Look and Listen

Biography

Born in London, England, the daughter of a survivor of the Soviet gulags, Alexandra Everist came to Chicago in 1960, where she attended Schurz H.S. She received her B. A. in English from Alliance College and her MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Alexandra owned The Oliver Twist Tea Shoppe in Libertyville, Illinois. Later, she worked for Abbott Laboratories and, most recently, HealthPlan Holdings as a Vice President. She has four sons, one daughter, one granddaughter and one step-son. This is her second book. The first related the story of her father's life during World War II. It tells of his life as a prisoner in the Soviet concentration camps, his release, his rescue from a torpedoed ship and finally as a soldier in the First Polish Armoured Division. She has been an active member of Rotary International since 1988. More information may be found at www.alexandraeverist.com

Inspiration

My eldest son died when he was 19. In the years since then he often comes back in dreams to offer words of advice. In one dream he complained that I was not listening to my father. And it was true. I had heard my father tell of his wartime experiences, but I never really listened. For six years I listened and wrote down what he told me. "No Place to Call Home" is the result.