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Swimming in the Moon
From the author of When We Were Strangers comes a uniquely American story-a tale of deep, shifting ties between a determined daughter and her gifted, wounded mother in the early 1900s, framed by bitter union strikes, the thrill of vaudeville and a young woman's struggle to find her place
Lucia D'Angelo's voice is nothing like her mother's. She's no nightingale with the gorgeous tones, tender and passionate, peaking and plummeting as dramatically as her moods. Yet in the rough world she's chosen, Lucia's words may truly change lives.
In 1904, fourteen-year-old Lucia and her young mother Teresa are servants in a count's lush villa on the Bay of Naples. Between scrubbing floors and polishing silver, Teresa soothes the unhappy countess with song until one morning's calamity hurls mother and daughter to America, exchanging their gilded cage for icy winds off Lake Erie and Cleveland's taut immigrant neighborhoods. Lucia blossoms and Teresa wins fleeting fame on the tawdry stage of vaudeville until old demons threaten their new life. In factories and workhouses, Lucia finds her own stage, giving voice to those who have given her a home. As roles reverse, mother and daughter reshape their fierce and primal bond.
Lucia D'Angelo's voice is nothing like her mother's. She's no nightingale with the gorgeous tones, tender and passionate, peaking and plummeting as dramatically as her moods. Yet in the rough world she's chosen, Lucia's words may truly change lives.
In 1904, fourteen-year-old Lucia and her young mother Teresa are servants in a count's lush villa on the Bay of Naples. Between scrubbing floors and polishing silver, Teresa soothes the unhappy countess with song until one morning's calamity hurls mother and daughter to America, exchanging their gilded cage for icy winds off Lake Erie and Cleveland's taut immigrant neighborhoods. Lucia blossoms and Teresa wins fleeting fame on the tawdry stage of vaudeville until old demons threaten their new life. In factories and workhouses, Lucia finds her own stage, giving voice to those who have given her a home. As roles reverse, mother and daughter reshape their fierce and primal bond.
358 pages, Paperback
First published September 3, 2013
98 people are currently reading
2763 people want to read
About the author
Pamela Schoenewaldt
7 books110 followersPamela Schoenewaldt lived for ten years in a small town outside Naples, Italy. Her short stories have appeared in literary magazines in England, France, Italy and the United States. Her play, “Espresso con mia madre” (Espresso with my mother) was performed at Teatro Cilea in Naples. She taught writing for the University of Maryland, European Division and the University of Tennessee and now lives in Knoxville, Tennessee with her husband, Maurizio Conti, a medical physicist, and their dog Jesse, a philosopher.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
May 19, 2020
"Swimming in the Moon" - written by Pamela Schoenewaldt and published in 2013 by HarperCollins. I chose this historical fiction novel for our book group because of its early 1900s setting in Cleveland, Ohio, and it proved to be an engaging story. A mother and her young daughter Lucia are forced to flee their life in Italy in 1905 and travel to Cleveland where a friend's cousin runs a boarding house. Schoenewaldt nicely blends two major elements - the strike and associated difficulties of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union in 1911 and the progressive mental troubles of Lucia's mother - into an absorbing story. I appreciated some of the familiar places noted and also the mention in the Acknowledgments section of Pamela Dorazio Dean who assisted Schoenewaldt in her research, and who shares Lakewood, Ohio, items of interest in a group I belong to. "Cleveland's factories clothed America, built her automobiles, forged her steel, and cut limestone for monuments to her greatness." A very interesting book!
March 18, 2019
I loved this book. The setting is in an older time and tells some factual history. This story tells of a child dealing with a mother with what we call today mental disorders. An exile to America. A new life. Labor laws and how underpaid employees were trying to make it in a new industrial world. I felt like I could hear beautiful singing and see spectacular chocolate dipping done by hand. Very good detailed book. I got this from Barnes and Noble and was worth every penny!
March 12, 2014
In this early 20th century Italy to America immigrant story, Pamela Schoenenwaldt is juggling many issues: immigration, mental illness, worker’s rights, women workers, mother-daughter relationships, romance, and maybe more. She does not drop any of them. To me, as the reader, there are too problems swirling around at the same time.
After a slow start the author finally creates enough tension for the story to pick up. I did want to know how the she was going to wrap up the various issues. She accomplishes a decent ending, but not one completely to my liking. See SPOILER ALERT, below.
