Eternal Memory

by Ann Walko

A heart-warming and humorous tale of triumph and survival. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1563151677
• ISBN13: 9781563151675
• Release Date: December 1999
• Publisher: Sterlinghouse Publisher
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.49 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Delightful stories of ethnic life long ago

Ann Walko is in her 90's and writes stories from her childhood growing up with immigrant parents in western Pennsylvania. The memories take place in the period just before, during and after the First World War. Her family came from the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. She calls them "Pod Karpacki Rus", but they are now known as Ruthenians, or Rusyns. The stories are told from a child's point of view. We see things as young Ann sees them growing up in a house full of male boarders who were all born and raised in a far off land. The stories show how she changes as she goes to school with native-born Americans and quickly becomes more adjusted to life in this country than her parents' generation. As the book progresses her pride in her family becomes mixed with embarrassment at their language and behavior. Rusyn phrases are scattered throughout the book, and at the end of the book there are eleven pages of Rusyn recipes. This is a delightful book that will be enjoyed by anyone whose grandparents or great-grandparents came from the Carpathian Mountains. It will also be of interest to people studying the social life and customs of immigrant communities in the early 20th century.

A Shared Memory

This memoir, written by a 91 year-old woman who grew up in an extended family of Carpatho Rusyn immigrants living in Pittsburg, is a warm and readable story. For those who share a common Carpatho Rusyn culture, for those who experienced the richness of living with other American immigrant groups, and for those who missed the experience altogether, this book can take you back to another place and time where you can taste the food (there are recipes at the end of the book), hear the music, and touch the fabric of a world that is now just a memory.