Prohibition Wine by community activist Marian Leah Knapp (May 25, She Writes Press) is a turn of the century story of Jewish Immigration and barriers to success and how one industrious woman, her grandmother, survived and persevered through the Prohibition era in Massachusetts. As co-founder of Our Bodies Ourselves Joan Ditzion, notes, “This book highlights the importance of giving voice to women’s stories as part of American history. It is relevant today as current generations of immigrant women rise up to the challenges of life.” Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Prohibition Wine!
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. Knapp’s account of her grandmother follows Rebecca through the 20s as she transforms her egg delivery service into a more lucrative endeavor: bootlegging. For five years, Rebecca successfully provided for her customers in secret as a means to support her family until she was caught.
Knapp’s story chronicles how the lower class experienced the Prohibition, a side not always represented in popular media from the era. Rebecca’s life as a poor Jewish immigrant in Massachusetts holds a mirror to struggles still relevant today including disparities in access to education and healthcare and ongoing discrimination.
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