Swimming to the Moon, as a whole lacks the spark or soul that makes a reader want to devour the story and not stop reading. It is an interesting story, but not a memorable one. I read her first book, When We Were Strangers, soon after it came out and felt the same way. Both are immigrant stories which do not have the power of The Shoemaker’s Wife, by Adriana Trigiani, another Italian immigrant story that takes place at the same time and has some of the same, but fewer, issues.
***SPOILER ALERT*** The romance between Henryk and Lucia does not work for me. It is unrealistic that Henryk’s relationship with Miriam fails and then he decides to go against his Jewish upbringing and family wishes and asks Lucia to marry him. And it is even more unrealistic that, given the time period, Henryk agrees that Lucia continue the struggle for worker’s rights after their marriage, in another city, and that she continues to do so when she becomes pregnant. It is okay to have unrequited love and longing. After all, Lucia was not looking for a “fella.”
After a slow start the author finally creates enough tension for the story to pick up. I did want to know how the she was going to wrap up the various issues. She accomplishes a decent ending, but not one completely to my liking. See SPOILER ALERT, below.
Swimming to the Moon, as a whole lacks the spark or soul that makes a reader want to devour the story and not stop reading. It is an interesting story, but not a memorable one. I read her first book, When We Were Strangers, soon after it came out and felt the same way. Both are immigrant stories which do not have the power of The Shoemaker’s Wife, by Adriana Trigiani, another Italian immigrant story that takes place at the same time and has some of the same, but fewer, issues.
***SPOILER ALERT*** The romance between Henryk and Lucia does not work for me. It is unrealistic that Henryk’s relationship with Miriam fails and then he decides to go against his Jewish upbringing and family wishes and asks Lucia to marry him. And it is even more unrealistic that, given the time period, Henryk agrees that Lucia continue the struggle for worker’s rights after their marriage, in another city, and that she continues to do so when she becomes pregnant. It is okay to have unrequited love and longing. After all, Lucia was not looking for a “fella.”
January 13, 2016
This is a book that I had trouble putting down. As a historical novel set in the early 20th Century, it gave me a glimpse of a time, places and issues that were mostly unfamiliar to me. The setting for the book in the beginning is Italy, then later the United States. I thought the author did an excelleent job of conveying place, while not being overly descriptive. I was interested in how the author captured life in the early 20th Century and issues of the time, including the blending of immigrants from different European countries, working conditions in factories, the woman's suffragette movement and the treatment of mental illness. I enjoyed how the story ties these issues together. The characters were well developed, likeable and diverse. I found the ending a bit too neatly tied up, but for me this was still a 5 star reading experience.
July 2, 2022
Swimming in the Moon was a very engrossing novel to read. It tells the story of a mother and daughter who emigrate to the United States from Italy in the early 1900's. Most of the story is set in Cleveland where they settle after coming to the US.
In Italy, Teresa and her daughter Lucia are servants to a count & countess. Teresa became pregnant at the age of 14 after being raped and was allowed to keep her daughter with her. However, as it will become apparent through the rest of the novel, Teresa has some kind of mental illness which makes her mentally unstable at times. She ends up committing an action against the count which results in her needing to flee Italy with Lucia who is a young teenage girl by then.
They go to Cleveland where one of the countess' servants has a family member who runs a boardinghouse. While Teresa works for a chocolatier, Lucia goes to school. Her driving ambition is to get a high school diploma so that she won't end up working in a factory. Because of her beautiful singing voice, Teresa eventually joins a vaudeville show circuit. Although Lucia is going to school, she is surrounded by the plight of the people in her immigrant neighborhood---especially their working conditions in the factories.
When Teresa's mental condition worsens and she is forced to come back home, Lucia is also forced to give up her dream of attending college. She now is responsible for taking care of her mother and will do anything to avoid having her committed to the state mental hospital in Cleveland. In spite of the challenges she faces with caring for her mother, she eventually becomes involved in fighting for worker's rights with a union. I won't go any further into the plot to avoid spoiling it for others.
Although Lucia herself never has to work in a factory, the author portrays a vivid portrayal of the stark conditions the workers were forced to work in and the tragedies that often resulted. There is one part of the novel which takes place during a very hot summer and the author made me almost feel the heat and discomfort.
Lucia was an amazingly strong but realistic character. Only toward the end of the novel did she begin to become worn down because of all the difficulties she had faced and failures she had experienced. Her mother's mental illness was a constant concern for her as well.
