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Susan Campbell Bartoletti A Coal Miner's Bride: The Diary of Anetka Kaminska (Dear America Book)
New York Scholastic 2000 0439053862 / 9780439053860 Hard Cover Very Good
The history is dramatic: in 1896 Anetka Kaminska, 13, must leave her Polish village for an arranged marriage with a coal miner in Lattimer, Pennsylvania. Her husband, who was married once before, doesn't love her, and when he's killed in a mining accident a few months after the wedding, she's left to care for his three small daughters and take in boarders to survive. The appalling working conditions in the mines are an integral part of the story and so is the labor struggle for change. Always there's the racism by "Americans" toward the "undesirable foreigners," which culminates in the Lattimer Massacre in which 19 miners are killed. The lively young union organizer, Leon Nasevich, who proves to be Anetka's true love, is just too perfect, but their teasing relationship adds romance to the grim story. The real problem with this book is the format. There's no doubt that the diary entries from the young person's viewpoint make the story immediate and accessible; but it's totally ridiculous that Anetka, who works like a mule caring for the kids and the boarders, and who regrets that she can't find a minute to write a letter to her beloved grandmother in Poland, would keep a daily diary of her life. Bartoletti's long historical note authenticates the account of the immigration, the labor struggle, the massacre, and the role of strong women. And there's a selection of photos to reinforce the history. Hazel Rochman
Price:
2.50 USD
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