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This beautifully written, meticulously researched work is a must-read not only for Polish-Americans, but for all readers who are interested in learning about the challenges and joys of the trans-Atlantic crossing made by millions of European immigrants in the late nineteenth century.

Richard and Aloysius Lutz have written a compelling tale about the hardships encountered by a group of poor Polish immigrants, viewed through the eyes of newlyweds Paul and Jadwiga Adamik. Readers are introduced to Poles and Polish folklore from several regions of then-partitioned Poland, as well as the tensions that existed between Poles and the three nations that occupied Poland in the nineteenth century: Prussia, Russia, and Austria.

This work of historical fiction will resonate with readers whose ancestors, three or four generations ago, made the same difficult decision to uproot their families from their familiar surroundings in Europe in order to secure a better life in America. Their stories about their emigration from the Old World, often carefully passed down from generation to generation, have been woven into the fabric of Jadwiga’s Crossing.

For many Americans today, the story of Paul and Jadwiga Adamik’s crossing offers a fresh look at the courage of, and sacrifices made by, their grandparents and great-grandparents over 140 years ago. Jadwiga’s Crossing offers masterful storytelling-a riveting journey into the past.
Dr. Deborah Anders Silverman
Author, Polish-American Folklore