On september 14th we met at Marha's lake
house in Nantucket to discuss her
selection "When We Were Strangers"
by
Pamela Schoenewaldt.
Those in attendance were Madeleine, Diane, Donna R.,
Donna S., Kathy, Julie, Sarah, Nancy, Nettie and of
course our hostess Marsha.
Most of us had read the book and had many good
things to say about it.
It is historical fiction about a brave Italian
immigrant woman from a small village in the
Italian mountains who succeeds in becoming
a nurse through hard work and determination.
Since most people had immigrant grand parents the
story was very close to everyone's heart. Everyone could
remember a grand parent recalling the old days filled
with hardships and everyone wished they had listened
more to their ancestors when they spoke. Some people
spoke of the emotional visits to Ellis Island which
was the point of entry for many of the immigrants.
For me one of sadness of the story is that while people think
they will return to the old country after gaining wealth in
America and struggling to send money to their families,
the truth is they many never do return and never see their
families again.
The author was inspired to writing the story after
spending time in Opi near Naples. She used to
be a technical writer and also taught at the University of Tennessee.
Marsha served Papa Murphy's meaty and vegetarian pizzas
along with a delicious salad. Since we had 3 September
birthdays she also spiced it up with some cake and
sparklers. We enjoyed viewing her retirement home
by the lake and can envision many lazy days reading
in her sunny scenic family room. We thank her for her
kind hospitality.
Nancy chose a new book called "Unbroken"
by Laura Hillenbrand and a date was fixed for
November 2, Wednesday.
Happy reading!!
