Publisher's Synopsis
Limerick, Ireland 1921 The Great War had finally come to an end, but unemployment and poverty ensured families continued to struggle to survive day by day. A rare opportunity arises in the form of a one-way, non-refundable ticket to America that is given to an unprepared seventeen-year-old girl with little notice and no say in the matter. Leaving everything she has ever known, Nora boards the R.M.S. Celtic armed only with a fourth-grade education, six pounds sterling, to a bag of Ill-fitting clothes. She resents her family for sending her away as she sails across the harsh winter sea to a future riddled with uncertainty. She resents them further when her mother sends her occasional letters demeaning her for not sending enough money home to provide for her family. Facing poverty and prejudice in a foreign land with no one to rely on, Nora toughens up and creates a life for herself that turns into an incredible ride. Kentucky, USA 2021 Make the Best of it... And Send Money Home is author Karen Thoss's way of paying homage to her grandmother Nora Rice Burroughs Newman. This narrative memoir is one that houses faith, trust, and courage as she shares all her grandmother had to endure. From her home life in Ireland to working various hard labor jobs in America to having to deal with segregation to starting her own family and more, Nora proves to be a model for bravery and the "can do" spirit all strive to achieve in their own lives. "People need to know that they can be something better, or different, at any stage of their lives. Yes, the clock starts ticking with one's first breath, but the 'plan' can be altered any time before the last breath. You just have to be brave." -Karen Thoss
