Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

A life well lived and a solid example of someone who attained the so-called American Dream.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I'm so glad that she wrote it for her children and grandchildren.

Note: Ironically, LinkedIn will not link so I posted it there on its own.

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
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Included in the curriculum of the WF West High School in Chehalis, WA

On August 4, 1940, the Seattle Times featured a photo of a toddler sitting on a dock, surrounded by suitcases and looking dazed. After a harrowing journey with her parents, she’d just stepped off a boat and into her new life in America. Barbara Sommer Feigin was that little girl.

Over seventy years later, Feigin made a stunning discovery: her Jewish father had kept a detailed journal that chronicled their family’s escape from Nazi Germany. Her parents had never spoken of it, and she remembered nothing of their terrifying, death-defying passage three-quarters of the way around the world—from Berlin to Seattle by way of Lithuania, Russia, China, Korea, and Japan before crossing the Pacific.

Featuring three intertwining narratives, My American Dream is a memoir of resilience, grit, and grace. Feigin tells of her life as a young German-speaking refugee living in a small Washington town and yearning to become an “authentic” American. She details how she became a trailblazing executive in the advertising business in New York City—a completely male-dominated business in the 1960s—rising from the ranks and ultimately securing a seat in the executive boardroom. A devoted wife and mom of three sons (including one set of twins), she spent twenty-five years as a caregiver for her husband, who suffered two serious strokes and remained fiercely committed to building strong family bonds during turbulent times.

Despite overwhelming odds, her parents’ gruelling journey to America has fueled Feigin’s lifelong resolve to dream big, work hard, and never quit. My American Dream is an inspiring tale of love, dedication, and how uncovering the past and preserving history can inform your identity.

A great autobiography of a strong and competent woman who grabbed the American Dream and ran with it Well written and I love that it is required reading in her small town's highschool curriculum. Enjoyable by casual readers and book clubs - highly recommended. #shotrbutsweetreviews

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