When We Were Strangers
by Pamela Schoenewaldt
Synopsis:
"If you leave Opi, you'll die with strangers," Irma Vitale's mother always warned.
Even after her beloved mother's passing, 20-year-old Irma longs to stay in her Abruzzo mountain village, plying her needle. But too poor and plain to marry and subject to growing danger in her own home, she risks rough passage to America and workhouse servitude to achieve her dream of making dresses for gentlewomen.
In the raw immigrant quarters and with the help of an entrepreneurial Irish serving girl, ribbon-decked Polish ragman and austere Alsatian dressmaker, Irma begins to stitch together a new life . . . until her peace and self are shattered in the charred remains of the Great Chicago Fire. Enduring a painful recovery, Irma reaches deep within to find that she has even more to offer the world than her remarkable ability with a needle and thread.
My Review:
Beautifully written. I felt like I knew Irma personally. Her journey was met with tragedy but many small triumphs that defined her future as I imagine it did for many immigrants in the late 1880's. This book is a great example of why I enjoy reading historical fiction so much. I am a modern day immigrant to the U.S. so I'm fascinated about the journey others have undertaken. My family's journey was one of fortune and comfort so I feel a great deal of appreciation and respect for the struggles of those that immigrated under much more challenging circumstances.
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