You Were There Before My Eyes
A Novel
by Maria Riva
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Pub Date Oct 10 2017 | Archive Date Sep 30 2017
Description
A Note From the Publisher
LibraryReads nominations due 8/20.
Advance Praise
“A bravura performance by an author with a discerning eye, a faultless ear, and a warm heart. Maria Riva’s winning prose paints a vivid portrait of the golden age of Henry Ford’s automobile empire through the lives of his immigrant workers. Filled with nonstop action, a wealth of historical detail grounds strong personal narratives and the rousing drama of America’s Melting Pot generation. Never less than captivating. ” - Mary Glickman, National Jewish Book Award Finalist, author of One More River
“A dazzling historical saga of love, adventure, war, hardship and discovery. Riva transporters her readers back to 1913 and the turbulent decades that follow. She skillfully weaves the story of the newcomers’ experiences against a vivid backdrop in which rigid old world traditions clash with ideas about progress, good and bad, in a poignant chronicle that teems with exceptional attention to detail and a fascinating array of characters.” - Allan Levine, award-winning author of Fugitives in the Forest
“This poignant, richly-detailed story will surprise you again and again, moving deftly from themes of immigration, industrialization, and two World Wars to intimate reflections on the meaning of love and the evolution of a marriage. In the process of growing up, these characters stay stubbornly, bravely, true to whom they have always been.” - Sharman Apt Russell, winner of the John Burroughs Medal and Puschart Prize
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781681775074 |
| PRICE | $25.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 448 |
Featured Reviews
Kathy N, Reviewer
The story begins, "The morning her mother died, Giovanna gave up on God." An only child, raised by a remote father and disciplined by the nuns in a quiet turn-of-the-century Italian village, Giovanna is determined to escape the inevitable future planned for her. When the brother of a friend returns to the village to choose a wife with certain qualities for a perfect marriage. When his chosen fiance turns him down, Giovanna volunteers to marry Giovanni and travel with him to America to start a new life as his wife.
Nothing prepares Giovanna for Ellis Island and the train journey to Detroit where her new husband works in the Ford factories. Renaming themselves, Jane and John, they are determined to fit into life in their new neighborhood and the culture surrounding employment in the Ford factory. Henry Ford has strong opinions about how his employees should behave and rewards those who are married. It is 1913 and the factory is installing the first assembly line to produce the Model T. John, a leader among his immigrant friends at the factory, is optimistic about the many opportunities available by working at the plant. Jane is determined to be a good wife to John and to make him proud of her, even if the many norms and customs in America are strange to her. With the advent of World War I, their world becomes one of suspicion, loss, and betrayal.
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