They survived harrowing conditions in steerage aboard steamer ships, processed through Ellis Island, navigated the U.S.’s dizzying train system—all without speaking a word of English—and finally arrived at their intended destinations of Detroit and Petoskey, Michigan, respectively. One year (and a lifetime’s equivalent experience) later, George and Polly met at a wedding. He courted her; they fell in love; they married and moved to Harvey, Illinois.

The Zeleznik Sisters Remember picks up in 1960, well after the birth of George’s and Polly’s four daughters, who were by then adults with families of their own. It opens on Christmas Eve, when the girls have gathered together at the Zeleznik home to make traditional pierogi and celebrate Wigilia Bożego Narodzenia, or Christmas Eve Supper. Inspired by the holidays and the presence of three generations under one roof, the extended family begins telling stories.

As the daughters recount a childhood spent growing up in the “Little Polonia” community outside Chicago, their father George adds what he remembers, and his grandchildren pepper him with the kinds of heartwarming questions that alternately spark laughter and tears.

Ultimately, their conversations become an invitation to the reader to reflect on the importance of family, to treasure togetherness, and to remember that we wouldn’t be here without the courage and sacrifices of those who have gone before us.

The Zeleznik Sisters Remember: A Historical Family Novel is a 6x9 hardback with 171 pages featuring black and white photos and sketches. Price: book $27.90 plus shipping and Texas sales tax if applicable; estimated delivery 2-3 weeks.