In Italy, Teresa and her daughter Lucia are servants to a count & countess. Teresa became pregnant at the age of 14 after being raped and was allowed to keep her daughter with her. However, as it will become apparent through the rest of the novel, Teresa has some kind of mental illness which makes her mentally unstable at times. She ends up committing an action against the count which results in her needing to flee Italy with Lucia who is a young teenage girl by then.
They go to Cleveland where one of the countess' servants has a family member who runs a boardinghouse. While Teresa works for a chocolatier, Lucia goes to school. Her driving ambition is to get a high school diploma so that she won't end up working in a factory. Because of her beautiful singing voice, Teresa eventually joins a vaudeville show circuit. Although Lucia is going to school, she is surrounded by the plight of the people in her immigrant neighborhood---especially their working conditions in the factories.
When Teresa's mental condition worsens and she is forced to come back home, Lucia is also forced to give up her dream of attending college. She now is responsible for taking care of her mother and will do anything to avoid having her committed to the state mental hospital in Cleveland. In spite of the challenges she faces with caring for her mother, she eventually becomes involved in fighting for worker's rights with a union. I won't go any further into the plot to avoid spoiling it for others.
Although Lucia herself never has to work in a factory, the author portrays a vivid portrayal of the stark conditions the workers were forced to work in and the tragedies that often resulted. There is one part of the novel which takes place during a very hot summer and the author made me almost feel the heat and discomfort.
Lucia was an amazingly strong but realistic character. Only toward the end of the novel did she begin to become worn down because of all the difficulties she had faced and failures she had experienced. Her mother's mental illness was a constant concern for her as well.
August 5, 2021
Wonderful, wonderful book. I COULD NOT STOP READING. I would give it 10 stars if I could. It made me cry, smile, giggle, and most of all, truly connect with the characters. It's been a long time since I stumbled across a character (Lucia) who I so deeply resonated with. I wish she was my friend or my sister. I constantly cheered her on and hoped she would find happiness. These characters, especially Lucia, are so incredibly layered and REAL.
The characterization was my favorite part (I loved Lucia so, so much, and will miss her in my post-book sadness), but I also adored the historical aspect of it, with all of its detail and accuracy. I loved the writing, which was fast-paced and descriptive and made me feel like I was right there, in both Italy and America, among the hordes of immigrants fighting tirelessly for a better life. I love historical fiction and this, my friends, was historical fiction done perfectly!
I think what this book did so well was give me hope. It gave me the hope and strength to endure the obstacles I am facing right now, and reminded me that I will find my place in the world one way or another. I am so thankful for this book and I recommend it to everyone. I'll miss Lucia, but I will carry her indomitable strength with me wherever I go.
The characterization was my favorite part (I loved Lucia so, so much, and will miss her in my post-book sadness), but I also adored the historical aspect of it, with all of its detail and accuracy. I loved the writing, which was fast-paced and descriptive and made me feel like I was right there, in both Italy and America, among the hordes of immigrants fighting tirelessly for a better life. I love historical fiction and this, my friends, was historical fiction done perfectly!
I think what this book did so well was give me hope. It gave me the hope and strength to endure the obstacles I am facing right now, and reminded me that I will find my place in the world one way or another. I am so thankful for this book and I recommend it to everyone. I'll miss Lucia, but I will carry her indomitable strength with me wherever I go.
April 18, 2017
What an exceptional book that I did not want to end! This historical fiction starts in the very early 1900s in Italy, with a girl and her young mother, both servants to a Countess. Unfortunate circumstances force them to leave Italy and they find themselves on a ship to America. They are in dire financial circumstances as are most immigrants at the time, and as the daughter takes to school and high school, the mother begins to sing in Vaudeville to earn a living. This life does not last long as the mother is sinking further and further into the ravages of mental illness.
The struggles of mother and daughter in this time of early America with the cruel conditions in garment factories and non-existent labor laws are fascinating. I can only urge you to read this amazing book - it will breathe life into the beauties of Italy as well as the life of poverty stricken immigrants in the early days of American manufacturing. Also we learn of the terrible condition of "lunatic asylums" at the time.
This book evokes not just tragedy, but happiness, independence, and work to change labor laws. You will not be sorry you chose this book. I highly recommend it.
