Thank you so much to NetGalley and She Writes Press for my copy of Stitching a Life by Mary Helen Fein in exchange for an honest review. It published June 9, 2020.
I feel like this might have been better as a biography, rather than a novel. The reason I say this, (SPOILER), is thankfully, everything goes well for this family. There were only two conflicts that were quickly overcome. Since that's what happened for this family, it makes for an excellent biography, but for a boring novel, unfortunately. Overall, decent writing, and I'm sure that this book will be treasured by the Fein family for generations!

It's refreshing to read an historical fiction novel that isn't about World War II. "Stitching a Life" is a beautifully written story of a young woman uprooting her life to find a home in America, bringing her family over, and learning about herself in the process.

This was wonderful historical fiction about immigration at the turn of the century.. I’ve visited Ellis Island several times, and I still learned things that I hadn’t known before reading this book.. I was particularly interested in the information about “Reform Judaism”; Jews that practice this do not believe that every word of the Bible is literally true, and do believe in studying scientific facts for knowledge. The way the author took the immigration adventures of her grandmother and turned them into a novel was fantastic, especially when historical notes were included at the end. Next time I visit New York I want to see a lot of the places that were mentioned, like Coney Island!
Some very important themes run throughout this book; the love of family, the importance of hard work, and community helpfulness. This entire family, from oldest to youngest, was willing to pull together and do whatever it took to make their “American Dream” a reality. There was no griping or whining expressed; what needed to be done got done through sheer work and determination.
I would recommend this book to middle-graders, Y.A. readers, their teachers, and all history buffs! Thanks again, Netgalley! I’ll be looking for the print copy when it’s released in June 2020.

1900 mostly biographical of Helen Fein. Helen and her family are from Lithuania. They are a Jewish family. The Germans have begun to take 12-year-old Jewish boys into service for many years, where they are treated badly. Helen's family devises a plan for them to all move to New York. Her father goes over first and gets a job, then sends for Helen, who also has a job lined up. They both work hard and earn the money for the rest of their family. They're all a hard-working bunch. The separation, then having to learning new trades was daunting, but they learned quickly their new jobs in the new world.
Good read.
I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#StitchingaLife #NetGalley

This was a great book, and I loved the fact that it was based off true events from the author's own grandmother! It was a very touching family story, and appropriate for all ages. Great job.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for my copy of this book. All reviews expressed are my own, and I have not been obligated to leave a positive review.

I am sorry but never got around to reading this one and it is now archived. My apologies. I had a death in my family and haven't been online in and going through some stuff. It is my deepest regret that I did not get around to reading this book you so kindly offered to let me read.

A familiar immigrant story from the Ashkenazi American experience, but one in which good hearted people make a good life for themselves. Not a new story but a comforting one.

This was a beautiful well written story about the life of immigrants. I love the journey that the character face, especially since My great great grandparents where polish immigrants. I could totally understand what my grandparents must've went thru with reading this book and others like it. Mary gave the character such depth and beauty. I cant wait for more books by Mary. I will recommend this one to everyone

Such an important topic! It really felt like I was reading something special while reading it. I love how it mizes fact with historical fiction but stays realistic.

This book was such a beautifully written story.
Spanning several years, it follows Helen as she and her family start a new life in New York in the early 1900s.

I loved the way this story was told and all the rich detail put in, making it feel as though you were stepping off the boat at Ellis Island with Helen.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sadly, I could not get on with this book. I'm not saying it is a bad book but it just did not work for me and reading is a very subjective matter.

I have to say this book confused the heck out of me for so long, I almost put it down and didn’t pick it back up.

Thanks to NetGalley, She Writes Press, Mary Helen Fein for my copy of Stitching a Life.

