"With her back defiantly against the wall of the crowded kitchen,
sixteen year old Hannah Schreissmiller
looked through tear-blurred eyes at Fritz."
sixteen year old Hannah Schreissmiller
looked through tear-blurred eyes at Fritz."
What strikes me most about this first sentence is how precisely it describes and foreshadows the life of the lead character, Hannah Schreissmiller.
Second Hoeing by Hope William Sykes was first published in 1935. After seventy-six years, this story still tugs at your heart. Hannah and her family grapple in the Colorado beet fields for sustenance and acceptance. She struggles to survive despite her internal conflict to leave her family and her external conflict with her father. As a first generation German from Russia, Hannah's back is against the wall during much more than the first sentence.
Her inner strength and defiance spur conflicts between generations, fellow immigrants and neighbors. Despite its seemingly simple plot line, Second Hoeing is filled with memorable characters who create generation and immigration clashes on each page. While it was written about Germans from Russia, the themes are universal.
Ah, the courage and stamina it takes to assimilate in a new country. Something we cannot take for granted today. Will Hannah's back be against the wall for her entire life? Read it for yourself. I guarantee you will not regret the time you spend to get to the last sentence of this book.
You are right. That first sentence draws you into the story. The image of "having her back against the wall" is both real and metaphorical. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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