IMMIGRANT DAUGHTER
A monument to poverty
by
Book Details
About the Book
Many of us come from poor immigrant farm families and can identify with
Tina’s story. Yet each story is different. Tina’s stunning story takes you
at a fast clip from the early migrations of her Mennonite people from
The Netherlands to Prussia to Ukraine. Her parents were born toward the end
of the 19th Century in Czarist Russia, just in time to witness World War I, the
1917 Bolshevik Revolution in St. Petersburg, the Civil War that followed, and
the reign of Lenin. For most of those years in their Ukrainian village the Klassen
family prospered. The collectivization and purges of Stalin followed the Klassen’s
emigration from Russia to Canada in 1925. Canada is the setting for Tina’s birth
and life. See how the everyday chores, child’s play, schooling, and Tina’s curiosity
intersect with her family’s struggle for survival in this foreign land. The cultural
and natural environment was not always friendly. Drought, dustbowl, the Great
Depression, learning a new language and customs all took their toll. Although
they were dirt poor, you will be impressed with her family’s indomitable spirit
and fortitude. Tina is imbued with this spirit and ethic as she prepares herself
for independence and service. Achievements and progress are rooted in humble
beginnings. Tina remembers from whence she came.
About the Author
Finally, I enjoy collecting and recording data. I recognize that some of the story is sad. War and Revolution play havoc in innocent people's lives. Poverty is cruel. But is there not some sadness in every person's life if he/she is honest enough to tell it? The joyful part of life is that God is the author of our lives. The faith of our fathers and mothers is also evident throughout the whole story. My story stands in a long tradition. I quote from Psalm 78, “I will utter things hidden from of old, things we have heard and known, things our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children. We will tell the next generation.” In 1997 I finished my amateur production and in 2010-2011, I revised the story for publication.