth, we children felt so unique and isolated that we referred to everything outside the orphanage as "The World." The Kindle edition is $2.99.


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## Manley (Nov 14, 2010)

These two books look really funny. You have gotten great reviews. Congratulations, and I'll be checking out the samples and probably buying. Thanks for posting.


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Only $0.99 for the holidays  "Nunzilla was My Mother and My Stepmother Was a Witch."  The story of my childhood in three orphanages relates the rigid medieval-type orphanages run by a stern order of nuns where I lived from the age of 4 to 15 and the culture shock of transferring to a 20th century non-sectarian orphanage run by the State of Ohio until I graduated from high school.  Informative, humorous and at moments sad or strange in the upside down world of orphans during the great depression, who have no wealth or family connections to brag about.  So they brag about who had the worst family circumstances, had the least food to eat, had the craziest family etc.  You can't kill the wonderful spirit of childhood.  

                                              KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES 
                                                      (orphanage style)

                                                              Denise
                                                  Remembers all the names
                                                    of mommy’s many lovers
                                        and when her listeners’ interest wanes
                                                  invents a dozen others.

                                          Though some might think calamity,
                                        much different thoughts are Lance’s
                                                who inherited insanity
                                            from all the family’s branches.

                                                            Jose,
                                        who starved six months at least
                                            and is a bit misshapen,
                                        enjoys the thought of food
                                                  he’s missed
                                            and basks in adulation.

                                                        Alas
                                          for those without conceit
                                          of family trees all tainted.
                                      How can a little girl compete
                                        who merely isn’t wanted?


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

I just received another five-star review from a new kindle owner who states:

_Being that this was my first Kindle book, I couldn't have chosen a more appropriate read. I loved it. I also grew up, not in an orphanage, but in a very strict, Catholic home and could relate intensely with Terry's observations, thoughts and curiousity. _


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## Joel Arnold (May 3, 2010)

Just wanted to say I love the title!


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

I've had an amazing holiday sale for "Nunzilla" and I thank all who bought my book.  The price now is $1.99--still very inexpensive.  If you have a friend or family member who would like to read my book but doesn't have a Kindle, Amazon sells a paperback version.  Happy New Year to all Kindlers and Readers.


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

January sales for _Nunzilla Was My Mother and My Stepmother Was a Witch_ were phenomenal. I think 433 sales for a memoir is amazing. In one month I sold more than I had during the previous five months. Below is a snippet from my book to illustrate that children, no matter how poor, will always find something to brag about.

Since we couldn't brag about family wealth and possessions, we'd try to outdo each other about how poor and hungry our families had been, how crazy a particular relative was, or the terrors we had lived through. One girl would claim to have gone hungry for a week; someone else would say she'd gone without food for a month and had nothing but newspaper for clothes. Girls would claim to have lived through fires, witnessed murders, been captured by witches or lived through other terrible events. I think we knew we were all making up stories or exaggerating real events, but it was great entertainment when we were bored.

We weren't above using our "orphaness" to our advantage when it suited our purposes. Each year, St. Vincent's had a moneymaking event called the Annual Orphans' Picnic which was more like a church festival than a picnic. There were games of chance with spinning wheels and other paraphernalia, bingo games, food stands, raffles and sale items, and dinners to be bought and served in the children's dining room. The Orphans' Picnic was mainly for the public but we were also allowed to attend. We each were given a dime to spend. This made us feel pretty rich but we also knew how to acquire more money from the kind-hearted Columbus citizens.

For instance, we'd "accidentally" step on a visitor's shoes and, with teary eyes and feigned terror, beg forgiveness. It was usually good for a dime or even a quarter. Sometimes we'd invest our dime on a pack of chewing gum and then offer to sell a stick to a visitor. Usually, the visitor would give us a nickel, dime, or quarter and tell us to keep the gum too. We would then sell the stick of gum to someone else. Later, we'd compare notes and loot, bragging about who had done the best job on the visitors.


