Marian Knapp has been a longtime activist for a wide variety of senior related issues in Newton as well as writing a regular column for the Newton Tab. She’s just published a new book called Prohibition Wine telling the true story of her grandmother, a widow with six kids, who took up bootlegging during Prohibition to support her family.
You can sign up here to join Marian Knapp next Tuesday, May 25, 7 PM for a talk about the book and her grandmother.
There’s a lovely review of the book by Laura McTaggart in today’s Tab. (The review is not yet available on line. Maybe soon?)
In the meantime …
“Through interviews, family histories, dogged combing of records, and even visits to cemeteries, Knapp has reconstructed the hardscrabble life of an immigrant grandmother she never knew. But if you’re looking for a poignant tale of a modest Jewish matron contentedly sewing piece goods in a tenement workshop, look elsewhere. Rebecca Wernick Goldberg, widowed early and responsible for the care of six children, was above all else a survivor, and the story of how she built an illegal business in rural New England, outwitted the authorities, and kept her family together is nothing short of inspirational.”
―Scott D. Seligman award-winning writer, historian, and author of The Great Kosher Meat War of 1902: Immigrant Housewives and the Riots That Shook New York City
Kudos to Marian! We know her writing skills from her Tab columns. What a great accomplishment.
Looking forward to reading it. Sounds like another fascinating story about the resilience of women.
Here’s the review from the Tab by Laura McTaggert
Hooray! Looking forward to reading it!