The struggles of mother and daughter in this time of early America with the cruel conditions in garment factories and non-existent labor laws are fascinating. I can only urge you to read this amazing book - it will breathe life into the beauties of Italy as well as the life of poverty stricken immigrants in the early days of American manufacturing. Also we learn of the terrible condition of "lunatic asylums" at the time.
This book evokes not just tragedy, but happiness, independence, and work to change labor laws. You will not be sorry you chose this book. I highly recommend it.
November 4, 2024
Similar vein as the jungle but fixed on a woman's perspective
October 31, 2019
Really enjoyed it
So glad my book club picked this to read. Thoroughly enjoyed it and it is a bit different from a lot of the historical fiction I have read lately.
So glad my book club picked this to read. Thoroughly enjoyed it and it is a bit different from a lot of the historical fiction I have read lately.
February 21, 2014
What I loved about this book: Schoenewaldt deftly relates the Triangle Factory Fire's effect on other cities' garment workers, Cleveland's in particular. Unions and their history in this country are endlessly fascinating to me, and the author offers a great deal of insight into their beginnings.
I mostly liked the protagonist, Lucia, though she develops a bit of a martyr complex toward the end of the novel, and her unending idealism is wearing. Still, she is a strong, loving, good person whose desire to help others and bring justice to the working class in her adopted country is inspiring.
The description of an adult child caring for her mother, taken away by mental illness, is both moving, and, as someone who has been there, entirely accurate. The love a mother has for her child never leaves, as Lucia's mother Teresa explains. Like Vesuvius, it's sometimes hidden in the mist and fog. The child has to remember, it's always there even when it's not evident.
I adored the lush descriptions of the villa outside Naples as well as the Italian countryside and people. The juxtaposition between the mild, gorgeous landscape of the Old Country and the coal- and fiber-heavy air of dingy Cleveland with its weather extremes was very well done.
Lula, a minor character from Schoenewaldt's debut novel, When We Were Strangers, is fully developed in this book. She supports Lucia at every turn and occasionally acts as her mama, because Lucia doesn't have one capable of helping her. Practical, funny and powerful, Lula is a wonderful character about which I wanted to learn more.
What I did not like: The ending is trite, made me dislike the main characters because I just didn't feel anything regarding their futures. The author did not adequately build my desire for the happy ending that finally came about. I, of course, prefer happy endings, but I need to be emotionally invested for them to be meaningful.
Schoenewaldt barely let us know Henryk, a central character. She made me believe he was kind, tried to be a good son and citizen and was content to run his grocery store. I did not believe he loved Lucia. I did not believe he fought his parents and convention to marry her. Schoenewaldt spent more time on less important characters.
I felt as if Josephine, a wealthy, college-educated Southern belle who decides to take up the cause of unions as she enjoys the notion of free love and showing off in front of large groups of poor people, uses Lucia and many others. She is supposed to be a mentor of Lucia's, so I think the author should have made her more likable.
All in all, I give the book 3 and 1/4 stars, rounding down. Just my opinion. It's mostly a good book I am glad I read.
I mostly liked the protagonist, Lucia, though she develops a bit of a martyr complex toward the end of the novel, and her unending idealism is wearing. Still, she is a strong, loving, good person whose desire to help others and bring justice to the working class in her adopted country is inspiring.
The description of an adult child caring for her mother, taken away by mental illness, is both moving, and, as someone who has been there, entirely accurate. The love a mother has for her child never leaves, as Lucia's mother Teresa explains. Like Vesuvius, it's sometimes hidden in the mist and fog. The child has to remember, it's always there even when it's not evident.
I adored the lush descriptions of the villa outside Naples as well as the Italian countryside and people. The juxtaposition between the mild, gorgeous landscape of the Old Country and the coal- and fiber-heavy air of dingy Cleveland with its weather extremes was very well done.
Lula, a minor character from Schoenewaldt's debut novel, When We Were Strangers, is fully developed in this book. She supports Lucia at every turn and occasionally acts as her mama, because Lucia doesn't have one capable of helping her. Practical, funny and powerful, Lula is a wonderful character about which I wanted to learn more.
What I did not like: The ending is trite, made me dislike the main characters because I just didn't feel anything regarding their futures. The author did not adequately build my desire for the happy ending that finally came about. I, of course, prefer happy endings, but I need to be emotionally invested for them to be meaningful.
