Prohibition Wine

“[A]n important and informative story about Eastern European Jewish immigrants of the era. An often engaging and atypical historical biography.”―Kirkus Reviews

“Prohibition Wine is Marian Leah Knapp’s compact, elegant biography of her grandmother, an immigrant who forayed in bootlegging.”―Foreword Review

“Through interviews, family histories, dogged combing of records, and even visits to cemeteries, Knapp has reconstructed the hardscrabble life of an immigrant grandmother she never knew. But if you're looking for a poignant tale of a modest Jewish matron contentedly sewing piece goods in a tenement workshop, look elsewhere. Rebecca Wernick Goldberg, widowed early and responsible for the care of six children, was above all else a survivor, and the story of how she built an illegal business in rural New England, outwitted the authorities, and kept her family together is nothing short of inspirational.”―Scott D. Seligman award-winning writer, historian, and author of The Great Kosher Meat War of 1902: Immigrant Housewives and the Riots That Shook New York City

“This is a stunning story of the trials, tribulations, tragedies, and triumphs of a Jewish immigrant, the indefatigable Rebecca Wernick Goldberg, and her survival financed in part by a self-generated clandestine enterprise, making and bootlegging wine in Massachusetts during the days of Prohibition.”―Peter I. Rose, author and Sophia Smith Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Anthropology, Smith College

“’Ma knows best,’ Rebecca, an immigrant from Lithuania, tells her sons. These three words sum up the strength and determination with which she supports and steers her family through disastrous challenges and losses to ultimate success. Her powerful story recalls the ingenuity and sheer grit with which many of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers–– immigrants, widows, women who birthed and buried countless babies, women who faced poverty and discrimination––held the world together for future generations. A timely reminder.”―Hendrika de Vries, author of When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew

“‘In many ways, Rebecca Goldberg wasn't unusual,’ Marian Knapp writes in Prohibition Wine, her brief, poignant biography of her extraordinary grandmother. But of course Rebecca Goldberg was unusual, or there would be no reason to read this engrossing tale. This is a fun, short book proving that, if America isn't the greatest country ever, it is certainly one of the most quixotic, and interesting. Well done!”―Alex Beam, retired columnist for the Boston Globe and author of Broken Glass: Mies Van der Rohe, Edith Farnsworth, and the Fight over a Modernist Masterpiece

“As a feminist and aging activist, I found Prohibition Wine compelling. This book highlights the importance of giving voice to women’s stories as part of American history. It is relevant today as current generations of immigrant women rise up to the challenges of life. It touches the lives of all of us across multiple generations as we all cope with the pandemic challenges. Prohibition Wine is powerful narrative and inspiring read!”―Joan Ditzion, LICSW, co-founder of Our Bodies Ourselves and co-author of all nine editions of Our Bodies, Ourselves; Ourselves And Our Children; and Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause

“We first meet a feisty teenaged Rebecca Goldberg fleeing a Cossack and later as a young widow who became a bootlegger. Hats off to Marian Knapp for uncovering this powerful story of her grandmother and sharing it with us!”―Pamela S. Nadell, author, Director of the Jewish Studies Program and Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women’s & Gender History at American University

“Marian Knapp's reconstruction of Rebecca Goldberg's life―as a Jewish immigrant, a struggling widow and mother, and a Prohibition-era bootlegger―both confirms and confounds our preconceived notions of the history of American Jewish women. This little book goes deep into the archives, telling a story that heightens our understanding of the past and our empathy for those who lived through it.”―Marni Davis, author of Jews and Booze and Associate Professor, Georgia State University