The Linden and the Oak

by Mark Wansa

Farmers. Lovers. Soldiers. From their humble backwater village in a remote corner of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Vasyl Rusynko and his brothers, and the young sisters Paraska and Yevka Senchak, are propelled into the three great tidal currents of the burgeoning 20th World War I, the Communist revolution, and the flight from Old Europe to New America. With its memorable characters, and rich and vivid detail, Mark Wansa's epic, continent-spanning novel, The Linden and the Oak , combines a haunting and moving love story with a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Partly the story of the author's family, The Linden and the Oak is also the story of the countless thousands of immigrants who passed through Ellis Island. The historical context -- traditions and customs, World War I and the horrors of the Eastern Front -- has been meticulously researched and offers fascinating insights on Eastern European culture.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

550 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good fictional story that has a tone of accuracy about peasant Slavic people whose lives are caught up in war and immigration in the early 20th century. I would like to find a description of the immigrant experience upon entry to the U.S. Did someone need to claim them? How many were returned as unfit? (Saw an estimate of 2%).

[Natalia Iwanyckyj · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epic journey traversing worlds, both literal and metaphoric. Well-researched and detailed account of life in a Rusyn (Ruthenian) village and WWI-era Eastern Europe. Wonderful perspectives and voices of the characters who left life in their home country to travel to Canada. Taste of Rusyn food, song, speech, and culture. Highly recommended for anyone interested in historical fiction, Rusyn people, the Carpathian mountains, and immigration.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. From the stories I've been told, this book could have easily been based on my family, from both sides. Both of my parents were Rusyn, my mother born in a small village in Slovakia, my father's parents from another 2 different Rusyn villages who immigrated to the US and met here. Like Yevka Senchak, my grandmother bore my mother after my grandfather came to the US. It would be 10 years before my mom met her father. And like Yevka, my grandmother's marriage was arranged by the families, but love was elsewhere.
I read over and over the exchange between Vasyl and his brother Andrii when Andrii admits to being a poet. I believe in my heart, although I am American, that "our" people long for their own homeland. The exchange also leads to a deep, beautiful, philosophical discussion on sinning, which subtly explains Vasyl's behavior going forward.
I laughed out loud at Paraska, if she had threatened with a wooden spoon, it definitely would have been my grandma.

[Georgene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book chronicles life in a Rusyn village before, during and after World War I. I read it because I heard the author speak during a recent Slovak-American Society of Washington event. The Rusyns lived near the Slovaks (my ancestors), so village life and the experiences of the characters in this book were similar to what my ancestors would have experienced.
This story was better than I was expecting it to be. The characters were believable and I was able to follow their growth and sympathize with their feelings. The events, especially during World War I (which had an Eastern Front that I never knew about) and the characters' journey to America at the end were especially moving.

[Jaye Matson Marcotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book. Every time I though I had a pretty good idea of the direction of the story line, it shifted; but in a good way, as it does in real life. Emigration, culture, village life, superstition, world war I, revolution, family relationships, all from the prospective of the small ethnic group, Rusyns.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating and believable story of fictional characters who lived in my ancestral homeland. I could picture both the simple beauty of village life and the terrors of war. I found myself absorbed in the characters and the story. Very well written!