Polish Mother

Bravery and fierce determination are characteristics of many immigrants, yet Stella's story is uniquely adventurous. Poland under Russian oppression has become intolerable and alone, she travels across Europe, endures a third-class ocean voyage and is detained at Ellis Island where penniless, unescorted, single woman are not permitted to leave. So begins her life in America. Stella is demure, cultured and lady-like. In stark contrast, her husband is gregarious, tough and mischievous. Together, they run St. Mark's Hotel in Syracuse, New York, an eating and drinking establishment along the Erie Canal. The hotel is located in one of the busiest sections of the city, serves illegal alcohol through thirteen years of Prohibition and is profitable during ten years of the Great Depression. Stella's true nature is revealed over sixty years of motherhood amid two world wars, the freedom and subjugations of Poland, and all the joys and sorrows that come with children - nine of them. When her life comes full circle, it's a testament to those she nurtured.… (more)