2019 Donora, Pennsylvania Ninety-one-year-old Patryk Rusek hides in his attic, hoping the searchers think he’s escaped. When Lucy finally bursts in, she discovers her beloved grandfather clutching a fat, hand-illustrated, antique book. In it is the story of Donora, the town that shaped America, its people and Patryk himself. Before long, Lucy and her son Owen lose track of their goal to get … get Grandpa Patryk somewhere “safe” as they’re drawn into the book, back in time, into stories that read like real-life fairytales born of purpose, hard-work, and chance.
1910 Donora, Pennsylvania
In the early dawn of Donora, Pennsylvania, the mills make and shape the steel that builds America. Mary Lancos lives in a home on the hill overlooking town and its mighty Monongahela River. That tiny house bursts with her siblings and boarders. Wind whipping through the walls and windows makes Mary determined to marry well and create a better life.
Shy Pole, Lukasz Musial, arrives in Donora seeking the clear blue skies, green lawns, and better life he’d seen pictured on a postcard. Settled in Donora’s Polish community, Lukasz secures a coveted job in the wire mill. Life is set on course to achieve the American Dream. All he needs is a wife who believes in him, in his mighty, quiet, strength.
After a series of casual, friendly meetings, fate brings Mary and Lukasz to the river under a snowy, pink moonlit sky and everything changes. Their attraction is sudden and consuming, turning the pair onto an unexpected path. With mounting disapproval from Mary’s parents she and Lukasz must decide if love is enough to risk losing everything else that matters.
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Who would have thought that the ancestors of Stan Musial would be so fascinating. The descriptions of the working conditions at the turn of the last century are an eye opener. I can’t wait to read the next one. Shoop is a gifted writer and deserves to be read.
I loved it throughout, very evocative of the place and time. The story does have a HEA, but it doesn’t have an ending. We still don’t get to know the connection between some present-day characters and the ones of the main story.
I loved reading about the families working in the steel mills in early 1900s. They had such hard lives but found joy where they could. I love reading Ms Shoop’s wonderful, realistic details about the mill, the people, and their surroundings. I can’t wait to read more about Mary and Lucasz.
I love the characters and the story, it is 1910, Pennsylvania, steel Town, how they lived and worked so hard. It’s inspiring.
I loved loved this story —I could read it again, I think and enjoy it the second time around –I lived near Donora so that made it more interesting, but loved the story, it was fabulous. Great writing–great story —that was one of the most imporessive stories I have read in awhile.
Very descriptive of life around the coal mines & the immigrant families, who came to work there.
I truly enjoyed this book and was so sad when it ended. It definitely left you wanting the next chapters of the story. It left you hungry for more. I like how the author transitioned between past and present. Well thought out story line.
Because this story is written as a flash-back you know what should happen from the beginning, but you don’t know how ir when events will pass that allow the two main characters to get together. The story paints the lives of immigrant families and first generation American children of immigrants beautifully. It gives a glimpse of the world for these people as they work in factory towns that even control the sun. It was a truly different world. I devoured this book.
Interesting look at immigrant life in the early 1900s in Pa. As the grandson of a immigrant Pa. coal miner, it gave me a good idea of what my grandparents life was like. Easy to read and the story kept my attention
I loved this book – so original and filled with wonderful, gritty characters. Had to keep reading to find out what would happen – it didn’t disappoint.
It was hard to put down once I started. A great story about coming to America.
An interesting book split between two timelines. The older story was Stan Musial’s parent’s history, however fictionalized it was.
Lived learning about the early industry around Donora, PA. Cute love story.
Great love story about Baseball’s Stan Musial’s parents!
I so got into the characters, could not put it down. Stayed up one night to five am so I could finish it. A very sweet story.
A very unusual piece of historical fiction in that the lead characters were the parents of Stan Musial. Not intended as biographical, but as a way to dramatize the experiences of Slovak immigrants in the Pennsylvania steel mills. I was very drawn in to their struggles and rooting for them all the way. Stan’s mother, Mary, was Czech (the father was Polish and her parents didn’t think he was good enough for her. Besides being Polish he was about 5 inches shorter than she was). I may be a Czech descendant myself, but I was not familiar with the traditions and rituals celebrated by the Donora community. The next book in the series is supposed to be about Stan’s childhood, so I’ll be sure to look for that one.
READING PROGRESS
Good fun summer reading
I enjoyed this book, but wondered how true-to-life the personalities of the supporting characters were. I grew weary of the contention that surrounded these people… perhaps it was like that but it became burdensome after so many episodes over and over….
Enjoyed characters and story line.
Interesting characters mixed with some interesting historical facts. Makes you think about hardships that some of the foreigners endured to better their lives and work to becoming citizens