Reviewed in Polish American Journal

Florence Waszkelewicz Clowes, MLIS

As part of the Polish and Polish-American Studies Series, Majewski has provided a highly commendable picture of Polish Immigrant literature. She has chosen to concentrate on novels and stories written by Polish immigrant authors and published Polish in the United States between 1881 and 1939.

The works have been hard to find and she received help from numerous sources: Universities, the Warsaw Polish National Archives, the Polish American Historical Association as well as librarians, professors, and authors.

Early writings dealt with situations the immigrants faced in becoming adjusted to a new land and new mores. Moral, religious, and romantic stories helped the immigrants find meaning in their working-class lives. Keeping their national identity, marriage without regional or class boundaries, opportunities for education and social contacts that Americanization offered immigrants were explored.

With the second generation of immigrants, romantic adventures seduced by materialism and social independence, betrayal within the family, a loss of “Polishness,” not reading the Polish papers, giving up sausage for chop suey or becoming an agent of the law was seen as betrayal to their country.

A chapter on the successful Polish press and publishing houses in the early 1900s helped encourage the reading habits of the immigrants. Representatives often went into the neighborhoods selling their books and magazines.

Profiles of many of the immigrant authors and publishers, as well as strategies used in recovering the Polish immigrant writings, are also included.

The bibliography, sources, notes, and index will be a treasure for scholars and researchers alike.

Karen Majewski is an associate professor of Polish and East Central European Studies at St. Mary’s College of Ave Maria University in Orchard Lake, Michigan.

Polish American Journal