Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
German-Americans make up one
of the largest ethnic groups in the United States, yet their very success
at assimilating has also made them one of the least visible. Contented
among Strangers examines the central role German-speaking women in
rural areas of the Midwest played in preserving their ethnic and cultural
identity. Even while living far from their original homelands, these women
applied traditional European patterns of rural family life and values
to their new homes in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.
As a result they were more content with their modest lives than were their
Anglo-American counterparts. Through personal recollections--including
interesting diary material translated by the author, church and community
documents, and migration and census data--Pickle reveals the diversity
and richness of the women's experiences.