Angels of a Lower Flight: One Woman's Mission to Save a Country . . . One Child at a Time

Although the words of this story may make for an easy read, the thoughts that those words provoke, and the places they take your mind are anything but. I constantly found myself literally having to put this book down in order for my brain to process the haunting events in Susie Scott Krabachers' story. In many ways "Angels of a Lower Flight" is like two books in one, the first details Susie's turbulent childhood and then her fast living Playmate days where every physical manifestation of success was hers for the taking. The second, which takes place after she marries her husband Joe, is a no holds barred descent into hellish conditions of Haiti and her efforts to rescue the broken and abandoned children there. The journey of her life in Haiti that Susie carries the reader through is truly the stuff of nightmares. She is unflinching in describing failure, both hers and that of the country around her. And yet even in the book's darkest parts, such as when she is forced to pay bribes at the morgue to recover the worm ridden bodies of the children she tried to rescue - or the simple burials in Styrofoam crates of little shattered bodies with the touching message, "In this world you were loved," one can't help but feel in a strange way simultaneously uplifted. That for these tiny discarded souls, to be loved so much during their short time on earth is beyond what we have words to say. But "Angels of Lower Flight" is filled victories too. Thousands upon thousands of children have been helped by Mercy and Sharing, the organization Susie founded in Haiti to feed, shelter and educate them. The sometimes clever, sometimes miraculous ways that she and her team have found to circumnavigate the volatile, dangerous and unpredictable nature of Haiti makes for an electrifying, thrilling story. However in the end what I found so powerful, so inspiring about this book, was the way that Susie points a way for all of us to make a difference in this world. Because of her raw honesty you can see that even that even though her actions are heroic, even angelic at times, through it all she remains deeply human, up against the same challenges and limitations shared by us all. And yet by using her footsteps as a guide, all of us are capable of being heroes, and perhaps even angels, on this Earth.

Angels of a Lower Flight is a must-read for anyone interested in knowing about the incredible levels of abuse and neglect that occur on a regular basis to the children of Haiti, especially the ones who are born handicapped and left to die. Ex-Playmate Susan Scott Krabacher is the last person you would expect to see in the slums of Haiti, but this book lets you peek over her shoulder as she exposes the almost unbelievable happenings in the hospitals, offices and streets of Port-au-Prince. Some reviewers may question her treatment of Haiti's Voodoo religion, but what can you say about a religion that advocates the abandonment and dumping of handicapped children, as the belief in Voodoo does?

I must commend Ms. Krabacher and the editorial team at Touchstone for producing such an excellent product. My daughter and son-in-law have travelled to Haiti several times and reported that the conditions there are simply horrible. Thank you to Ms. Krabacher's organization, the Mercy & Sharing Foundation, for the humanitarian work you are doing there. As to the book itself, "Angels of a Lower Flight" chronicles the journey of a person who eventually finds her life's purpose through helping others. Susie Krabacher was born with many strikes against her, prediminately a chaotic family situation and a sexually-abusive grandfather. She seeks security and significance through external affirmation, eventually rising to a model, actress, and Playboy playmate and centerfold. She discovers that all the glamor and excess leaves her wounded, searching, and emotionally stranded. Through a strange twist of fate, she decides to travel to Haiti with a friend. Upon arrival, she immediately gets to work and forms a feeding clinic. The work in Haiti eventually becomes her life's work, and she forms the Mercy & Sharing Foundation, which has grown today to include orphanges, schools, and medical clinics. Ms. Krabacher's story is a satisfying and an extremely quick read. It leaves you thinking and wondering about life's mysteries much longer. A single chapter, chapter 19--titled "One Child"--is worth the price of the book alone. In this chapter, Ms. Krabacher poignantly describes the plight of just one of her orphans, a young boy with a heart condition named Ashley. She tells the story straightforwardly, not exploitingly or carelessly. I won't tell you how it endds, but I will say that Ashley's story reaches straight to the heart. There are so many needy children around the world, and sometimes we can get lost in the sheer numbers. But this chapter puts it all in context--each person is important and valued. This seems to be Ms. Krabacher's overall message in life. I highly recommend this book.

This wonderful book is extremely well written and tells a story of pain, love and compassion that everybody should be aware of. Susie Krabacher is a saint, and a n example for all of us. It only take one person to change the world. If we all became more aware that chnage would happen much faster.

Susie Scott Krabacher is a hero. Putting her abusive and sometimes out-of-control past behind her, she created the Mercy & Sharing Foundation in order to help the children of Haiti. Her book is a must read, but be sure to have a box of tissues handy. And, if you are as touched as I was, you will then go to your computer, find her site, and will donate money to help her continue her mission. God bless you Susie!