Alejandro Modena Books

Alejandro Modena's life is a tapestry of extraordinary experiences, marked by dramatic challenges and unexpected opportunities. His gripping tales include encounters with historical events, such as when Germans "attacked" Palestine with candy, and personal struggles, like being nicknamed "Zevel," meaning garbage. He recounts a near-fatal betrayal by an Arab friend, a fateful meeting with Hemingway, and the shocking revelation about his Jewish betrothed's secret identity. Through resilience and determination, Modena emerges as a true survivor with a vibrant story to tell.

Not a murder mystery, this grief-filled memoir is really a metaphorical journey into the question, "Which rejection was the last straw that got to my wife (who had Alzheimer's) that made her give up on life and die?Modena lost his first wife of thirty-two years to cancer and his second wife of eighteen years to Alzheimer's, both devastating experiences for him to watch and endure. Face with rejection by the people in his Jewish community compounded his feelings of grief, isolation, and helplessness.

Exploring the realities of convalescent homes, the author shares a heartfelt account of placing his mother in such a facility. Through his experiences, he highlights the humor, joy, and struggles of the residents facing their final days. The narrative emphasizes the importance of connecting with the elderly, revealing their rich stories and wisdom. It serves as a reminder of the value of spending time with these remarkable individuals, who have much to teach us about life and resilience.

From the Heart is an appropriate title for this book as Alejandro Modena reveals, with stark emotion, the challenges of growing up in poverty in a mixed and ever-changing culture where the primary imperative was to survive. Jews, Arabs and Christians all lived together in a melting pot that made each day an adventure, not only because of their own differences but because Palestine was occupied by the British Army and the region was at War with the Axis powers. Modena holds nothing back and graphically describes not only his modest successes but his many weaknesses and failures in dealing with his family, his friends, his classmates and his teachers. From the Heart is a heartfelt and revealing picture of the thoughts and feelings of a boy who is trying his best to cope with the world that surrounds him.This is a true memoir with the exception that some details have been altered to present a more clear and coherent picture of the events and circumstances surrounding the author's life in Palestine.