To the Copper Country: Mihaela's Journey

by Barbara Carney-Coston

Overview

A young Croatian girl travels to America hoping to heal her father in 1880s northern Michigan.

In 1886, eleven-year-old Mihaela embarks on a journey from Croatia to the Keweenaw Peninsula, also known as Michigan’s Copper Country. Mihaela’s papa had made the trip two years beforehand in order to work in the copper mines so that he could send money back home, but a painful eye disease has left him vulnerable in a new land and in need of the skills of his wife, an expert healer. And so Mihaela, her mother, and two younger brothers leave their family farm in Croatia for what they assume will be a brief visit to America, only to find themselves faced with a great many challenges and a stay that will not be temporary after all.

To the Copper Country: Mihaela’s Journey is based on the family history of author Barbara Carney-Coston. Her ancestors made the voyage from Croatia to Michigan in the late nineteenth century, a time when many different groups were immigrating to the United States in search of a new life and better opportunities for their families. A common thread runs throughout the accounts of most immigrants, in terms of sacrifice, assimilation, and cultural contribution to a growing America. But Mihaela’s story is unique in that her exploration of this new land is critical to her father’s survival.

Through extensive primary source materials, family interviews, and correspondence, Carney-Coston introduces readers to an exceptional narrative of the immigrant experience. Complete with a pronunciation guide, family recipes, and a bibliography, To the Copper Country aims to highlight a lesser-known ethnic group that made up part of the great migration of the late 1800s while also identifying parallels between today’s immigrant experiences and those of the past. This book is suitable for young readers and would be an excellent tool for teaching empathy and Michigan history in the classroom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814343647
Publisher:	Wayne State University Press
Publication date:	09/11/2017
Series:	Great Lakes Books Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Barbara Carney-Coston is an award-winning media producer, writer, and educator. She began her career as a teacher and then worked in educational television, producing programs for public television, The Learning Channel and a variety of private clients. For National Geographic, she produced many web features, including one about the Underground Railroad that won a Parents’ Choice award and was designated an ALA Notable Website. She has written for Highlights for Children, Hopscotch, and Washington Parent magazines. Born in Detroit, she spent many happy summers in northern Michigan before moving to the Washington, DC, area, where she lives with her husband.

Table of Contents

Author's Note iii

Pronunciation of Names and Places v

Translations from Croatian vii

1 Distant Whistles 1

2 Reunion in Red jacket 9

3 Pasties and Chamomile 17

4 Settling In 25

5 Boardinghouse Chores 29

6 Cooking and Cleaning 35

7 Tamburica Time 41

8 New Plants and New Worries 47

9 A Trip into Town 51

10 Post Office and Rain 61

11 Into the Forest 67

12 A School Visit 71

13 Bees 75

14 Discovery 81

15 Unsettled 85

16 Povitica 89

17 Birthday News 95

Historical Images from the Copper Country 101

Family Recipes 108

Recommended Books for Young Readers 115

Annotated Bibliography 117

Image Credits 125

Acknowledgments 127

What People are Saying About This

Laurie Lanzen Harrisof Favorable Impressions and Author of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Grace

The author has retained the distinct voice of the young protagonist, Mihaela, with nuanced, believable descriptions of her changing emotional state, as well as vivid natural descriptions throughout.

Editorial Reviews

Written for young adults, this little work of fiction is based on the stories Carney-Coston heard growing up about her grandmother's emigration from Croatia to the UP. Through these entertaining chapters describing Makaela's experiences at the turn of the twentieth century, children are introduced to a number of Croatian terms and customs. Included are a few photographs of the mines, an annotated bibliography, a helpful list of additional books for young readers, and a very welcome bonus - family recipe for sarma, pasties, and povitica!

The Michigan Historical Review - Susan Eileen Paton

While To the Copper Country is written for young adults, it is equally enjoyable for adult readers.

Between the Lines (WMUK) - Zinta Aistars

Carney-Coston's immigration story and additional material - historic photos, family recipes, map and annotated bibliography - may prompt young readers to ask questions about their long-ago relatives when extended family gathers round the Thanksgiving table.

Washington Parent - Mary Quattlebaum

This is easily a top candidate for selection as one of the Michigan Notable Books of the Year [ . . . ]

Lansing State Journal - Ray Walsh

Meticulously researched and beautifully written, To the Copper Country is a compelling and uncommon immigrant story about the struggles of a Croatian farming family in an 1880s Michigan mining town. Based on the author’s ancestors, it will have readers wondering what happens next? even after they turn the last page.

columnist and feature writer for ASK Magazine for Kids - Ellen R. Braaf

This is an engaging story with nicely drawn characters, relevant historical information, and wonderful descriptions of Mihaela’s village in Croatia and her new home in Calumet.

head of children's services, Farmington Community Library–Main Library - Laura E. Scott

The author has retained the distinct voice of the young protagonist, Mihaela, with nuanced, believable descriptions of her changing emotional state, as well as vivid natural descriptions throughout.

publisher of Favorable Impressions and author of The Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Grace Grit, and Glory (Wayne State - Laurie Lanzen Harris