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A Polish Son in the Motherland: An American's Journey Home
Searching for the remnants of his family, Leonard Kniffel left Chicago in 2000 to live in Poland. A Polish Son in the Motherland is the story of a search for roots and for the reasons why one family’s ties were severed more than fifty years ago. Along the way, we see what half a century of communism did to Poland and how the residue of World War II lingers.
The author’s search begins inauspiciously, but he soon meets a local wine merchant and her son, who are eager to reveal the secrets of Nowe Miasto Lubawskie, the town near which his grandmother was born. After he moves in with Adam, a local entrepreneur who trades in everything from shoes and cosmetics to computers and jam, he begins to master his ancestral language and learn the ways of the community from Adam’s mother, who loves long walks in the woods—and meals made from what she picks there.
Kniffel’s search for a connection to Poland is propelled by memories of the stories his grandmother told him about her emigration to Michigan in 1913. While his family eludes him, the adventure becomes an investigation into the relationship between mothers and the legacy they give their sons.
Poles who emigrated to America, the author concludes, must have been particularly good at assimilating into American culture. Less than fifty years after his maternal grandparents arrived in the United States, barely a trace of their Polishness existed in their grandchildren. Through his grandparents’ struggles, their children became American and created a new world for themselves and their descendants.
In returning to Poland himself, Kniffel sought and found a bridge to the “Great Migration” that changed the lives of so many millions—and millions yet to come.
The author’s search begins inauspiciously, but he soon meets a local wine merchant and her son, who are eager to reveal the secrets of Nowe Miasto Lubawskie, the town near which his grandmother was born. After he moves in with Adam, a local entrepreneur who trades in everything from shoes and cosmetics to computers and jam, he begins to master his ancestral language and learn the ways of the community from Adam’s mother, who loves long walks in the woods—and meals made from what she picks there.
Kniffel’s search for a connection to Poland is propelled by memories of the stories his grandmother told him about her emigration to Michigan in 1913. While his family eludes him, the adventure becomes an investigation into the relationship between mothers and the legacy they give their sons.
Poles who emigrated to America, the author concludes, must have been particularly good at assimilating into American culture. Less than fifty years after his maternal grandparents arrived in the United States, barely a trace of their Polishness existed in their grandchildren. Through his grandparents’ struggles, their children became American and created a new world for themselves and their descendants.
In returning to Poland himself, Kniffel sought and found a bridge to the “Great Migration” that changed the lives of so many millions—and millions yet to come.
- GenresPolandNonfiction
246 pages, Hardcover
First published February 25, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 2, 2019
Family....that word that binds people together whether by marriage or blood.
We are familiar with our immediate families...spouse, children, grandchildren, grandparents and so on.
But what if you wanted find out about your ancestors/relatives? Perhaps a relative was vague about their upbringing....what do you do then?
The author of this book wanted to find those answers about his relatives after his grandmother emigrated from Poland and he describes in detail of finding new friends and family he didn't know or never met.
For those that are on a search for family, this is a great example of how one found his long-lost family and he also describes small-town life in Poland with his interactions with various folks.
No this is not a travel book just how one found his family and lived for several months in Poland.
We are familiar with our immediate families...spouse, children, grandchildren, grandparents and so on.
But what if you wanted find out about your ancestors/relatives? Perhaps a relative was vague about their upbringing....what do you do then?
The author of this book wanted to find those answers about his relatives after his grandmother emigrated from Poland and he describes in detail of finding new friends and family he didn't know or never met.
For those that are on a search for family, this is a great example of how one found his long-lost family and he also describes small-town life in Poland with his interactions with various folks.
No this is not a travel book just how one found his family and lived for several months in Poland.
June 21, 2015
There are moments when things feel a little too documentary in this book. For example, when the author begins to list his findings, paragraph-style, about his family tree. Something he says he never had an interest in, but that we are made to sit through. And the author uses the phrase, "My grandmother must have seen/touched/been here when this statue/house/event happened" way too often. Enough to almost render the thought powerless. Sometimes I wish we knew more about the author's life and the women who made him who he is. These are the moments in the book that absolute shine. Much more than any point blank musings.
But still, a pretty interesting book. I've spent a little time in Poland, and have Polish relatives, too. Some of them I am pretty recently connected to, and some of them are long lost. The idea of reconnection is really interesting to me personally, and I should think to anybody who is a first or second generation American. What Kniffler does is pretty gutsy. He sets up camp in his grandmother's hometown in Poland. He takes his flawed Polish and hunts and digs his way to his history. Eventually, his Polish gets pretty good. He makes amazing connections with people he's not even related to. He finds family in Poland he didn't even know of. He sees how his family has sprawled out, the good and the bad of it. He has a first hand look at the mess communism made of a beautiful and proud country. It's great. And inspiring, too. The things I've nitpicked DO get to me. But the book's beauty get to me just as much. Absolutely worth a read, especially for anybody who has ever wondered what would happen if they went back home.
