Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash tells the tale of seven characters - many of them immigrants- in turn of the 20th Century Pennsylvania dealing with horrid work conditions, poverty vs privilege, and coping with mental and physical health conditions in those days.


Overall, the story was good. However it loses a star for me because it was difficult to get into due to the various formatting issues that I hope is only due to my having a copy from NetGalley.

I was given an ARC of this novel by NetGalley to read in exchange for a fair and honest review. This book takes place in the early 1900s. It is about the immigrant experience in and around Pittsburgh. It describes what it was like to work in the steel mills and coal mines during that time period. It is told in different POVs. Which for me either works well or doesn't. In this case, it worked very well. It presents a cohesive story. I also found the subject matter of the women during that time fascinating. What choices they did and did not have. What they thought they had to do to help their families get by. It also touches on the subject of postpartum depression which at the time they of course had no idea what it was. I highly recommend this book and look forward to more from this author!!!!

I was very impressed with a book that touched on mental illness and infertility during a time period when those things weren’t discussed at all. And it drew me in from the first page as well!
Well written historical romance and I’ll definitely keep an eye out for future books!


*advanced reader copy from NetGalley

This novel follows the journey of Janos and Karina and their family in a town full of steel mill workers. They both want out of the town that did not give them as much promise as they had hoped but both have very different plans to make them happy. One chooses family while the other chooses themselves. Their decisions have lasting consequences for their children who must adjust to so many changes and rejection.

The first half of his book was pretty slow. It picked up though and had so many unexpected twists.

#BeneaththeVeilofSmokeandAsh #NetGalley #Bookreview #bookreviewer #historicalfiction #steelmill #industrialamerica #immigrants

“Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash,” a debut novel by Ms. Pasterick, is told from multiple perspectives. The reader follows the Kovac family (and supporting characters), who are immigrants working to survive in America, hoping to find that mythical American dream. This book covers their struggles, hopes, loves, conflicts, and tragedies along with the strength of bonds of both family and friends.

Ms. Pasterick has done her research regarding working conditions in both steel mills and mines of the time - and has done a wonderful job describing those horrible conditions. Where this book differs from most family dramas of this time period is that the topics of mental illness and infertility are addressed. Ms. Pasterick wrote about both of these topics in a way to make the reader empathize with the characters, though I also recommend reading her Author’s Note for more information about both of these topics. I felt that the decision about one character’s care was pretty realistic for the time; I also felt that one character’s lack of caring was also very realistic. As a note, I liked a brief exchange about Nellie Bly’s investigative reporting about Blackwell Island (an asylum). While one character was correct about the report being 30 years ago and “surely things have changed,” the other character was probably correct in saying that nothing really had changed.

I found the ending a bit predictable, and a bit sudden, though that didn’t dampen my enjoyment of the book. The open-ended ending I did find a bit bothersome, but I do like historical fiction books neatly wrapped up. I wish that Anna had had a larger role - or maybe been more fleshed out. On the whole, though, I rate this book a solid 4 stars. It’s a quick read and grabbed my interest pretty quickly - plus some of the small touches (especially about the importance of the canary and the love for the mule) helped make the story more real.

My grandfather was a immigrant who came to this county around 1910 or so at a very young age. He started working in the coal mines of Western Pennsylvania around the age of 10. Those times were not talked about so reading this book gave me a great idea of what life was like for him when he first arrived in America. Later he moved from the mines to working in one of the steel mills as did his sons and my husband also before they all shut down.
I enjoyed the story of Janos, Sophie and Karina. It is well researched, describing conditions that at times are truly appalling. Their life was extremely difficult and seemed very discouraging with no opportunity to get ahead. I can almost see why Karina was dreaming of things out of her reach. Wanting all the finer things in life. Her way of attaining such a life style was way off base and totally unacceptable but I can see why she longed for something different.
This story shows us not only the plight of the immigrant worker in the early 1900s, but also the effect of unrecognized and untreated mental illness on these families.
The secondary character of Edith provides the reader with a great sub-plot, exploring the then unknown illnesses that manifested themselves in Edith's various symptoms.
And through all the trials, dangerous work conditions, physical and mental illnesses, there runs a vein of hope, strength and familial love. A good, full, informative look at a somewhat overlooked period in our history, I highly recommend this story. Publishes September 21, 2021.
Thank you to She Writes Press and Net Galley for the free ARC of this novel, I am providing my honest review in return.

Beneath the veil of smoke and Ash is an emotional rollercoaster of hope, happiness, love, anger, desperation and sadness. It is definitely worth reading it.

This one snuck up on me. I wasn't too interested in the subject matter, but decided to give it a go - and I am so glad I did. The complexity of this novel, the many differing points of view, the deep research the author did, and the wonderful story telling and phrasing of sentences, paragraphs, pages all combined to make a complex, fully engaging novel. I couldn't put it down!

Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash is told from multiple characters’ points of view and highlights the immigrant experience during the Gilded Age, shedding light on the miserable conditions of the steel mill factories and coal mines.

While the Kovac family is at the center of this novel chasing the American Dream, there are many other characters that play a supporting role in the story. The author delivers a timeless message about mental illness, and the lasting impact on one’s family. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Told from several different characters’ points of view, Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash highlights the immigrant experience at the turn of the century, during the Gilded Age when railroads where being laid across the country and steel tycoons were getting rich at the expense of the laborers working in atrocious conditions.

The Kovac family and a few others are the focus of this American Dream story. Like many other Eastern Europeans, they left Austria-Hungary for a better life settling in the Pittsburg area, taking advantage of steel jobs available to them despite the language barrier.

Janos Kovac, the head of their household, worked for over ten years in front of a hot forge where steel was formed, and after witnessing a particularly heinous accident, decided it was time for a safer job even if it meant a pay cut. He was less concerned about the impact since his wife was a housekeeper in a much nicer part of town and helped augment their finances. Little did the family know, this accident would trigger a total shift in their future.

I found this book very well researched, and the characters were both interesting and robust. There were so many points of view, and I thought I would be annoyed by that, but instead found myself further drawn into the story because of the many perspectives on their social, financial, and familial situations. Sofie was a particular favorite of mine, her feelings about her family were raw and real. I only wish Anna had a larger role. I also appreciate the author not shying away from mental illness, showing how it can deeply affect an individual, a family, and a community.

Out on September 21st, Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash is one to add to your TBR pile! Thank you to Netgalley, She Writes Press, and of course Tammy Pasterick for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Pittsburgh, 1910. It's a story of immigrants working nearly hopeless and miserable conditions in the steel factories and coal mines. The manner of describing the way of life was good but the characters seemed bland.

3☆

This family saga will drawn you in immediately. A story of immigrants working under miserable conditions in coal mines, etc, will show the reader what early immigrants endured and their contributions to this country. Very will detailed, its very obvious how much the author researched this topic. An enjoyable read that I will recommend.