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Congratulations to our Book of the Month winner!
The Chrysalis BREW Project has announced Ruth Benario’s memoir Yesterday Was Not So Long Ago as the BREW Readers’ Choice Award Book of the Month for August 2025.
The book, published July 16, 2025, is based on Benario’s diaries as a young woman in Germany during World War II. After her death in 2011, her son, Peter Benario, and editor Carolyn Zalesne completed the manuscript.
According to reviewer Kajori Sheryl Paul, the memoir offers “a rare glimpse into WWII from the eyes of a young woman who actually lived in that era.” The book presents the perspective of “regular Germans of the time” and includes photographs from Benario’s life.
Related
Editorial Review: “Yesterday Was Not So Long Ago” by Ruth Benario
Yesterday Was Not So Long Ago is a heart-touching memoir penned by Ruth Benario. It gives us a first-hand account of WWII from the perspective of a German civilian.
Keep readingMore about the award
The BREW Readers’ Choice Award is a reader-driven literary prize presented monthly and annually. To qualify, books must have at least a 4.0 out of 5-star average review score. Readers then vote to select winners, with monthly winners advancing to the annual Readers’ Choice of the Year. Open to almost all genres, the award highlights books that resonate with readers, emphasizing popular appeal in addition to critical selection.
To know more about the BREW Readers’ Choice Award, click here.
View the list of all BREW Readers’ Choice Award Book of the Month winners by clicking here.
The annual BREW Readers’ Choice Award winners and finalists are here.
Explore all BREW book awards by clicking this link.
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What a truly deserving recognition! 👏 Ruth Benario’s Yesterday Was Not So Long Ago sounds like a remarkable and deeply moving work, not just for its historical significance but also for the raw humanity it preserves. The fact that her personal diaries were lovingly brought to life by her son Peter and editor Carolyn Zalesne makes it even more special—like a bridge between generations carrying forward lived truth. 📖✨