• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Peeking Between the Pages

Peeking Between the Pages

...escape into the pages of a good book

  • HOME
  • ARCHIVES
  • PAST READS
  • REVIEW POLICY
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT ME

Swimming in the Moon by Pamela Schoenewaldt

September 4, 2013 by Darlene

swimming

A few years ago I read a wonderful debut novel called When We Were Strangers by Pamela Schoenewaldt. I have been waiting since then for another novel from her and it’s here! Swimming in the Moon is another fantastic novel that transported me to another time and place. It’s a story of a mother and daughter immigrating to America and it is so vividly imagined with the history of the time period expertly woven throughout. Swimming in the Moon is a beautifully written story of love, loyalty, and the determination to have a better life.

Lucia is fourteen years old in 1905. She and her mother Teresa work as servants for a Countess in a villa on the Bay of Naples in Italy. However Lucia’s mother has always been a little off balance and can fly into rages at little provocation and ultimately this causes them to flee Italy and move to America. Luckily Paolo, the majordomo, has a soft spot for the women and he sends them to stay with his cousin Roseanne in the immigrant quarters of Cleveland.

In America Lucia must go to school and she thrives in this environment. Her one wish in life is to attend college and thankfully a kind donor comes forward and she is finally able to do that after high school. It isn’t long though before her mother falls apart once again and Lucia is called home to care for her. Her dreams of college are all but shattered. Thus begins a different kind of life for Lucia. One that is filled with unions demanding decent wages and better working conditions. She is passionate about this cause and the fight is not always easy landing her in trouble more than once but she keeps going. This life fulfills Lucia in ways she never imagined as do all the people she meets along the way just struggling to survive as she is.

This was such an interesting read from a historical point of view for me as I really enjoy immigrant stories. The novel brought alive the struggles of the immigrants and the horrific working conditions they had to endure. From the devastating factory fire in Cleveland to the atrocious medical treatments that existed in the early 1900’s this novel is one engrossing read that I could not put down!

Those so enjoy stories of immigrants coming to America are sure to enjoy Swimming in the Moon! It’s another winner from Pamela Schoenewaldt for me!  Please pop by tomorrow as Pamela will be joining us with a great guest post and a giveaway of her novel!

 

Visit Pamela’s website
Buy at: Amazon, Amazon Canada, and B&N

 

Source:  Review copy provided by the publisher.  No compensation was received for this review and all opinions are my own.

Share this post!
Share

Filed Under: 2013 - 100+ Books, 2013 ARC's, 2013 Book Reviews, 2013 eBooks

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sandy says

    September 4, 2013 at 3:47 am

    I love immigrant stories too…this sounds like a wonderful book!

  2. blodeuedd says

    September 4, 2013 at 8:33 am

    It does sound very interesting

  3. Laura Fabiani says

    September 4, 2013 at 10:20 am

    I love immigrant stories especially Italian ones. This books is definitely one I would read. So glad I stopped by your blog today!

  4. Elizabeth says

    September 4, 2013 at 10:53 am

    THANKS for your great review.

    I have seen this but haven’t read it yet.

    Elizabeth
    Silver’s Reviews
    My Blog

  5. Maxie Anderson says

    September 4, 2013 at 2:40 pm

    I would love to win this book. Reading about people like this is very interesting. I’m still trying to find which part of the world my p Andersoneople in earlier generation came to from . My DNA shows the biggest part of relatives were in Northern Europe, but there a lot of peoples there.
    Maxie

  6. Maxie Anderson says

    September 4, 2013 at 2:42 pm

    Sorry for the mess-up. Just meant my people (Lloyds and Teagues )came from. Don’t know how that Anderson got in there. LOL Maxie

  7. JoAnn @ Lakeside Musing says

    September 4, 2013 at 3:08 pm

    I love immigrant stories and this sure sounds like a good one! Will suggest it to my mother, too… seems like I’ve become her personal librarian lately 😉

  8. Nise' says

    September 4, 2013 at 6:38 pm

    I read her debut and look forward to this book. Immigrant stories attract me.

  9. kimbacaffeinate says

    September 4, 2013 at 7:29 pm

    I love immigrant stories as well, and this sounds like something I would enjoy..wonderful review 🙂

  10. Suko says

    September 4, 2013 at 10:53 pm

    Wonderful review! I haven’t read anything by Pamela Schoenewaldt, but I will keep an eye out for her work.

  11. Diane@BibliophilebytheSea says

    September 5, 2013 at 4:44 am

    I loved your review and am happy to say I was lucky to get an eGalley.

  12. bermudaonion (Kathy) says

    September 5, 2013 at 5:49 am

    I love immigrant stories too so this sounds right up my alley!

  13. Mary says

    September 5, 2013 at 6:16 am

    Sounds like a good immigrant story. Thanks for telling us about it, Dar!

  14. Lisa S says

    September 5, 2013 at 10:31 am

    This sounds like a great book!! It seems like I’ve been reading a lot of books lately about immigrant families making their way to America or families living in other countries and visiting America. Either way, they are always so intriguing and it’s pretty interesting to read what caused them to move and the challenges along the way! Great interview/author post, too!

  15. Anna says

    September 5, 2013 at 2:03 pm

    I like immigrant stories, too, so I think I’d enjoy this book. I really love the cover. Great review, as always!

Primary Sidebar

Follow Me!

 

Enter your email address to get my latest reviews sent to your inbox!

Recently Shared

  • These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall (Audiobook)
  • The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda (Audiobook)
  • All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers (Audiobook)
  • Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton (Audiobook)
  • Upgrade by Blake Crouch (Audiobook)

Archives

Categories

Currently Reading

Orhan's Inheritance
Dear Carolina
The Mapmaker's Children
   

My Reading Pal Sammy

Remembering Buddy

Buddy
• May 25, 2002 - Oct 22, 2010 •
Forever in my heart