The Wishes of Sisters and Strangers is the final book in the award winning series, Becoming America’s Stories. It is the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays, 1911—a time for charity and wishes. Lily’s days are too crowded, living in a three-room apartment with her large and growing family. She must sleep in a bedroll on the floor with her sisters, share a seat at the supper table and wait her turn for the hallway toilet with three other families on the fourth floor tenement.
The family offers charity to a woman from Sicily claiming to be Mama’s sister, Zia Teresa. She brought nothing more than a wild story and two young stepsons, mute Calogero, and mean Vincenzo. Vincenzo refuses to speak English and scowls. Lily is stuck translating for him and putting up with his sour moods. Zia Teresa’s stories get more troublesome and things go missing, including little sister’s beloved rag doll, Principessa.
Endless chores, the heaviness of grief, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire trial squash any hope for a merry holiday season. There is little room or money for wishes, like a piano Lily desperately wants to play.
*A remarkable work. I learned much about that time while immigrants worked hard to create their American dream. I highly recommend this series to everyone who enjoys a good story.-K.Crowley Gardner, Author
*A heartwarming story of family and community. is a rich and wonderful immigrant story told with a focus on good-hearted but struggling ten-year-old Lily.- Leslie Ahmad, Author
*Facinating immigrant family life. I couldn’t wait to read more about ten-year-old Lily Taglia after meeting her in the Dreams of Singers and Sluggers, the second in the Becoming America book series. -Lee M, Amazon review
Curriculum Connections
Mark My Place/Rate My Read
Use this handy bookmark to record quick notes for each reading session. Be sure to print on both sides. Cardstock paper works best.
Tic-Tact-Toe 3 Reflections in a Row
Use the Tic-Tac-Toe sheets for discussion topics and writing reflection prompts to the story.
More Curriculum Connections Coming
The Wishes of Sisters and Strangers Page Hugger
Fold your very own Page Hugger to hold your place.
Extra Resources for the Becoming America’s Stories set
Download recipes for Daily Bread and Mrs. Goldberg’s Knot Surprise. Get to know the characters in Becoming America’s Stories by downloading Becoming America’s Stories Who’s Who.
Library of Congress Vintage Recordings: Search the archives and set the mood with early 20th century recordings of Sleeping Beauty, Take Me Out To The Ball Game, America the Beautiful, and Christmas carols. Refer to the Library of Congress article Songs of Unionization, Labor Strikes, and Child Labor and the search results for The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.
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Also available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local Indie Bookstore.
Stories Served 