Breaking Ground
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
BREAKING GROUND is the story of Eastern Europeans, mostly Ukrainians, who settled in a large bloc in North Eastern Alberta, Canada beginning at the end of the 19th century.
It follows one family of strong women and men, from their decision to emigrate, through the difficulties of settling in their new country including coping with discrimination from earlier newcomers, newspapers and government.
These pioneers persevered, breaking new ground as they built their homesteads, churches, schools, hospitals and community centers.
The author Nancy Anastasia Hawrelak was a news correspondent and a columnist for the St. Paul Journal in Alberta. Her writings included travel articles and a mostly humorous column which reached a wide audience from Georgia to Yellowknife. Her articles were also published in other newspapers, including the Edmonton Journal.
Nancy grew up in the midst of this settlement watching the pioneers painfully and slowly relinquish many of their old world traditions. It is a fast moving narrative complete with history, ceremony, humor and tragedy. Book length: approx 250 pp.
Customer Reviews
Breaking Ground
Great book!
My relatives settled in the Fort Saskatchewan/ Lamoureux area around the same time as this family came from the old country.
The Lamoureux brothers had a grist mill somewhere north of the North Saskatchewan River, east of Fort Saskatchewan. Could it have been the one these early settlers used?
The Lamoureux family also lost their two oldest children to the Spanish Flue.
So many similarities, hardships, good times, bad times.
Loved the story!
A great story, brings history to life!
I'm so glad to have found this gem of a book! Like all great historical fictions, I was carried along by the engaging plot and characters, but found myself learning a great deal along the way! In this case, the book is set in the Canadian prairies and follows several families through the backbreaking first few years of homesteading and farming. As a descendent of Canadian Ukrainians, I was thrilled to find a book that could bring this part of history to life and truly put me in the smoky kitchens, long bumpy carriage rides and wind-swept snowy fields of people like my ancestors. I think what really struck me was the laughter and joy (despite hard conditions) and the strong sense of community that carried people through.