Stitching a Life: An Immigration Story

by Mary Helen Fein

Overview

It's 1900, and sixteen-year-old Helen comes alone in steerage across the Atlantic from a small village in Lithuania, fleeing terrible anti-Semitism and persecution. She arrives at Ellis Island, and finds a place to live in the colorful Lower East Side of New York. She quickly finds a job in the thriving garment industry and, like millions of others who are coming to America during this time, devotes herself to bringing the rest of her family to join her in the New World, refusing to rest until her family is safe in New York.
A few at a time, Helen's family members arrive. Each goes to work with the same fervor she has and contributes everything to bringing over their remaining beloved family members in a chain of migration. Helen meanwhile, makes friends and—once the whole family is safe in New York—falls in love with a man who introduces her to a different New York—a New York of wonder, beauty, and possibility.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781631526787
Publisher:	She Writes Press
Publication date:	07/30/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Mary Helen Fein was born in New York City, in 1943. She attended schools in New York and began writing at the age of twelve when her mother died. Writing has ever since been an important part of her life, a way to understand and process life's events. Mary Helen holds a BA in English literature from Temple University and an MS in computer science engineering from the University of Pennsylvania; she also studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, America's oldest art school, for two years. Today she lives in Northern California, where she owns her own website design company, writes, paints, and teaches Insight meditation. In 2014, she published her first novel, Loss of Deliverance—the story of a young woman's adventures in the drug trade during the 1960s.

Editorial Reviews

In this YA novel, a young Jewish woman and her family flee persecution and seek a better life in the bustle of turn-of-the-century Manhattan. A pleasant read.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Stitching a Life is a passionate retelling of one woman’s journey.”
—Readers' Favorite, 5/5 stars

“A young adult audience will be drawn to the strong-willed Helen and the obstacles she has to overcome. This novel will also appeal to those interested in the diverse cultural make-up of North America and the early New York garment trade.”
—Historical Novel Society

“The heroine of this story is my grandmother as well as the author’s. For years I wondered about her life in Lithuania as a young girl, about her brave journey to America on her own, what her life was like when she got here, and how she met my grandfather. To my shame I never asked her about any of these things. But Mary Helen Fein has brought them all to life for me in wonderful, vivid colors, and now I see her as the young woman who eventually became my beloved old Nana.”
—Julian Barry, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Lenny and many other films

“ . . . a perfect introduction to Historical Fiction (in particular the topic of the Jews, WWI and WWII) for children and adults alike! . . . focused on the bravery and the incredible things lots of people achieved.”
—The Book Mermaids

“This heartfelt immigration story is far more that the story of a single family. It is the story of America and the birth of what became The American Dream for so many immigrants from all over the world. Mary Helen Fein renders this very big story by showing us the small moments of a family who sought refuge from oppression in the arms of a new and welcoming country. Touching, inspiring, and timely, this story stirs patriotism of the most intimate kind and reminds us of the deepest ideals and of this country.”
—Betsy Graziani Fasbinder, author of Fire & Water and Filling Her Shoes

From the Publisher

2020-03-20
In this YA novel, a young Jewish woman and her family flee persecution and seek a better life in the bustle of turn-of-the-century Manhattan.

It’s the dawn of the 20th century, and by Russian imperial decree, all Jewish boys are forcibly drafted into the military at age 12—an edict that ruins lives and rips apart families. Hinde Breakstone, a teenage Lithuanian girl, is a member of one of those families, whose brother Max has only narrowly avoided conscription. After too many close calls, and with three more boys destined for military indenture, Hinde’s parents decide to move the family to the United States; Hinde’s father goes first and Hinde follows, in order to make enough money to bring the rest of the family over. After an arduous voyage, Hinde gets her first sight of Lady Liberty, and the idealistic and industrious girl renames herself “Helen” to embrace her new American identity. What follows are accounts of the protagonist’s years of diligent work as she acclimates to exciting new places, people, and concepts that were previously alien to her. Fein’s account of Helen’s story comes across as the archetypal immigrant experience: She finds a community, falls in love, and ultimately builds a life of prosperity and promise. It’s a sweet narrative, based on the real life of the author’s grandmother. However, it suffers from a lack of tension and conflict, even during incidents involving anti-Semitism, which should be harrowing. Helen is certainly an admirable character, but her struggles, as written, never feel palpable, as they’re easily and quickly resolved. The simple writing style often feels repetitive and saccharine, making the turning points in the main character’s life feel less powerful than they could have been.

A pleasant read, but more nuanced prose might have made it more compelling.

Kirkus Reviews