Nancy Mathews

The Matejkas: My Czech Parents Make an American Life in Baltimore Nancy Mathews

Jerry and Elizabeth Matejka met on a boattraveling from Bohemia, now known as theCzech Republic, to Baltimore, Maryland, in1907. To pursue their dreams in America, Jerry and Elizabeth traveled halfway aroundthe world and joined the ranks of theidealistic, hardworking immigrants flockingto the United States in the early twentiethcentury. Strangers at the beginning of thevoyage, the two young lovers were inseparableupon arrival in America, and they marriedsoon after their boat docked in the Marylandharbor. The Matejkas is the remarkable true storyof these two determined pioneers and their lifetogether as they started a business and raised afamily in their new homeland. Told from the loving perspective of theirdaughter Slava Matejka Mowll, The Matejkas isa compelling family biography brought aliveby vivid narrative and the imagery ofbeautifully preserved family photographs. From the Matejkas' early days in Baltimore tothe intense drama of the Second World War,the author's memoir is a fascinating view ofthe life experiences of first-generationAmericans. An unforgettable true saga, The Matejkas is astory of persistence and triumph told againstthe backdrop of one of the most importanteras in American history.