Schoenewaldt barely let us know Henryk, a central character. She made me believe he was kind, tried to be a good son and citizen and was content to run his grocery store. I did not believe he loved Lucia. I did not believe he fought his parents and convention to marry her. Schoenewaldt spent more time on less important characters.
I felt as if Josephine, a wealthy, college-educated Southern belle who decides to take up the cause of unions as she enjoys the notion of free love and showing off in front of large groups of poor people, uses Lucia and many others. She is supposed to be a mentor of Lucia's, so I think the author should have made her more likable.
All in all, I give the book 3 and 1/4 stars, rounding down. Just my opinion. It's mostly a good book I am glad I read.
October 24, 2013
Wow! This book really blew me away! In 1904 Lucia and her mother Teresa leave Naples for Cleveland and a new life working in a factory with thousands of other Italians, Poles, Irish, and Bohemians. At 14, Lucia goes to school, learning English quickly, and is able to scribe letters home for other Italians who can't read or write, earning extra money. Her mother works in a factory dipping chocolates and entertaining workers with her beautiful voice. Lucia's greatest dream is to finish high school. As time goes on her mother's sanity becomes more fragile and Lucia takes on the role of parent.
The book resonated with me on many levels. I'm a native Clevelander and my grandfather worked as a tailor for Joseph & Feiss, one of the factories mentioned. My mother-in-law also did factory piece work as a teen and always hated sewing as long as I can remember. Her mother came from Bohemia at 14 to work as a maid for a rich Jewish family in Cleveland Hts. and send money home for the rest of the family to come to Cleveland--one of America's biggest & richest cities. When the author mentioned rich women knitting ugly gray scarves to help the poor, when paying a decent wage so they could buy coal to heat their homes would have been more helpful reminded me how some things in our society remain the same a hundred years later.
The author did meticulous research for this book and offers discussion questions for book groups.
The book resonated with me on many levels. I'm a native Clevelander and my grandfather worked as a tailor for Joseph & Feiss, one of the factories mentioned. My mother-in-law also did factory piece work as a teen and always hated sewing as long as I can remember. Her mother came from Bohemia at 14 to work as a maid for a rich Jewish family in Cleveland Hts. and send money home for the rest of the family to come to Cleveland--one of America's biggest & richest cities. When the author mentioned rich women knitting ugly gray scarves to help the poor, when paying a decent wage so they could buy coal to heat their homes would have been more helpful reminded me how some things in our society remain the same a hundred years later.
The author did meticulous research for this book and offers discussion questions for book groups.
July 29, 2020
The saddest thing about the immigrant story in the historical novel Swimming in the Moon is the story could be told today. The struggle of underpaid foreign-born workers laboring in unsafe conditions resonates now as we watch food-supply workers fighting for decent wages and benefits while working on the front-line of a pandemic is not that much different from the story of Lucia a young woman from Italy, and her friends and colleagues as they organize to protest their conditions in the garment manufacturing industry in the early 1900s.
Pamela Schoenewaldt creates an intricately woven world for Lucia, both in Italy and in Cleveland, Ohio, where Lucia finds herself at age 14, after she and her mother, Teresa, flee an abusive master in Naples. The novel is amply populated with a variety of interesting characters, allowing Schoenwaldt to deftly explore layers of relationships and personalities. The most complex among these is Lucia’s relationship with Teresa, who has an angelic voice but a troubled mind. Chasing her own dream to sing in vaudeville, Teresa leaves Lucia to attend high school in Cleveland. Lucia transitions from child to woman almost overnight as she navigates her new country and learns first to care for herself, then for her mother, and finally for the world around her as she becomes an advocate for workers’ rights.
A well-told story with insights and images that will stay with you, Swimming in the Moon deserves a read!
Pamela Schoenewaldt creates an intricately woven world for Lucia, both in Italy and in Cleveland, Ohio, where Lucia finds herself at age 14, after she and her mother, Teresa, flee an abusive master in Naples. The novel is amply populated with a variety of interesting characters, allowing Schoenwaldt to deftly explore layers of relationships and personalities. The most complex among these is Lucia’s relationship with Teresa, who has an angelic voice but a troubled mind. Chasing her own dream to sing in vaudeville, Teresa leaves Lucia to attend high school in Cleveland. Lucia transitions from child to woman almost overnight as she navigates her new country and learns first to care for herself, then for her mother, and finally for the world around her as she becomes an advocate for workers’ rights.
A well-told story with insights and images that will stay with you, Swimming in the Moon deserves a read!
