Charles Stern

Determined Dora: a Historical Novel with a Timely Message Charles Stern

Leaving behind her parents and siblings in Poland, teenager Dora Waldman crosses the Atlantic to the United States in 1914. She can't wait to fulfill her dreams in this great nation, but she's unprepared for the reality of an immigrant's life. Settling in the Lower East Side of New York City, Dora yearns to have an education, and she attends night courses at the Settlement House, a school designed specifically to help immigrants adjust to living in a new country. She learns how to sew, finds a job at a dress factory, and becomes an excellent seamstress. Dora's hardworking, positive attitude quickly earns her the respect of friends and co-workers. She progresses from the Settlement House to a successful career, encouraged by the love and support of her proxy parents, and the men who seek her hand in marriage. Relive the American era from 1914 to 1920, a time when women threw off the yoke of oppression and embraced their true potential. Full of warmth, humor, and loyalty, Determined Dora is an engaging story of one woman's resolve to overcome her obstacles and build a bright new future.