The Strongman and the Mermaid
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- $3.99
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
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 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.
Customer Reviews
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Only here in America…
A story about early immigrants who longed to be “American”. They came from Poland, Germany, Czechoslovakia , Ireland, Italy, all over Europe to work towards a free life in America. Their desperate hardships, struggles, superstitions. No handouts given. Work or do without. And they made it happen. This book told the story of Lukasz Musial, a boy with nothing coming to America. I’m looking forward to Sloop’s follow up to this book, The Magician, about an American success, Stan Musial.
The Strongman and the Mermaid
It’s amazing how much Polish history the author weaved throughout the book. Given my Polish heritage, I truly enjoyed hearing about all the customs. I was constantly googling Polish words. It also told the story of immigrants life in the United States in the early 20th century and all they were going through as they adjusted to a new country, their hopes, struggles and dreams. My grandparents came from Poland and I wish I would have had the chance to talk with them about their experiences. This story definitely had me thinking about their lives.