September 4, 2013
SWIMMING IN THE MOON by Pamela Schoenewaldt is an interesting Historical Fiction set in 1905 Italy and Cleveland,Ohio. What an interesting story on immigrant life in the 1900's. Young Lucia,and her mother must flee the Bay of Naples,in Italy, where they end up in Cleveland,Ohio. Lucia's mother, Teresa, has a beautiful voice but she also has demons. Teresa becomes the Naples Nightingale and works on the Vandeville circuit. While young Lucia is clever,hardworking,and struggles to fit into her new life in America....but she is not alone in her struggles. "Swimming In The Moon" is a beautifully written story that is the greatest of stories, the love between a mother and daughter. With her attention to details, her vivid descriptions and characters who are alive with passion,you can not go wrong by reading "Swimming In The Moon". Fast paced story of the struggles of immigrants and the life they wish to create in the new America. A powerful and compelling story!! Received for an honest review from the publisher.
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: Mild
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
RATING: 4
HEAT RATING: Mild
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More
July 2, 2016
The story deals with mother-daughter Italian immigrants, and how they find their way in Cleveland, Ohio. The novel details how they survive within an early 20th century harsh environment.
The book begins in 1904, and the time period and struggles to live are depicted strongly, from women's rights, factory work, workhouses, boarding houses, the ability to buy food and clothes, and basically every daily life situation.
Within Cleveland, the immigrant world is abundant, with immigrants from all over the world, including Italy, Poland, Bohemia, Germany and Jews from everywhere.
Shops depended on immigrant workers to buy their goods. Boarding house owners depended on the mills and factories in order to survive. The details of life were vividly illuminated in Swimming in the Moon.
I initially was going to rate this novel 3 stars. I liked the immigrant and historical aspect of the story line, and that being said, I decided to rate it 4 stars.
The book begins in 1904, and the time period and struggles to live are depicted strongly, from women's rights, factory work, workhouses, boarding houses, the ability to buy food and clothes, and basically every daily life situation.
Within Cleveland, the immigrant world is abundant, with immigrants from all over the world, including Italy, Poland, Bohemia, Germany and Jews from everywhere.
Shops depended on immigrant workers to buy their goods. Boarding house owners depended on the mills and factories in order to survive. The details of life were vividly illuminated in Swimming in the Moon.
I initially was going to rate this novel 3 stars. I liked the immigrant and historical aspect of the story line, and that being said, I decided to rate it 4 stars.
October 21, 2013
This is GOOD!!! Born in Italy, Lucia and her mother immigrate to America and try to settle into Cleveland. Lucia has her own ambitions but they are cut short by her mother's descent into madness. She meets Hendryk a Jewish boy at an English class at the immigrant center but feels it is no good as he has to marry where his parents say.
Good in math, she gets a job in accounting but soon seeing how badly immigrants are treated at the jobs they are desperate to keep, she finds something else to do and finds her voice. There is a lot more going on in this novel but I do not want to spoil it for any future readers.
This was so good I can hardly wait to read the author's other novel, "When We Were Strangers."
Good in math, she gets a job in accounting but soon seeing how badly immigrants are treated at the jobs they are desperate to keep, she finds something else to do and finds her voice. There is a lot more going on in this novel but I do not want to spoil it for any future readers.
This was so good I can hardly wait to read the author's other novel, "When We Were Strangers."
March 8, 2015
This lovely, simultaneously sad and uplifting story of immigration weaves the intimate lives of our main characters into the great movements of the early 20th century. The relationships are touching, and I appreciated the focus on the topics of poverty, labor, mental illness, and diversity among migrant populations. Love (in friendship and romance) is threaded throughout. I recommend this to anyone interested in the early 20th-century American experience.
June 10, 2013
A beautifully drawn novel about what is the deepest and most important love story of our lives - that of a mother and daughter. Swimming in The Moon brings history alive with such passion and attention to detail - I was just carried along by the characters and did not want the story to end. A book to to savor by an accomplished female voice. Loved it.
January 4, 2014
Teresa and her daughter are servants to a wealthy countess in Naples. Their lives change in a heartbeat and they flee to America. I loved how the story wove together their personal struggles against the struggles of all immigrants and workers in early twentieth-century America. I honestly could not put this book down; I was completely taken in by the characters and their story.
May 4, 2016
Enjoyed this book very much. A very meaty plot with a very determined protagonist.
