The Stovepipe - Softcover

Bonnie E. Virag

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1936782308 ISBN 13: 9781936782307

Publisher: Langdon Street Press (a division of Hillcrest Publishing Group, Inc.), 2011

Synopsis

Bonnie, age four, along with four of her siblings, was taken by force from her home in rural Canada and placed in the care of the Children's Aid Society. Over the next fourteen years, the children are split up and reunited multiple times, moving from foster home to foster home, always hoping to find one another again.

By luck or providence, the four sisters spend the majority of their young lives together working on a tobacco farm and living in an attic, where the stovepipe offers warmth, comfort, and news from the outside that they do not receive from their foster parents. Surviving some of the worst torments a child can know, Bonnie and her sisters depend on each other to meet even their basic needs, forming an unbreakable bond.

Bonnie Virag's heartrending yet triumphant memoir, The Stovepipe, recounts the author's experience growing up as a foster child in the 1940s and 1950s. In an honest, unflinching voice, Virag engrosses readers with not only the darkness that she and her siblings endured but, more important, their ability to join together to create a sense of light.

This unforgettable story is informed by Bonnie's recollections, remembrances from her sisters, and the official records received from the Children's Aid Society in Canada. This book is not an indictment of the foster care system and its many missteps. Rather, it is a testament to the resilience of the soul and the importance of family, friendship and fortitude.

About this title

About the Author:

Bonnie Virag was born in the town of Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. In 1964, she and her husband Anthony emigrated to the United States. They reside in Michigan and have two married sons and three grandsons. She travels often to Ontario where she enjoys visiting her three sisters.Learn more at bonnievirag.com

Review:

Review: Dr. Karen Hutchins Pirot: Readers Favorite: 5star
The Stovepipe is worth the read. Bonnie sets the bar for those wanting to remain wallowed in regret and bitterness for what they did not have. "I asked for all things that I may enjoy life: I was given life that I may enjoy all things", is apt, Virag is the epitome of this saying.

About this edition

• Publisher: Langdon Street Press (a division of Hillcrest Publishing Group, Inc.)
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1936782308
• ISBN 13: 9781936782307
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 440