I've been working on a book and thought I'd tease you a bit today with a few of the opening paragraphs - enjoy! (your feedback is welcome)
~Crystal
A story about the power of love
and a positive attitude – ANYTHING is possible with a dream!
“Why are you always smiling?” people often ask, and I’ll
tell them a bit of the truth, but the whole truth is a long answer filled with
a menagerie of stories, characters, places, and challenges that ultimately
boils down to the power of a love, a positive attitude, and a desire to succeed
no matter what the cost.
I.
Strength
and Dedication
Between 1880 and 1930, more than 27 million people made the
journey from around the world to Ellis Island. Some were looking for work in
the United States; others were trying to escape the unrest in their own country.
Jeanne Maurice boarded the LaTouraine steamship at the Havre with less than
$100 and the clothes on her back. She was determined to leave Paris and her
past behind her; knowing she would never see her family again, she put a
determined foot forwarded and walked away from everything she knew. One of
nearly 2,000 passengers following their dreams, she wasn’t even 18 years old
yet, and wasn’t sure what she was getting herself into. She knew that the
economy in France wasn’t improving and this was her chance at a brighter
future. She arrived at Ellis Island on January 6th.
Jeanne worked her way from Ellis Island to the French
friendly towns we now call the quad cities in Minnesota. She was comfortable
there, and found others who spoke French or French-Canadian which made things
much easier as she hadn’t mastered much English. She worked hard taking odd
jobs sewing, harvesting, and laboring in whatever factory would give her work.
The working conditions were not ideal, especially for a young woman. She looked
forward to going to work at the factory where the handsome dark-haired man kept
watch at the gate. She was excited when she learned that he was also an
immigrant who spoke very little English but whose French was fluent and as
lovely as the breeze on a warm summer day. His name was even music to her ears
– Felix Casavant…almost as lovely as those dark eyes with so many stories left
untold. Felix and Jeanne quickly fell in love, married, and started a family of
their own.
Felix had a desire to provide a better life for his family,
but immigrants received far less in wages than US Citizens. He moved his two
young children and his lovely wife to Wisconsin and claimed Minnesota as his
home-town. He wasn’t sure how long people would believe his story, but he kept
as quiet as possible so no one would notice his broken English and French accent.
Felix continued to work in security positions and Jeanne worked when she could
between children; by the beginning of 1930 their love had produced four beautiful
children – two boys and two girls. The couple purchased a modest home on the
East Twin River in Two Rivers, Wisconsin where they lived amongst other
immigrants on a cobblestone street within walking distance of Lake Michigan.
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