What Readers Are Saying

This book by Dale Bratter became my “friend”  for much too short a time. I took her book everywhere that I thought I could get even a few more lines read. Feeling that I was present during all of the experiences of Ms. Bratter and her clients was uplifting to me and I treasured my life all the more. I laughed and cried. She wrote a memoir that will remain in my thoughts for a long time to come. Because my brother has HIV, so many of her reminiscences reawakened many of my own. I highly recommend this beautiful and resonating memorial. It is something you’ll be thrilled to read and treasure the history of her experiences.

- Margo - January 19, 2024

I have to admit I was somewhat reluctant to read a book about women and children with AIDS — we don’t always want to read about suffering — but the writing in In Their Presence is so human, so humane, so culturally sensitive, so well-written, and dare I say, so entertaining?, that I was carried through from page to page and did not want to put it down. Dale Napolin Bratter is a wonderful storyteller.

This is not to say I didn’t cry, or share in the all-too-frequent frustrations and even fury of the  women and children with  HIV and AIDS, their families and the people, like the author, who devoted time and energy to helping their clients navigate through the treatments and stigma that came hand-in-hand with the disease. But I also got to share in feelings of admiration, fulfillment and joy.

This book has two paths: it is an historically important work, filling a gap that until now has excluded the challenges faced by women and children, especially women and children of color, during the AIDS epidemic; and it is a memoir of a woman driven to help them. I don’t use the word “driven” lightly, because as a reader (and outsider) there were times when my jaw literally dropped at the conditions she and others encountered and the dangers they sometimes faced. One cannot help but like this author, a devoted, genuine, vulnerable, smart and honest human being who has the privilege of saying, even though she doesn’t, she made a difference.

-Lee J. - August 4, 2023

The story told in Dale Bratter’s IN THEIR PRESENCE is a compelling memoir that involves the reader in the little known world of children afflicted with HIV/AIDS and the mothers, aunts, and grandmothers who took care of them, together with the personal care provided by the social workers who did their best to provide for their needs as they faced the ravages of this disease during the AIDS crisis in the late 80s and 90s. Unlike objectively reported and listed histories, IN THEIR PRESENCE is a history told via the personal story of an amazing social worker as she evolves both personally and professionally. This is a history told with the narratives of special children, special families, and a very special social worker. It’s a history that should have been told much earlier, but it is now being admirably revealed in IN THEIR PRESENCE.

-Barbara L . Murphy - August 6, 2023

I lived in Fort Lauderdale during the height of the AIDS epidemic. I knew very little about women and children with AIDS in general, but I knew nothing about what was going on in this community only fifteen minutes from my home. For me, this was a revelation about my fellow human beings. Right under my nose there was so much suffering, as well as large and small miracles taking place daily. As a grandmother myself, I had no idea that during this crisis so many grandmothers and other relatives stepped up with such amazing love to handle the tremendous hardships and losses in their families. I also learned about the amazing work social workers do! I thank the author for opening the door to these intimate stories so they could take their rightful place in the broader history of this epidemic.

-E. Silverstein - July 22, 2023

We are living in challenging times, dealing with the aftereffects of the COVID pandemic and intense political, social and cultural division. Many are working hard to hold on to their faith in the American experiment. If, like me, you are one of those, this remarkable memoir and historical account is the book you need to read. Dale Bratter's untold stories will inform and inspire you!

-Carol A. Vogt - August 8, 2023

This is an emotional, heartwarming series of interviews and stories written by a devoted social worker about the time when women and children had no organized advocacy groups fighting for them and no media attention. They were living lives of secrecy. Dale Bratter displays incredible insights, skill, and love as she serves her clients. As a history educator, I feel this book is a must-read for any person considering a career in social work or for someone already enrolled in a social work program. Dale is definitely an inspiration.

-Joan Taylor - August 2, 2023

An extremely powerful memoir giving a voice and speaking up for the women and children affected during the early AIDS epidemic. This author does an incredible job bringing the reader into her story for a well-rounded feel and understanding of a vulnerable population who never gained proper recognition. I was incredibly moved and simply could not put this book down. The stories within are both beautiful and important!

-N. Spaeth - July 23, 2023

There have been numerous books about the impact of the AIDS epidemic on the LGBTQ community. Dale Napolin Bratter's memoir is unique in that it casts light on an overlooked group of people whose stories also deserve to be told. She is a gifted and engaging storyteller. In vivid and clear prose, she brings these women and children to life while at the same time reveals with humility and humor her own remarkable journey from outsider to advocate. Although her memoir's subject is HIV/AIDS, it will appeal to anyone interested in humankind's endless battles against adversity. I highly recommend her book.

-Ross A. Slotten - August 1, 2023

This extraordinary memoir by a courageous woman brings to light nearly invisible families with HIV or AIDS -- parents and children who suffered with so little support. Our awareness of them is long overdue.

-Rick - August 10, 2023

In Their Presence by Dale Napolin Bratter is an amazing, inspirational and historical memoir of this author's experiences working with children, mothers, grandmothers, caretakers and siblings during the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In the early 1980's, HIV/AIDS had been identified and research and major support services only involved men who had contracted the disease. Her emotional stories about women and children with this disease are extremely heartwarming and I found it hard to put this book down. The author is a gifted storyteller! This book should be required reading for every student taking courses in social work, public health, education, African American studies and women's studies.

-Leslie Laub - September 4, 2023

This is a story about a deeply caring person who gave much of her career to the service of extremely needy families during very difficult times. The stories are incredibly moving. I don't know how she did the work she did, but bravo to her for doing it.

-Eric Lane - September 12, 2023