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

I wrote _Nunzilla Was My Mother and My Stepmother Was a Witch_ because I promised myself as a child to always remember what happened. I felt that adults often forget not only what happened to them as children but also what they felt at the time; and that was the reason so many adults seemed cruel to children. I have made peace with my childhood spent in three orphanages during the Great Depression and World War II. I feel most nuns meant well and even feel some compassion for the sadistic house mother at the non-sectarian orphanage (the witch in the title). I also have come to believe that orphanages, with all their faults are better for homeless children than foster homes and I make my case in the postscript.

What I learned living in orphanages was not to snitch on others, how to use cunning to get what I wanted, how to make an angry nun laugh, how to pass time during long and boring religious services or how to avoid them altogether, gratitude for simple pleasures, mental and physical survival skills, how to gain self-esteem in non-traditional ways, and how to bluff my way through tense situations. Even in an Oliver-Twist type of orphanage, kids can manage to have fun and outsmart their caregivers. Although my book tells about some sad or angry moments, it's not a tear-jerker. Read my book, and you may be surprised to find yourself chuckling at times. Kids are irrepressible no matter what their environment. I truly believe that my childhood prepared me to accept the hardships of life. I've noticed how some who had easier childhoods crumble at the first hard knock.

Nunzilla is still only $1.99. There is also a paperback for $11.01.


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## MosesSiregarIII (Jul 15, 2010)

That sounds really interesting! Best of luck to you.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

Welcome to Nunzilla Was My Mother and My Stepmother Was a Witch as our KB Book of the Day!


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Thank you Moses and good luck with your book.

I know that most people on the KindleBoards have not had an orphanage experience nor have gone through the Great Depression, but perhaps their parents or relatives have.


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## JimC1946 (Aug 6, 2009)

Terry, I'm glad to see "Nunzilla" get more exposure. It's a marvelous memoir, perhaps the most fascinating one I've read since "Angela's Ashes."

Congratulations on surviving everything the nuns could dish out!

Cheers,
JimC


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Thank you Jim.  Nothing like a good old orphanage to toughen you up


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

This snippet from my memoir, _Nunzilla Was My Mother and My Stepmother Was a Witch_ is not about the nuns. It's about my housemother at the third, non-sectarian orphanage. She is the witch in the title. 
The main bond between the girls of Cottage Fifteen was our mutual dislike of Miss Redway, our housemother. She was a small, stiff-backed woman who walked with her head tilted backward as though she were looking down from a great height on something she found unpleasant. She was quick to anger and as a matter of routine would swing her paddle around as she walked up and down the stairs and through the cottage, looking for someone on whom to vent her rage. She particularly terrorized the younger girls, and angered the older girls with her sarcasm, name calling, and unfounded accusations. She often referred to us as riff raff and alley rats.
We never knew what might set our housemother off. Sometimes when the sound of our laughter from upstairs would annoy her, she'd claim we were having a sex party. This only encouraged us to make ribald jokes at her expense. We'd snicker at her pretense of being such a genteel lady after observing her sitting in her rocker with her legs spread wide or with one leg crossed over the other in such a way that we could see her underwear.
We hated Miss Redway's phony public persona. She would smile and call us honey-girl in front of other people while surreptitiously pinching us hard on the arm or leg--her 
hand hidden beneath her other arm or a piece of clothing.
We especially detested the way Miss Redway would maneuver us into a far corner of her sitting room. After calling one of us into her room for a chat, she would start the conversation calmly and sweetly and tell us in very sugary tones about how we really shouldn't have done something or other. She would call us honey or dear while slowly backing us up, one step at a time, into a corner until, she was blocking the only exit out of the room. Then suddenly, like a snake and without warning, she would strike out and hit us hard in the face. It was always very nerve-wracking, because although you knew the slap was coming, you could never predict exactly when.


