Official Review: Perseverance of Yesterday’s Women

OloladeO · Post by **OloladeO** » 30 Aug 2018, 12:02

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Perseverance of Yesterday’s Women" by Dragana Djurdjev.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Dragana was born in 1947, in Yugoslavia, as World War II was ending. It was a time when everyone was poor and all they had was their beliefs. Her mother, Vera, came from a family that followed the Serbian Eastern Orthodox religion that had strict doctrines about marriage, Virginity, Divorce, etc.

Vera married Peter (Dragana’s father) much to her father’s dismay because Peter was a man with no moral compass. He winded up impregnating a bar singer when Dragana was 2 which led to their divorce. Soon, Vera started courting Roy but deceived him into thinking she was single because their religion states that ‘no respectable man who has never married should marry a divorced woman with a child’ as she is seen on the same level as a whore! Vera and Roy finally got married and settled in America, leaving Dragana in Yugoslavia with her grandparents.

In Yugoslavia, Dragana basked in the warmth and love that was shown to her. She even believed that her cousins were her siblings because she was treated no different from them by their parents. When she was 10, Vera had had two children for Roy and was going through a tough time because Roy was in the habit of beating and abusing her coupled with trying to make ends meet financially. She then asked for Dragana to be brought to America so she could help her.

Yanked from a life of security, Dragana’s childhood ended and she became a caretaker of 2 kids living in a house void of peace. She managed to pass through high school with the help of kind-hearted teachers as English language was a barrier for her then she met Ed who is a replica of the men her mother had married. Will she make the same mistakes by going into a relationship with him or will she learn from her ‘yesterday’s woman’?

A yesterday’s woman is one that has gone through life and gained wisdom. In Dragana’s case, her yesterday’s women were her mother and grandmother. A yesterday’s woman could even be a stranger that steers you in the right path. This reminds me of a proverb in my country that states that “what an elder sees sitting down, the young cannot see standing up”. So basically, the author nudges you to seek wise counsel from elders in order not to make unnecessary mistakes.

I am taken by Dragana’s personality as she is one that is dogged in whatever she sets her mind to do. She makes plans and follows through 100% not minding the heartaches. She sacrificed more than a decade of her life to make sure her kids were settled so that no harm could come to them. I truly admire her character. She even created a strategy to keep her sane and go through life with satisfaction despite one part of her life being in chaos.

There were two characters in the book that I loved the most. If not for them, I doubt if Dragana would have been able to accomplish all that she did. They are her teachers, Ms. Freeman and Mrs. Whitehorn. They both put in extra efforts to help her pass through school and even got other teachers to assist as well. God bless their souls.

There was really nothing I didn’t like about the book as it filled with many details and inspirations that I feel everyone should read it. There are few errors in the book which suggests that the book was professionally edited. With this in mind, I rate Perseverance of Yesterday’s Women 4 out of 4 stars.

The message in the book is beneficial to those that find themselves in unhealthy relationships, so I recommend it to them. Those that like inspirational books and would like to learn about the strategy she applies to live a healthy life can also pick it up.

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Perseverance of Yesterday’s Women
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arinola grace · Post by **arinola grace** » 11 Sep 2018, 14:56

Thank you for your wonderful review.

daydreaming reader · Post by **daydreaming reader** » 11 Sep 2018, 18:18

This truly sounds like an inspirational read. Thank you for your great review!

crediblereading2 · Post by **crediblereading2** » 11 Sep 2018, 20:17

It was good that Dragana's 2 teachers were able to motivate and to guide her in her studies. This is truly an inspiring story. Thank you for your insightful review of this book.

Aaliyah2 · Post by **Aaliyah2** » 12 Sep 2018, 09:00

This book sounds great. I think it has a lot of beneficial wisdom for young women. This is also not the first time many of us may hear stories like this, so it could also encourage many women to make wiser choices and take notes from elders with an open mind. Thank you for your review it’s great!

Cecilia_L · Post by **Cecilia_L** » 12 Sep 2018, 13:01

It sounds like you really connected to this book and its strong characterization. Thanks for your excellent review!

rainydaysc64 · Post by **rainydaysc64** » 12 Sep 2018, 21:55

I’m glad that she was able to get help from two of her teachers because for some kids that makes all the difference. This definitely sounds like a very inspirational read.

Debjani Ghosh · Post by **Debjani Ghosh** » 13 Sep 2018, 03:01

This sounds like a truly inspirational read. I have personally experienced how unsettling it can be to be uprooted from a comforting atmosphere to be landed in chaos. The effects of such an experience can last many years. I would like to read this book to find out how Dragana triumphed the odds.

420waystoreachthesun · Post by **420waystoreachthesun** » 14 Sep 2018, 20:55

Based on your review, this book seems amazing. I just wish the author had thought out the title.

Kate S · Post by **Kate S** » 15 Sep 2018, 00:29

This sounds promising! Your review makes me want to read it at some point, so I've marked it down in my notebook. I love that you called Dragana's siblings her kids because they basically are if her mother and stepfather aren't helping. I'm curious to see what reaction Roy has to Dragana when he finds out about her existence. Nothing good for Vera, that's for sure. I like the proverb from your country! It resonated with me. I feel like a mix of the young and the elder. I'm just slowly sitting down while squinting into the distance.

What country are you from, if I may ask?

OloladeO · Post by **OloladeO** » 19 Sep 2018, 05:14

Kate S wrote: ↑15 Sep 2018, 00:29 This sounds promising! Your review makes me want to read it at some point, so I've marked it down in my notebook. I love that you called Dragana's siblings her kids because they basically are if her mother and stepfather aren't helping. I'm curious to see what reaction Roy has to Dragana when he finds out about her existence. Nothing good for Vera, that's for sure. I like the proverb from your country! It resonated with me. I feel like a mix of the young and the elder. I'm just slowly sitting down while squinting into the distance. What country are you from, if I may ask?

Thank you for reading my review, your feedback left me with a smile on my face. Good luck with squinting

I am from Nigeria.

OloladeO · Post by **OloladeO** » 19 Sep 2018, 05:17

420waystoreachthesun wrote: ↑14 Sep 2018, 20:55 Based on your review, this book seems amazing. I just wish the author had thought out the title.

Hmm. I didn't really resonate with the title either. Thanks for reading and commenting on my review.

OloladeO · Post by **OloladeO** » 19 Sep 2018, 05:35

Debjani Ghosh wrote: ↑13 Sep 2018, 03:01 This sounds like a truly inspirational read. I have personally experienced how unsettling it can be to be uprooted from a comforting atmosphere to be landed in chaos. The effects of such an experience can last many years. I would like to read this book to find out how Dragana triumphed the odds.

It is indeed an inspirational read. I have also experienced being uprooted from comfort to chaos. It sticks with you. Thank you for reading my review and commenting.

OloladeO · Post by **OloladeO** » 19 Sep 2018, 05:36

rainydaysc64 wrote: ↑12 Sep 2018, 21:55 I’m glad that she was able to get help from two of her teachers because for some kids that makes all the difference. This definitely sounds like a very inspirational read.

Indeed it is. Thank you for reading and commenting.