09 - My Mother and I by Elizabeth Gertrude Stern

Elizabeth Stern was just two and a half years old when her family emigrated from Poland to Pittsburgh. My Mother and I tells the poignant story of Sterns journey of Americanization, revealing how this transformation ultimately estranged her from her parents. Sterns father, a traditional village rabbi, imposes strict expectations on her, enrolling her in Hebrew lessons at the tender age of four to prepare her for a future as the wife of a rabbi or scholar, while opposing her education in high school. Meanwhile, her mother strives to open doors for Elizabeth, although she herself struggles to learn English. When Sterns father discovers her engrossed in a secular book and angrily tosses it onto a high bookcase, her mother bravely climbs up to retrieve it. Despite their loving bond, as Elizabeth pursues her college education, a painful distance grows between mother and daughter. Sterns mother becomes a shadowy figure, her questioning eyes filled with love yet devoid of understanding, embodying an infinite loneliness. - Summary by Sue Anderson