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    You Were There Before My Eyes: A Novel
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    You Were There Before My Eyes: A Novel
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    You Were There Before My Eyes: A Novel
    Ebook664 pages10 hours

    You Were There Before My Eyes: A Novel

    By Maria Riva

    2.5/5

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    About this ebook

    A woman leaves her Italian village and enters a new world as an immigrant in Detroit in this sweeping novel by a New York Times–bestselling author.
     
    In a small village in Italy at the turn of the twentieth century, Jane chafes at stifling routine and tradition. So when an opportunity presents itself to immigrate to America, her hunger for escape compels her to leave everything behind. Far away, in Henry Ford’s factories in Michigan, a new kind of life is taking shape, and it offers gleaming promise for Jane and her young husband. Determined to survive, and even thrive, she will find herself seeking fulfillment and building a family while navigating not just a new language and country, but a world poised on the edge of economic and social revolution, with the Great War looming on the horizon.
     
    From the chaos of Ellis Island to the melting pot of a midwestern industrial city, You Were There Before My Eyes is rich with colorful characters and vivid period details, an authentic portrait of the immigrant experience that poignantly captures the ever-evolving nature of the American dream, and “a dazzling historical saga of love, adventure, war, hardship, and discovery” (Allan Levine).
     
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPegasus Books
    Release dateOct 10, 2017
    ISBN9781504049122

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    Reviews for You Were There Before My Eyes

    2.5/5

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    • 4/5
      I don’t think I will ever forget this novel. It got off to a bit of a slow start, but the last portion more than made up for it. It begins in 1913 Italy, where we meet a young Italian girl named Giavanna. She lost her mother at a young age and feels oppressed in her small Italian village where she looks after her father.When a local boy returns to Italy from America for a visit with his family, Giavanna impulsively seizes on her chance for a way out of the stifling village to go and live in America. The boy’s name is Giavanni (nicknamed John in America) and he works as a mechanic for Henry Ford. The two marry and John takes Giavanna (now nicknamed Jane) to Michigan where they live for a few years in a boarding house with German immigrants, Hannah and Fritz. Fritz and the other male boarders all work for the Ford Motor Company and are enamored with the Model T and Henry Ford. It is during these years that the boarders all form a strong friendship that lasts throughout their lifetimes.There is much dialogue about Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company that seemed tedious at times. All of the business talk seemed to tie in with other current events from the years between 1913 up until World War II. During these years, John and Jane start a family and slowly grow to love each other. John moves up in the company, eventually being sent to Europe to help in opening more Ford plants in other countries.These were the years that Germany begins their mistreatment of the Jews and Mussolini comes into power. Life gets complicated. This last portion of the book is simply riveting, especially so because of the stories and relationships that the authordetailed throughout the earlier portion of the book.This is a great choice for history lovers and those who love historical fiction. It presents a wonderful picture of immigrant life, friendships, food and politics from the 1900’s through the early part of World War II. Many thanks to NetGalley and Pegasus Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give an honest review.
    • 1/5
      You Were There Before My Eyes is a historical novel by Maria Riva. It is 1913 in Cirie, Italy where Giovanna “Jane” Zanchetta lives. Jane has big dreams and they do not include staying in her village. Then Giovanni or John returns from America looking for a bride. John is an employee of the Ford Motor Company. When John’s first choice for a bride falls through, he is encouraged to consider Jane. They are soon wed and start their journey to Michigan. Jane discovers many new wonders along the way. She must learn English and how to run a modern household. She is grateful for the help from Hannah Geiger, John’s landlady who helps her adapt to America. After a while, John purchases them their own home. Jane must deal with regulations enforced on employees for their homes by Ford (inspectors). America enters World War I which brings its own set of challenges for Jane and her circle of friends. What is in store for Jane in the future? Read You Were There Before My Eyes to find out.You Were There Before My Eyes was not what I expected. I found the book to be too long (587 pages) and slow paced. To be blunt, it was dull, tedious and predictable. The dialogue was awkward (it was bad) and Hannah Geiger’s accent was exaggerated. There was overuse of the word “vifey” and it was a struggle at time to decipher her dialogue. It was obvious that the author did her research on Henry Ford and his company (she knew many details and included them in the story). The book seemed to be an opus to Mr. Ford. Maria Riva was overly descriptive. I did feel that the author captured what new immigrants went through upon coming to America. However, we did not need some of the minute details that she included (describe an outfit down to the buttons on it for example). We are subjected to endless pages of Jane cleaning her home, cooking, baking, doing laundry, and taking care of her children. Every holiday is described and historical event. It seemed like the author was trying to include every historical event that took place during the time period of this novel as well as the inventions (postcards, Kellogg’s cereal, Sears Roebuck and their mail order catalog). The characters are not fleshed out and given life. They were flat and there were numerous peripheral characters. The book lacked emotion and depth. It felt like the author did not connect with her own story. It is just the telling of a story (reminded me of a person who reads out loud in a monotone voice—uninspiring, bland). I finally reached the end and it felt incomplete. Unfortunately, You Were There Before My Eyes is not a book I can recommend.