April 23, 2012
After arriving in Springfield, Massachusetts from a displaced persons camp after World War II with only each other, Hanna Perlstein and her mother, Sidonia, build a world around Sidonia’s remarkable talent with a thread and needle. Although Sidonia becomes well known in New England for her remarkable skill, she continues to keep her secrets about her past. Determined to craft a life of pride, self-reliance and perseverance, Sidonia teaches her daughter, who serves as her model, to “stand up straight” in fashion and in life. Sidonia’s Thread uses sewing metaphors to tell the tale as though stitched together like a handmade garment.
Why did Sidonia keep these life secrets, and why was Hanna so afraid to ask about them? When Sidonia moves to elderly housing, Hanna steals some of her old letters and photographs hoping to find clues to her paternity, her mother’s reclusive behavior, and her heritage. Combined with a trip to her mother’s Hungarian homeland and a phone conversation with her father, Hanna’s surprising discoveries inspire a revised view of her mother, replacing her conflicting emotions toward her with true reverence.
Why did Sidonia keep these life secrets, and why was Hanna so afraid to ask about them? When Sidonia moves to elderly housing, Hanna steals some of her old letters and photographs hoping to find clues to her paternity, her mother’s reclusive behavior, and her heritage. Combined with a trip to her mother’s Hungarian homeland and a phone conversation with her father, Hanna’s surprising discoveries inspire a revised view of her mother, replacing her conflicting emotions toward her with true reverence.