My rating: 5 of 5 stars
It’s 1900, and sixteen-year-old Helen comes alone in steerage across the Atlantic from a small village in Lithuania, fleeing terrible anti-Semitism and persecution. She arrives at Ellis Island, and finds a place to live in the colorful Lower East Side of New York. She quickly finds a job in the thriving garment industry and, like millions of others who are coming to America during this time, devotes herself to bringing the rest of her family to join her in the New World, refusing to rest until her family is safe in New York.
A few at a time, Helen’s family members arrive. Each goes to work with the same fervor she has and contributes everything to bringing over their remaining beloved family members in a chain of migration. Helen meanwhile, makes friends and—once the whole family is safe in New York—falls in love with a man who introduces her to a different New York—a New York of wonder, beauty, and possibility.
My Review:
I thought Mary Helen Fein’s Stitching a Life was a beautiful story based on the author’s grandmother. I admire Helen’s strength and determination to make a life in a new country as an immigrant. The historical details were quite vivid. I felt like I was transported back in time to the return of the century New York.
I am giving Stitching a Life five plus stars. I would love to read more by Mary Helen Fein in the near future. She has proven to me that she is quit the storyteller. I highly recommend this one for readers who love historical fiction.
I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
View all my reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment