Prohibition Wine

A True Story of One Woman's Daring in Twentieth-Century America

Prohibition Wine
Marian Leah Knapp
RRP:
NZ$ 36.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 31.44
Paperback
h203 x 127mm - 144pg
10 Jun 2021 US
International import eta 7-19 days
9781647420611
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order
In 1918, Rebecca Goldberg-a Jewish immigrant from the Russian Empire living in rural Wilmington, Massachusetts-lost her husband, Nathan, to a railroad accident, a tragedy that left her alone with six children to raise. To support the family after Nathan' s death, Rebecca continued work she' d done for years: keeping chickens. Once or twice a week, with a suitcase full of fresh eggs in one hand and a child in the other, she delivered her product to relatives and friends in and around Boston. Then, in 1920-right at the start of Prohibition-one of Rebecca' s customers suggested that she start selling alcoholic beverages in addition to her eggs to add to her meagre income. He would provide his homemade raw alcohol; Rebecca would turn it into something drinkable and sell it to new customers in Wilmington. Desperate to feed her family and keep them together, and determined to make sure her kids would all graduate from high school, Rebecca agreed-making herself a wary participant in the illegal alcohol trade. Rebecca' s business grew slowly and surreptitiously until 1925, when she was caught and summoned to appear before a judge. Fortunately for her, the chief of police was one of her customers, and when he spoke highly of her character before the court, all charges were dropped. Her case made headline news-and she made history.
"Knapp' s (Aging in Places, 2014) latest project reads like the makings of a movie. . . " -Booklist "[A]n important and informative story about Eastern European Jewish immigrants of the era. An often engaging and atypical historical biography. " -Kirkus Reviews "Prohibition Wine is Marian Leah Knapp' s compact, elegant biography of her grandmother, an immigrant who forayed in bootlegging. " -Foreword Review "Through interviews, family histories, dogged combing of records, and even visits to cemeteries, Knapp has reconstructed the hardscrabble life of an immigrant grandmother she never knew. But if you' re looking for a poignant tale of a modest Jewish matron contentedly sewing piece goods in a tenement workshop, look elsewhere. Rebecca Wernick Goldberg, widowed early and responsible for the care of six children, was above all else a survivor, and the story of how she built an illegal business in rural New England, outwitted the authorities, and kept her family together is nothing short of inspirational. " -Scott D. Seligman award-winning writer, historian, and author of The Great Kosher Meat War of 1902: Immigrant Housewives and the Riots That Shook New York City "This is a stunning story of the trials, tribulations, tragedies, and triumphs of a Jewish immigrant, the indefatigable Rebecca Wernick Goldberg, and her survival financed in part by a self-generated clandestine enterprise, making and bootlegging wine in Massachusetts during the days of Prohibition. " -Peter I. Rose, author and Sophia Smith Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Anthropology, Smith College "' Ma knows best,' Rebecca, an immigrant from Lithuania, tells her sons. These three words sum up the strength and determination with which she supports and steers her family through disastrous challenges and losses to ultimate success. Her powerful story recalls the ingenuity and sheer grit with which many of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers-- immigrants, widows, women who birthed and buried countless babies, women who faced poverty and discrimination--held the world together for future generations. A timely reminder. " -Hendrika de Vries, author of When a Toy Dog Became a Wolf and the Moon Broke Curfew "' In many ways, Rebecca Goldberg wasn' t unusual,' Marian Knapp writes in Prohibition Wine, her brief, poignant biography of her extraordinary grandmother. But of course Rebecca Goldberg was unusual, or there would be no reason to read this engrossing tale. This is a fun, short book proving that, if America isn' t the greatest country ever, it is certainly one of the most quixotic, and interesting. Well done!" -Alex Beam, retired columnist for the Boston Globe and author of Broken Glass: Mies Van der Rohe, Edith Farnsworth, and the Fight over a Modernist Masterpiece "As a feminist and aging activist, I found Prohibition Wine compelling. This book highlights the importance of giving voice to women' s stories as part of American history. It is relevant today as current generations of immigrant women rise up to the challenges of life. It touches the lives of all of us across multiple generations as we all cope with the pandemic challenges. Prohibition Wine is powerful narrative and inspiring read!" -Joan Ditzion, LICSW, co-founder of Our Bodies Ourselves and co-author of all nine editions of Our Bodies, Ourselves; Ourselves And Our Children; and Our Bodies, Ourselves: Menopause "We first meet a feisty teenaged Rebecca Goldberg fleeing a Cossack and later as a young widow who became a bootlegger. Hats off to Marian Knapp for uncovering this powerful story of her grandmother and sharing it with us!" -Pamela S. Nadell, author, Director of the Jewish Studies Program and Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women' s & Gender History at American University "Marian Knapp' s reconstruction of Rebecca Goldberg' s life-as a Jewish immigrant, a struggling widow and mother, and a Prohibition-era bootlegger-both confirms and confounds our preconceived notions of the history of American Jewish women. This little book goes deep into the archives, telling a story that heightens our understanding of the past and our empathy for those who lived through it. " -Marni Davis, author of Jews and Booze and Associate Professor, Georgia State University
Marian Leah Knapp is a writer and community activist. Her previously published books include Aging in Places: Reflective Preparation for the Future, A Steadfast Spirit: The Essence of Caregiving, and, with Vivien Goldman, The Outermost Cape: Encountering Time. For more than ten years, she has written a regular column for the Newton TAB. When Marian was sixty-four years old, she went back to school to obtain a PhD. She passed her dissertation defense right before her seventieth birthday. Marian lives in Chestnut Hill, MA.
Status: No local stock, title imported to order
ISBN-13: 9781647420611
Published: 10 Jun 2021
Published In: United States
Imprint: She Writes Press
Publisher: She Writes Press
Format: Paperback
Height: 203mm
Width: 127mm
Pages: 144

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