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Even the Sparrow Has Found a Home
Even the Sparrow Has Found a Home is a 140-page documentary photography book by Tom Szalay. The photos begin in 1991 when Tom, on assignment for a major newspaper, captured Izidor’s arrival in America. Tom then documented several more children arriving in 1993, and the photos conclude in 2015 when Szalay revisited the children — now young adults. He ends by accompanying Izidor back to visit the haunted place where they all were raised.
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$39.00 print
$9.99 digital
$39.00 print + digital
As shocking as [Szalay's] [original] photos were, the story inevitably faded from American headlines. But Szalay revisited several of those "unsalvageables”.... His photos and descriptions reveal lingering emotional and physical scars.
Don Barletti
2003 Pultzer Prize winner for Photography
Don Barletti Photography
Tom's book brought back so many memories for me. To see pictures of my friends and me so young and now as grown ups — Wow! When Tom came to see me after so long, he looked different, but he was still the same sweet man. His love for us comes through in his pictures.
Christina Principe
Former orphan from Sighetu Marmatiei
Creations by Christina
Tom Szalay's work allowed me to really see Romanian orphans through Izidor's eyes for the first time. Very vivid work. The caption with Marin's photo at his “dinner table”... So painful. Though I'm sorry such terrible subject matter exists in this world, I am also glad Tom documented it.
Brad Horn
Journalist and Filmmaker
Brad Horn Multi Media
Abandoned for Life
Abandoned for Life recounts Izidor Ruckel’s life as an abused and neglected Romanian orphan, his ensuing adoption by an American family, and his ongoing struggles as an adoptee. Izidor finally finds hope and healing when he reaches out to God, and is then led to become a crusader for the orphans left behind.
New updated and expanded edition that follows Izidor's life up to present day is coming in 2025.
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Deeply insightful and sincere, Izidor has opened the door into a world that very few people ever thought existed - the truth about an orphan's life. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about adoption, read about a human being's inner power to survive and thrive, and to be part of a larger mission to help Romanian orphans.
Diana Doroftei
Author, The Little Book of Romanian Wisdom
As an adoptive parent, [Izidor’s book] gave me a better understanding of what my child may have experienced. Izidor is an inspiration who deeply cares about children's rights, and he is a great example of what is possible for someone who believes they can make a difference for others.
Jodi Slein
Adoptive Parent (Romania)
Maryland
Ruckel provides the reader with a modern history of Romania from the Communist era to the Ceausescu regime which directly led to the abandonment of thousands of children nationwide. Although Ruckel’s story highlights the horrors of orphanage life, the reader will find it hard to put this book down…
Amy Kravitz
Adoptive Parent (Russia)
New Jersey
