Prohibition Wine
Thank you Book Sparks for this gifted book!
Prohibition Wine gives us an insight into what a widowed mother is willing to do in order to support her family. Truly an interesting insight into the early 1900s and Rebecca Goldberg’s life.
In 1918, Rebecca Goldberg―a Jewish immigrant from the Russian Empire living in rural Wilmington, Massachusetts―lost her husband, Nathan, to a railroad accident, a tragedy that left her alone with six children to raise. To support the family after Nathan’s death, Rebecca continued work she’d done for years: keeping chickens. Once or twice a week, with a suitcase full of fresh eggs in one hand and a child in the other, she delivered her product to relatives and friends in and around Boston.
Then, in 1920―right at the start of Prohibition―one of Rebecca’s customers suggested that she start selling alcoholic beverages in addition to her eggs to add to her meagre income. He would provide his homemade raw alcohol; Rebecca would turn it into something drinkable and sell it to new customers in Wilmington. Desperate to feed her family and keep them together, and determined to make sure her kids would all graduate from high school, Rebecca agreed―making herself a wary participant in the illegal alcohol trade.
Rebecca’s business grew slowly and surreptitiously until 1925, when she was caught and summoned to appear before a judge. Fortunately for her, the chief of police was one of her customers, and when he spoke highly of her character before the court, all charges were dropped. Her case made headline news―and she made history.
This is a story of author Marian Knapp’s grandmother; a formidable woman who dedicated her life to her family and providing everything she could for them. Even if that meant getting into the bootlegging business.
Knapp not only gives us insight into her grandmother’s life as an immigrant, but also a look at the times themselves and the hardships she and others endured.
Prohibition Wine is a very straight forward biography with no added drama or frills. I enjoyed learning more about my country’s history through Rebecca’s immigration and life as a Jewish woman in the United States. This is my first time reading a biography of a Jewish immigrant pre WWII, and I truly enjoyed reading her story (being a Jewish woman myself).
