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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The best book I’ve read in a long time. Based in real history in the early 1900’s, the author brought this era to life. The details were seamlessly woven into this very inspirational story. The characters were exceptionally developed to the point that their stories flowed effortlessly within the story and allowed me to feel as if I was actually there with them, experiencing everything right alongside them. This was a sweet story written about heavy subjects and yet the writing was fresh and in no way made the reader feel as if the author was preaching or taking sides or pushing historical agendas. I enjoyed this book so much that I found myself getting annoyed that lunches and work breaks were over, and actually found myself sneaking a few pages here and their during work also, something I’ve never felt myself compelled to do before.
A word of warning – for anyone who may have read the first book “The Fog”. After reading the aforementioned book I was driven to read this author’s other books. Maybe it was because I had just finished literary perfection, but I could not get involved with that book. I found the characters unlikable and couldn’t read more than a couple chapters. Though I’m sure I would have learned many historical details of life during that time, I could bring myself to continue. I may try again later and give it another chance once I get over the loss of finishing the previous book.
Lovely story with a lot of historical fact.
Unpredictable
I feel I’ve read this story a hundred times. Nothing wrong with it other than it’s been done over and over.
This was a great book, one of the best I’ve read in a really long time! The only reason I gave it a 4 star was because in the middle it started to kind of drag on. It felt like the author wanted to build up the suspense for a big moment and sometimes that moment happened, eventually. I loved these people and their lives, their hearts, heartaches. I cried and cheered and waived my fist in the air. I can’t wait to read the next book. Awesome job!!
I don’t know much about Stan MusIuial but found this book to be well written and well researched. I am on “pins and needles” until the book about Stan himself is published. I would recommend this book to anyone even if you don’t know anything about baseball. It is very much a human interest story.
I enjoy books by Kathleen Shoop.
Strong people with strong beliefs and customs worked very hard to build this country. Some managed to manipulate people even one little level down the social or labor scale for their own profit Somehow love found a way to connect cultures and overcome. Makes me grateful for the little pleasures and the beauty I enjoy with so much less work.
Really good story and no yukky sex.
Great fiction. Can’t wait to read next book about Msial family.
I really wanted to like this book, and it WAS good but just very long for the portion of the Musial story that it covered.
This is a wonderful view of history with good insight into the fate of immigrants.
I couldn’t seem to get involved with the characters. I stopped reading before finishing. very depressing.
Too much language. I didn’t get past a handful of pages due to the foul language. 🙁
I really enjoyed the backstory of the immigrants before they got to America. Even though things were hard for immigrants , it was much worse where they were from.
The book is informative of the time, is well paced, and I feel like the characters are believable and understandable. I feel like I know them.
I loved this book, had me hooked from the first page, can’t wait to read the next one
I couldn’t put the book down. I’ve never just sat and read a book all day – until this one.
This a simply crafted novel about the parents of Stan Musial. The setting in Donora, a steel town in the early 1900’s. The book delves into the Eastern European immigrants I the USA.
Didn’t realize that it was based on a true story until I was almost through the book. Interested in finding the next book in the series, as well as the previous one.
Looking forward to next book