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

There are many, many orders of Catholic nuns--some attracting warm, loving young women into their ranks. Members of other orders can be stern, sarcastic, and terrifying. I was unlucky and got the terrifying ones. My memoir covers my childhood in three Ohio orphanages from the ages of 4 until I was 18. Two of the orphanages were run by the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity during the Great Depression (1929-1940). The third was a non-sectarian orphanage run and funded by the State of Ohio (1940-1943).

Despite writing about a few sad or angry incidents, my memoir is not a tear jerker. You will find yourself chuckling at times, or at least smiling about the antics of the irrepressible orphanage children. In spite of everything, I make the claim that orphanages are better than foster homes. Only $1.99.

_<<merged with existing thread. One thread per book, please, per Forum Decorum. Thanks!--Betsy>>_


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## medicalhumor (Feb 15, 2011)

I am a recovering Catholic myself! I did nine years in the parochial school system in the late 60's thru the 70's when corporal punishment was king. I've been beat up by gangs of penquins! I'm sure I deserved it and I still feel guilty!
Amen,
Mike Cyra


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Below are excerpts from reviews of my memoir covering my childhood in three Ohio orphanages -- Still only $1.99.

Ms. Silver writes very well, with her vivid descriptions of life in the three orphanages she lived in and her relationships with both the adults who ran the orphanages and the other kids she met while living there. She's had an interesting life for sure.  This was a fascinating memoir. I hope Ms. Silver writes a sequel. I think the lady has a few more stories to tell. 
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the author tells a story so intriguing in its truth that I found it difficult to put it down. As soon as I finished it, I read it again.  If anyone doubts the story just as the author wrote it, please reconsider. 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This was my very first Kindle book and made the whole experience a great way to start off with e-reading. I honestly couldn't put it down; I just had to know what was going to happen next. Time and again I had the sensation that I wasn't actually reading a book, I was sitting down with my grandmother and she was telling me her life's story. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One of the incidents that most stood out for me was the cruel April Fool's "joke" played on the hungry children. This incident clearly shows the mean spirit and the insensitivity to the children's needs and, like so many other little cruelties inflicted on the innocent children in the orphanage, must have been terribly damaging to young psyches. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As others have said, this book really is a must read for anyone who works in the field of child care or teaching.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Being that this was my first Kindle book, I couldn't have chosen a more appropriate read. I loved it. I also grew up, not in an orphanage, but in a very strict, Catholic home and could relate intensely with Terry's observations, thoughts and curiosity.  There were instances of humor and understanding in the book, and the author did a wonderful job of portraying her childhood without self-pity
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I feel that Terry was more fair in her portrayals that I would ever be were I to write a book on this subject. I cannot even begin to imagine having to live with nuns 24/7. Bravo for surviving sheer hell. 
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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

I don't think my nun mother liked me, but what the hey, maybe I wasn't all that likeable. It happens sometimes-- in the human world as well as the animal. A mother rejects her offspring. But at least in the human world you don't get eaten by your unhappy parent.

Read my memoir about my childhood spent in three Ohio orphanages during the Great Depresssion--two of them run by a very stern order of nuns, the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity. The third, the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home, was run and funded by the State of Ohio.

My memoir is not all gloom and doom. There is quite a bit of humor included and, surprising to me, one reviewer seemed to feel there was too much humor. What can I say? I wrote the memoir as I remembered it. Still only $1.99.


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## tsilver (Aug 9, 2010)

Excerpt from my memoir:

< I wasn't exactly sure of heavenly protocol or how much power each saint had, so to keep on the good side of the whole bunch, I tried to pray to each one whose name I could remember before I went to sleep. I didn't know what the repercussions would be if I forgot one saint and he or she got jealous. I had a difficult time getting to sleep because I always seemed to think of another saint as I was drifting off.
To top everything off, I began to worry that perhaps I was becoming too saintly. We had been told stories of saints who had been visited by devils coming to tempt them or by angels. I worried that I might get such visits. Whether angel or devil, the idea terrified me and I often prayed to them, "Please don't come to see me." >


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