But still, a pretty interesting book. I've spent a little time in Poland, and have Polish relatives, too. Some of them I am pretty recently connected to, and some of them are long lost. The idea of reconnection is really interesting to me personally, and I should think to anybody who is a first or second generation American. What Kniffler does is pretty gutsy. He sets up camp in his grandmother's hometown in Poland. He takes his flawed Polish and hunts and digs his way to his history. Eventually, his Polish gets pretty good. He makes amazing connections with people he's not even related to. He finds family in Poland he didn't even know of. He sees how his family has sprawled out, the good and the bad of it. He has a first hand look at the mess communism made of a beautiful and proud country. It's great. And inspiring, too. The things I've nitpicked DO get to me. But the book's beauty get to me just as much. Absolutely worth a read, especially for anybody who has ever wondered what would happen if they went back home.
November 5, 2020
What a delightful memoir of a man searching for his family roots. Leonard Kniffel has a unique style of writing that drew me in and made me feel as if this was my family too. I felt joy with each new found family member and pleased with strangers who welcomed him and helped with his search. Though I struggled mightily with the Polish words and names, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Having met the author makes it even more special.
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April 18, 2007From the Publisher
Searching for the remnants of his family, Leonard Kniffel left Chicago in 2000 to live in Poland. A Polish Son in the Motherland is the story of a search for roots and for the reasons why one family's ties were severed more than fifty years ago. Along the way, we see what half a century of communism did to Poland and how the residue of World War II lingers.The author's search begins inauspiciously, but he soon meets a local wine merchant and her son, who are eager to reveal the secrets of Nowe Miasto Lubawskie, the town near which his grandmother was born. After he moves in with Adam, a local entrepreneur who trades in everything from shoes and cosmetics to computers and jam, he begins to master his ancestral language and learn the ways of the community from Adam's mother, who loves long walks in the woods—and meals made from what she picks there. Kniffel's search for a connection to Poland is propelled by memories of the stories his grandmother told him about her emigration to Michigan in 1913. While his family eludes him, the adventure becomes an investigation into the relationship between mothers and the legacy they give their sons. Poles who emigrated to America, the author concludes, must have been particularly good at assimilating into American culture. Less than fifty years after his maternal grandparents arrived in the United States, barely a trace of their Polishness existed in their grandchildren. Through his grandparents' struggles, their children became American and created a new world for themselves and their descendants. In returning to Poland himself, Kniffel sought and found a bridge to the "Great Migration" that changed the lives of so many millions—and millions yet to come. reconciliation, the one that truly matters."—Linda Nemec Foster, poet and author of Amber Necklace from Gdansk
Author Biography: LEONARD KNIFFEL is the editor and publisher of American Libraries, the magazine of the American Library Association. Born and raised in Michigan, he holds masters degrees in English and library science from Wayne State University in Detroit. He now lives and works in Chicago.
Searching for the remnants of his family, Leonard Kniffel left Chicago in 2000 to live in Poland. A Polish Son in the Motherland is the story of a search for roots and for the reasons why one family's ties were severed more than fifty years ago. Along the way, we see what half a century of communism did to Poland and how the residue of World War II lingers.The author's search begins inauspiciously, but he soon meets a local wine merchant and her son, who are eager to reveal the secrets of Nowe Miasto Lubawskie, the town near which his grandmother was born. After he moves in with Adam, a local entrepreneur who trades in everything from shoes and cosmetics to computers and jam, he begins to master his ancestral language and learn the ways of the community from Adam's mother, who loves long walks in the woods—and meals made from what she picks there. Kniffel's search for a connection to Poland is propelled by memories of the stories his grandmother told him about her emigration to Michigan in 1913. While his family eludes him, the adventure becomes an investigation into the relationship between mothers and the legacy they give their sons. Poles who emigrated to America, the author concludes, must have been particularly good at assimilating into American culture. Less than fifty years after his maternal grandparents arrived in the United States, barely a trace of their Polishness existed in their grandchildren. Through his grandparents' struggles, their children became American and created a new world for themselves and their descendants. In returning to Poland himself, Kniffel sought and found a bridge to the "Great Migration" that changed the lives of so many millions—and millions yet to come. reconciliation, the one that truly matters."—Linda Nemec Foster, poet and author of Amber Necklace from Gdansk
Author Biography: LEONARD KNIFFEL is the editor and publisher of American Libraries, the magazine of the American Library Association. Born and raised in Michigan, he holds masters degrees in English and library science from Wayne State University in Detroit. He now lives and works in Chicago.
March 25, 2010
At the same time I was reading Shtetl by Eva Hoffman, which was far better for someone who starts reading about Jews in Poland. A Polish Son In The Motherland: An American's Journey Home is more about an American coming to Poland in a search of his roots.
February 20, 2016
My father grew up in Hamtramck, Michigan, the same Polish community where the author's mother lived. I think genealogy is fascinating and found myself living vicariously through his journey. But for a 3 day trip to Gdansk, Poland several years ago, I have yet to see where my father's side of the family comes from. While it was interesting to learn about the author's discoveries of Polish life and culture and his own family, I found it hard to keep track of all the different people and the passage of time during his stay.
November 7, 2012
Good read, and it was interesting to get a feel for life in a small town in Poland.
October 27, 2015
Personally meaningful to me-my greatgrandparents were born in Poland. Unfortunately, I never met them. He compares and contrasts a Polish/American life, and finds his grandmother's "people."
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews