Although six-year-old Anna was born in Wisconsin, she longs to visit Poland where her immigrant parents used to live. She and her seven siblings speak the Polish language, eat Polish foods and maintain Polish customs. They also participate in the chores of the farm her father established before any other families arrived in their valley. The work is hard, but lightened by the help and affection of neighbors. The families throughout the Latsch Valley support each other through harsh weather, fires, diphtheria outbreaks and the birth of new babies. It is, however, their deep faith that sustains them as they face the challenges of the mid-nineteenth century. Anne Pellowski incorporates many stories from her own family’s experience in this sweet book about Polish immigrants in the Mid-west.
Jennifer Minicus is a mother and teacher living in Ridgewood, NJ.
