|
|
|
|
SEE THE NEWS SECTION FOR RECENT BOOK REVIEWS (including the recent review in the Summer 2002 issue of the Western Pennsylvania Historical Society Magazine) AND OTHER ARTICLES ABOUT THE BOOK! Three Slovak Women is an autobiographical/historical account of three generations of Slovak women (my grandmother, my mother, and me) living in the same steeltown of Duquesne, Pennsylvania. Three Slovak Women was first published in January 2001 as an E-book by Steel Press Publishing, West Mifflin, PA. See the Book section for ordering and pricing information. A soft cover version, published by Gateway Press, Baltimore, MD, is now available. Please check this site periodically for information on future availability and pricing.
Three Slovak Women Women is a nonfiction account of three generations of Slovak women in the steeltown of Duquesne, Pennsylvania and the love and sense of family binding them together. The book opens with Verona Straka, who immigrated to the United States from the tiny village of Milpos in Slovakia in 1922, and chronicles the journey from her homeland, her arranged marriage to Janos Figlyar, a hardworking, but stern Rusyn coal miner/steelworker, whose fondness for alcohol led him to the often violent outbursts of which she was the target, through her struggles to raise her seven children during the Depression. The story then follows Verona’s first-born, her daughter Anna, as she grows up Slovak-American, fearful of her father and devoted to her mother, and how this influenced the choices she made for her own life. Finally, the story ends with Verona’s granddaughter, Lisa, showing how the opportunities presented to her differed from those afforded her mother and grandmother, with reflection on family values and traditions of the Slovak culture—praising those that have been passed down from the previous two generations, while lamenting what has been lost. To read a sample chapter, click on the "sample chapter" link to the right of this page. An excerpt of this manuscript will appear in Rocenka, the Yearbook of the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society.
Author's ProfileLisa Alzo was born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania and raised in the town of Duquesne. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Nonfiction Writing from the University of Pittsburgh in 1997, and spent six years researching her family history for "Three Slovak Women." She has worked as a features reporter and editorial assistant. A part-time computer applications consultant, she has taught computer applications and writing courses at six institutions in the Finger Lakes Region of Central New York for over three years. Lisa has been an invited speaker for several genealogical and historical societies. She is currently working on her second book. For more details on her background and courses taught, click the link to the "Author's Background" section. Contact InformationLisa would love to receive feedback regarding her book. Please note that while she will try her best to reply to all inquiries and comments in a timely fashion.
|
|
Send mail to tswbook@hotmail.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
|
