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One of the fascinating aspects of American coming-of-age stories is their inherent diversity due to the wide range of cultures that make up the nation's population. Authors like Amy Tan have given readers a taste of what growing up is sometimes like for Asian-Americans, while writers like Harper Lee and Olive Ann Burns have explored a similar theme for white children in the South. In a similar vein, Moses focuses her attention on what life might have been like for a young, Polish Catholic girl living in upstate New York near the end of the Depression in a novel that is both rich with characterization and alive with its sense of place and atmosphere.
The book begins when Joanna Ludak is in fifth grade and faced with the mysterious and seemingly capricious actions of nuns, the unwelcome attention of boys, and the struggles of her father as he worries about keeping his job at the Thompsonville factory. As a protagonist she is instantly likeable, and the reader easily lives her life vicariously as she moves through the war years and beyond while dealing with typical school issues such as bullying, a boyfriend, and the complexity of friendships. But this is more than a tale about a young girl moving toward womanhood. It is also an often painful look at prejudice and the hardships of Joanna's parents as they try to survive and provide for their family in a frequently hostile social and economic climate.
Moses has crafted a well-written novel that explores some of the joys and difficulties that many Polish Catholic families living in largely protestant communities encountered during the middle of the last century. Filled with cultural insights, realistic characters, and a descriptive, literary style, this poignant tale is well worth reading.