When We Were Strangers

By Pamela Schoenewaldt

Book Overview

"The people as real as your own family, and the tale realistic enough to be any American's."
--Nancy E. Turner, author of These is My Words

A moving, powerful, and evocative debut novel, When We Were Strangers by Pamela Schoenewaldt heralds the arrival of superb new voice in American fiction. A tale rich in color, character, and vivid historical detail, it chronicles the tumultuous life journey of a young immigrant seamstress, as she travels from her isolated Italian mountain village through the dark corners of late nineteenth century America. A historical novel that readers of Geraldine Brooks, Nancy Turner, Frances de Pontes Peebles, and Debra Dean will most certainly cherish, When We Were Strangers will live in the mind and the heart long after its last page is turned.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0062003992
• ISBN13: 9780062003997
• Release Date: January 2011
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.77 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

NOT a holly go lightly book!

This book is HARD to read - about a young immigrant girl who goes to America alone = the sea voyage alone was horrible (altho true!) - then hired by a sweat shop woman - ran away - robbed of all her possessions (feeble as they were!) - was raped and got pregnant which introduces one to the whole antiquated abortion industry (Im anti-abortion but this segment made me ponder) - and then became a doctor for the poor doing much good...the friends she made along the way are real and true - the things she learns about herself is intriguing - and her whole character is pretty amazing! Not a read for the faint hearted - but very very good because its so well researched.....