February 22, 2016
A depressing story with an incongruous fairy tale ending.
March 9, 2014
Simply Amazing! Especially for anyone that appreciates high-quality Historical fiction.
April 8, 2015
This book is breathtakingly beautifully written!
December 14, 2018
When I first began reading this book, I found it intriguing, as the story focused on Lucia and Teresa, a mother and daughter who worked as servants for a Count and Countess in Italy. Upon the Count being deemed a madman, Lucia and Teresa escape to Cleveland, where they learn to navigate the world of immigrants, as they call America their new land. Teresa finds work as a chocolate dipper, than a vaudeville singer, while Lucia obtains her high school diploma, while also working to support the family. All of their efforts come to a grinding halt when Teresa is diagnosed with a mental disorder, leaving Lucia to care for her. The book goes into detail of how Teresa deals with her ordeal, and the difficulties that lay ahead for her. There is also a large discussion about labour rights, with Lucia leading the way in paving equal liberties for all garment workers in 1911. I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this novel, as the author delved into significant events which truly shaped the country at the time. Lucia's strong will and determination was attractive, while she tried to keep her mother well, and worked hard at the same time. I loved Lucia and Henryk together, and was pleased with the end result as it came about. I appreciated the efforts the author put into making this book truly stand-out for those intrigued by historical accuracies. I look forward to reading more by this author in the near future!
October 28, 2023
An interesting look at Italian immigrants in the early 1900's in Cleveland, Ohio.
Lucia D'Angelo's voice is nothing like her mother's. She's no nightingale with the gorgeous tones, tender and passionate, peaking and plummeting as dramatically as her moods. Yet in the rough world she's chosen, Lucia's words may truly change lives.
In 1904, fourteen-year-old Lucia and her young mother Teresa are servants in a count's lush villa on the Bay of Naples. Between scrubbing floors and polishing silver, Teresa soothes the unhappy countess with song until one morning's calamity hurls mother and daughter to America, exchanging their gilded cage for icy winds off Lake Erie and Cleveland's taut immigrant neighborhoods. Lucia blossoms and Teresa wins fleeting fame on the tawdry stage of vaudeville until old demons threaten their new life. In factories and workhouses, Lucia finds her own stage, giving voice to those who have given her a home. As roles reverse, mother and daughter reshape their fierce and primal bond.
Lucia D'Angelo's voice is nothing like her mother's. She's no nightingale with the gorgeous tones, tender and passionate, peaking and plummeting as dramatically as her moods. Yet in the rough world she's chosen, Lucia's words may truly change lives.
In 1904, fourteen-year-old Lucia and her young mother Teresa are servants in a count's lush villa on the Bay of Naples. Between scrubbing floors and polishing silver, Teresa soothes the unhappy countess with song until one morning's calamity hurls mother and daughter to America, exchanging their gilded cage for icy winds off Lake Erie and Cleveland's taut immigrant neighborhoods. Lucia blossoms and Teresa wins fleeting fame on the tawdry stage of vaudeville until old demons threaten their new life. In factories and workhouses, Lucia finds her own stage, giving voice to those who have given her a home. As roles reverse, mother and daughter reshape their fierce and primal bond.
February 26, 2020
(3.5 stars) Lucia lives with her mother, Teresa, both serving the count and countess at their villa in Naples in the early 1900s. Their position is precarious, and the count is volatile. When disaster strikes, the countess assists them to find passage to America. Through the network, they arrive in Cleveland to begin a new life, with Teresa working at a factory dipping chocolates and Lucia attending school. It is clear that Teresa is mentally unstable, but she longs to put her musical talents to bring money and fame. The story tells their rise and fall as Lucia longs for a college education and Teresa strives for the stage. As the story unfolds, it details the struggles of immigrant life at that time as well as the struggles of the working class. Teresa’s past is also revealed, explaining some of the traumatic events that changed the course of her life.
November 27, 2020
3.5 Story takes place in q1905 in T
Italy in a villa on the Bay of Naples. Lucia and her young mother live in the villa as servants and Teresa Lucia's mother soothes the troubled Countess with her singing but the Count is an angry man and problems arise so that they have to flee Italy and go to America. Teresa wants a better life for her daughter and ends up doing various jobs including singing in a vaudeville act. Teresa gets mentally unstable and Lucia has to giver up her college bound life to care for her but many problems are ahead of them. Will Lucia every fulfil her dream and how will she manage to balance all she has to in her life.
