Tender, celebratory, joyous, painful, heart-breaking at times-- I found myself thinking about ways of communication.

The author learns as much as he is offering the Russians to learn. Not just being a teacher of English, Mr. Moehl becomes part of their family by helping in different ways, from taking them to grocery, helping them to fill up their children's school forms, getting them a job. Along the journey, he gets to know the lifestyle, culture of the east. Mr. Moehl takes us through a journey of forming of a family. He compares their way of living to his good old childhood which in turn makes us nostalgic.

Moehl's story is inspiring, especially for people who teach English as a second language, or who work with people of other cultures, or who find themselves often in the unenviable task of wading through red tape from all sorts of "officials" (government, school, etc.) who don't really see the needy as people. It's likewise inspiring for anyone who might want to build deeper bonds with others beyond just the superficial.

There is a strong feeling of wanting to belong in their new environment. As most former refugee families will tell you anywhere across the world, the tough part's adapting, but returning back home is most certainly NOT an option. And as such, language issues are but a minor obstacle, albeit a difficult one, in exchange for their new lives.

It is great to hear the stories of struggle and perseverance of how this family he was working with made the transition to living, working and going to school in a foreign land. Geoffrey was able to share with me and several classmates his experiences of venturing out of his comfort zone and to be challenged while serving the needs of others.

Mr. Moehl tells a lot about the dilemma of every refugee and how much they needed a lot of emotional support as well as financial ones. It also tells about how hard it is for them to look for work and all that.

I hope there are a lot of people with Mr. Moehl's perseverance to serve, support and assist refugees. It is a very noble thing to do.

It is a story that makes you think a lot about the refugees, and makes you understand that many people fight to win freedom in a new land. It opens you to new cultures and reading the story of this Russian family is really touching, and sometimes, funny.

Birth Of An American Family offers a realistic glimpse of what it is truly like to be a refugee in a foreign country. Through the struggles of the Russian family, the reader will come to appreciate that a refugee’s journey to another land is only half the struggle – settling into a routine, finding a suitable place to live, to work, and adjusting to a new culture and language, make the entire life experience a challenge for a refugee.

We can all use a good laugh, even at ourselves. This is definitely a timely book, well-written, and if this topic is of concern to you, you may find it informative.

This book is truly a remarkable piece that allows the reader not only the opportunity to step into the lives of the Russian families that Moehl interacted with allows the reader to both see and feel what he felt at the time.

The author sketches the plight of a refugee family who is struggling to settle in America. This work is specific to the subject and interesting to read.

With illegal immigration being a hot topic in the news, it was refreshing to read an inspirational story about legal refugees and the dedication of an American willing to help them. Throughout the story, Moehl tells anecdotes of misunderstandings easily understood by anyone who has had experience with cultures outside their own. For example, at one meal:

Taking a spoonful, I realized the soup base was cold sour cream, served right from the fridge. I generally will eat some sour cream, but not three cups worth. I felt extremely awkward. How could I convey to my host I do not like the soup without offending my host's hospitality and kindness?

This is a true narration of life lessons, discovery and adaptation, as the Russian families have to totally change their life in America, and how they try to understand and overcome the differences in culture, language, and society.