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Judge* Hoff, Jesus Loves You but the Rest of Us Think You're an A**hole! is Agatha Hoff 's captivating account of her years as a San Francisco Court Commissioner. The book's title was taken from graffiti left by a disgruntled litigant on the courthouse bathroom wall, much to the amusement of observers, including Agatha herself. From the recurrent parade of prostitutes she recognized on a first-name basis, to the out-of-towners trying to navigate a day in the city, Agatha captures it all with her keen eye for detail and wry sense of humor. From the introduction, written by Agatha Hoff: "Humanity with all its foibles showed me glimpses of lives lived. Often poignant, truths or half-truths or outright lies during testimony were expressed in ways that tickled my funny bone and made others in the courtroom laugh out loud. As I developed my notes into stories, it occurred to me that events in my own life provided the same mix of humor and pathos. I threw a few of those into the mix, so those who read this can laugh at, as well as with me." Advance Praise "Commissioner Hoff metes out justice from both the bench and her bike. Her stories about San Francisco's court system, and cycling among the people of the City by the Bay, are filled with poignant moments as well as a profound sense of humor and fun. Reading her words is a delight." — Erica Dubno, Esq., Constitutional lawyer and avid cyclist “Some of our clients have issues. Others have entire subscriptions. Agatha Hoff's stories provide a well-needed comic relief from the serious business we lawyers perform in the cathedrals of decorum and precedent. Even our California Supreme Court recognizes that, ‘Well-conceived judicial humor can be a welcome relief during a long, tense trial.’” — Jerome Fishkin, Fishkin & Slatter LLP, Walnut Creek, California As Hoff observes, "People revealed bits and pieces of their lives, that were only remotely connected to the court appearance." In these vignettes, rich with detail, dialogue, and humor, the reader is treated to an insider's view of the justice system. What our insider reveals are sad, touching, funny, and true tales, told by someone with a big heart and a huge commitment to justice. — Lynn Duryee, Judge, Marin County Superior Court, author of Hooked on Drug Court and Trial & Error | This fictionalized account of real-life occurrences chronicles one woman’s amazing survival of the Hungarian Holocaust. Through the author’s creative first-person telling of her mother’s life—based on her mother’s written and oral observations as well as the author’s own childhood memories—a portrait of the remarkable Eva Leopold emerges. After spending an idyllic childhood on a pastoral estate in rural Hungary, Eva settled in Budapest where, despite having been raised Catholic by parents who'd converted from Judaism and being married to a gentile, Eva was considered Jewish by the Nazi regime. Beginning in 1944—when exemptions for Jewish women married to gentiles were lifted—her daily life was dominated by desperate attempts to stay alive, avoid deportation to a death camp, and protect her family. Initially saved by taking shelter in the Papal Legation, Eva also hid in the air raid shelter in the basement of the family’s apartment building, which disappeared when the building went up in flames, consuming the horses stabled on the first floor. Having been widowed, Eva remarried, and she and her new husband made a death-defying escape to Austria. At risk of losing their U.S. visas, Eva and her husband enrolled their daughters in a Catholic boarding school, and boarded a ship to New York where they awaited their daughters' arrival six months later. A touching epilogue, written by the daughter-author, is also included. Amazon Reviews "Burning Horses is the best and most unusual take on a WWII story. It's about the Holocaust, but it's also a love story with such a different ending. I love it! Its a good read and should be made into a movie." – Claire L. Mack "This creative non-fiction is the story of Eva Leopold Badies, from her birth in 1905 through the end of WWII. Eva, whose family converted to Catholicism from Judaism because of growing anti-Semitism in Hungary, leads a frivolous, privileged life until the advent of the war. It is then that she finds that being a Catholic does not protect her and her family from the persecution of the German occupation and accommodating Hungarians. The survival of Eva and her small girls is the centerpiece of a story which portrays hardships during the occupation. Agatha Hoff, one of the daughters of the protagonist, writes in a clear and interesting manner, depicting a fascinating and harrowing survival story. Her use of conversation brings life to the figures. The depiction of Eva's early life fascinates, with its descriptions of lovely silk frocks, fine china and a material care-free life. A strong sub-plot is her relationship to her socialite mother who neglects or even psychologically abuses her. Most interesting is how Eva matures and becomes a responsible being." – Judith Helburn for Story Circle Book Reviews reviewing books by, for, and about women Read more Amazon reviews here. |