Italy in a villa on the Bay of Naples. Lucia and her young mother live in the villa as servants and Teresa Lucia's mother soothes the troubled Countess with her singing but the Count is an angry man and problems arise so that they have to flee Italy and go to America. Teresa wants a better life for her daughter and ends up doing various jobs including singing in a vaudeville act. Teresa gets mentally unstable and Lucia has to giver up her college bound life to care for her but many problems are ahead of them. Will Lucia every fulfil her dream and how will she manage to balance all she has to in her life.
December 1, 2018
This is my first book by Pamela Schoenwaldt and I was not sure what to expect. In a small number of pages I was hooked. The story is about a mother and daughter who are servants in a villa on the Bay of Naples, Italy. When disagreements unfold, Teresa decides to take her daughter Lucia to the US. As anyone can imagine, changing countries and not knowing anyone are difficult. The story is a fast but never hard to follow. It felt to me like I was in the story and experienced all of the tricks and turns. While this book was printed in 2013, it could have been released now. I recommend this book.
January 5, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. It opens in Naples, Italy in 1905 with Teresa and her daughter Lucia, servants to a countess and her rotten, disgusting husband. Bad things happen, as they always do in these books, and Teresa and Lucia escape to America. Life is difficult, but they have housing and friends. Eventually, Teresa joins a vaudeville tour, and Lucia stays in Cleveland to study and work. Life is still difficult. Teresa is mentally unstable and Lucia struggles to care for her and better their lives. This is a story of perseverance, struggle, love, and family and I recommend it.
December 30, 2021
Very engaging; the difficulties endured by migrant workers, especially women, in the turn of the 20th century are described in much detail.
I can relate some of the difficulties from that era to now, unfortunately, as we encounter a Covid-19 pandemic with health care workers being overwhelmed; overworked; under appreciated; definitely under paid; abused verbally, mentally, emotionally and physically; most of whom are women. And sadly, the stigma remains on mental illness.
As women, we must continue to fight for our rights to equality.
I can relate some of the difficulties from that era to now, unfortunately, as we encounter a Covid-19 pandemic with health care workers being overwhelmed; overworked; under appreciated; definitely under paid; abused verbally, mentally, emotionally and physically; most of whom are women. And sadly, the stigma remains on mental illness.
As women, we must continue to fight for our rights to equality.
December 16, 2017
Lucia and her mother are forced to flee their home in Naples when one of her mother's outbursts costs them their home. They travel across the Atlantic to Cleveland, where Lucia's mother finds fame on the Vaudeville circuit and Lucia attends school and dreams of going to college. When her mother suffers a breakdown, Lucia has to take care of her and begins to wonder if any dream is possible.
This was a heartbreaking and frustrating book, but relatable and uplifting at times. The book shows the struggles that women and immigrants in the early part of the 20th century had to deal with: hazardous working conditions, lack of mental health care/facilities, discrimination and assault. The book also shows the triumph of the human spirit and how a community can come together to help one another, even when they don't have much to give. The fight for good working conditions and education is a big theme of the book and there are strides made during the story. I liked that unlike other books I have read on similar subjects, this book was not set in New York City. There were other places in America dealing with the same issues.
I liked the book, but I did have trouble figuring out what the story was supposed to be about: the mother daughter relationship, the dreams of college and a better life, the labor movement or mental health care. There was a lot going on and it was a bit hard to follow at times, but other than that it was a good story.
I would recommend this book to those who are interested in early 20th century history, especially history that revolves around women and immigrants.
This was a heartbreaking and frustrating book, but relatable and uplifting at times. The book shows the struggles that women and immigrants in the early part of the 20th century had to deal with: hazardous working conditions, lack of mental health care/facilities, discrimination and assault. The book also shows the triumph of the human spirit and how a community can come together to help one another, even when they don't have much to give. The fight for good working conditions and education is a big theme of the book and there are strides made during the story. I liked that unlike other books I have read on similar subjects, this book was not set in New York City. There were other places in America dealing with the same issues.
I liked the book, but I did have trouble figuring out what the story was supposed to be about: the mother daughter relationship, the dreams of college and a better life, the labor movement or mental health care. There was a lot going on and it was a bit hard to follow at times, but other than that it was a good story.
I would recommend this book to those who are interested in early 20th century history, especially history that revolves around women and immigrants.
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