Bøger af Virginia Rafferty

Trapped and suffocated by the unending hardships of peasant life, Erzsi can do little but dream. That is, until the opportunity to make an exodus to the New World presents itself, and she makes the impossible choice to vie for a better life, far away from Hungary. Without a husband, she is eager to seek out love and marriage, but it could come at great cost. With the wonders of discovery comes the dangers of seduction, and the man she comes to love may not be all he seems. Forsaking her past for a better future and her family for the possibility of creating a new one, "Family Secrets...Hidden in the Shadows of Time" encapsulates the complex struggles of the 19th century immigrants, but also the enduring, stalwart spirit that allowed them to give up all they had and strike out into the unknown. With direct inspiration from the lives of Virginia Rafferty's Hungarian ancestors, "Family Secrets...Hidden in the Shadows of Time" brings a unique, highly personal twist to the genre, one that absolutely cannot be missed.

Four couples—Stefan and Anna, Cyril and Adriana, Jan and Katarina, and Emil and Edita—fled their European homes, desperate to escape the poverty, war, and tyranny of kings and emperors. Seeking a better life, they embarked for America, relocating to coal towns in eastern Pennsylvania. But in these company-owned towns, dreams faded. They lived in squalor, faced discrimination and endured danger in the mines. In the summer of 1897, unrest erupted among miners in the coal towns and spread to their villages.Growing activism among Slavic and other immigrant groups, with their call to join the United Mine Workers of America, compelled them to react. Anna feared for her family but understood the need for the strike. Stefan, still haunted by images of a war that never left him, was cautious, worried the consequences would be too dire. Adriana and Cyril, angry at the working and living conditions in Lattimer, were ready to shut down the mine, no matter the methods. Jan and Katarina were forced to make a painful decision. Emil, with wife Edita and a young family to support, joined the union and was among the strikers who marched to Lattimer on September 10, 1897.On that fateful day, the local sheriff and his deputies met the oncoming protesters, confronting and then murdering nineteen and wounding thirty-nine more. Emil survived and agreed to be a witness at the trial of Sheriff Martin and his deputies. The Road to Lattimer chronicles their stories.