Lithuania 1900, Hinde Breakstone is 16; she looks after her three little brothers and cooks the family’s dinner while her parents work at the compound dairy. Her oldest brother Max is about to turn 12, any day he could be pressed into the Russian Army and they have created a place for him to hide. The army conscripts young Jewish boys at 12, Hinde has to hide Max once, her family knows it’s only a matter of time before the Russian soldiers return and if Max is taken and they may never see him again.
Hinde has no idea her parents already have a plan, her father has a cousin Rose who lives in America, the family are going to immigrate to America and cousin Rose will help. But it’s expensive; her father will leave first, save money and send for Hinde. Once Hinde is in America they will both work and save up to pay for Max’s fare and once they have enough money her mother and her three younger brothers will join them.
After her father leaves for America, Hinde nervously waits months for her father’s letter to arrive and finally it does. He’s paid for her ticket to leave Lithuania; she boards a ship on her own and sets sail across the other side of the world. She’s traveling in steerage and luckily she meets another girl Rebecca they become friends and they help each other during the journey.
Both girls are worried about the medical check at Ellis Island, anyone sick isn’t allowed to enter the country and they have nothing to worry about. Father and daughter are reunited, Hinde stays with Rose, changes her name to Helen and she starts work at a factory sewing boy’s knickerbockers. By working hard eventually the entire Breakstone family is reunited, it changes their lives for the better and future generations of their family prosper in America.
Stitching a Life is based on the true story of Helen Breakstone Fein and the author Mary Helen Fein is her granddaughter. I enjoyed reading the book; it’s an uplifting story about a family immigrating to America and especially how strong and brave Helen was at only 16. The book is classed as Young Adult Fiction, it’s suitable for all ages to read and I gave it four stars.

I read about a quarter of this book, and had to give up. It is supposedly a semi-biographical novel of the authors family, and while she might have done research on her family, she absolutely did not do her research on the setting of the time.
It is supposed to take place around 1900, but the father (away in America) writes to them on "blue airmail-paper", you know, before airplanes even existed. Errors like these continue, and it completely took me out of the book and was very frustrating. It also felt like the author continuously told us, rather than showed us what was going on.
If you like history, skip it, if you don't care about history it might be OK.

A well written heartfelt novel about Helen and her family, immigrating from Lithuania one at a time, as the funds are available. Helen and her father come to America first, working hard in the garment industry to bring the rest of the family over. A good view of early century New York, and an all around good read. Recommended.

This story tells of the persecution of the Jews all over Europe and how one family in particular made their escape to a better life, the difficult choices they had to make and their success in the end. A feel-good book that I thoroughly enjoyed especially told through the eyes of someone who was there, the historical truth. Absolutely brilliant.

Based on the true story of the author's grandmother and how her family immigrated to the United States in the early 1900's.

Hinde and her family are Jews in Lithuania, oppressed by the Russian government. Her father goes to America first, later sending for her, and together they work to bring the rest of their family over.

I think that this book does a good job of showing one family's story, contrasting what they left with what they came to. I thought it interesting how often it was clarified for reader that Hinde's family were more culturally and reformed Jewish rather than Orthodox, and didn't believe the Bible as a literal text. I guess I didn't feel like I needed to be told this information so specifically more than once or twice.

This was an intriguing story, even more so in that is based on a true one. I really enjoyed the author's notes at the end telling of what happened to the family and how she fits into everything. This story in some ways seems to be written for more of a middle-grade audience, and while well researched it tends towards telling and over explaining feeling rather than showing with words. And as the story progressed I found myself skimming more often.

I received a complimentary ebook. Opinions are my own.

I loved this amazing story, We follow the eldest kid of the family, Helen, through her journey to the new world. Her family is immigrating to save her brother from being drafted into the Russian Army at the young age of 12. Her father us the first to leave their home in hope to save money and buy a ticket for Helen. We follow Helen across the ocean, she meets new friends, but most of all works very hard to be able to buy a ticket for her brother's passage. This journey will take them a few years but they will succeed.

I loved the family dynamic in this story. The uncondition love they have for one another, the faith that drives them, and the new friends Helen meets on the way. This reminds me of why I started my family tree a few years ago and I enjoyed every bit of the family history Mary Helen Fein shows us.

I kept wanting to like this book. It's about an important time in our history, a time when immigrants came to the United States in droves and dealt with many economic and cultural hardships. I tried. I really did. But I just felt like the author was busy telling, not showing. Everything seemed to work out for the first 2/3 of the book; life was difficult but Helen persevered and everything worked out. I didn't finish the book. It felt a little too sugar-coated to appeal to me.

Gentle read, very good for this unsettling time. Jewish family gradually move from Lithuania, where they were persecuted, to New York.
Helen a resourceful, capable, warm girl is the first to join her Father in New York after a horrendous ocean journey. She settles in New York, works hard to help the remainder of the family join them and settle to a better life, they are still targets of anti antisemitism but to a lesser degree. She is rewarded by finding her future husband, a progressive loyal and brave man.
Mary's description of N.Y. and its iconic landmarks are evocative, her use of Yiddish and its explanations are interesting also the traditions of the family.
This is based on a true story and all the better for that.