Pears on a Willow Tree

This generational study of a Polish family and the women and their daughters is a charmer. Easy to read,thought provoking and good character development. The Marchewka women are inseparable. They value the gathering of family and cooking traditional Polish foods. But as the story grows we find the newer generations culturally removed from thier mothers and grandmothers as Polish immigrants. A close look into family life in general, although this family is Polish by immigration the struggles and heartbreaks are really about "every" family. Highly recommend !!

This story is about the closeness, the struggles, the traditions, and the Americanization of 4 generations of Polish women. This book brought back so many of my childhood memories of learning from my Polish "bubchi"/grandmother. I loved this book for that reason because my Polish mother passed away when I was 6 and my new stepmother a few years later would not allow any contact. I devoured this book! It was like a trip back in time. I forgot all about the traditional Christmas meal and the strict Catholic core. I can't say enough about this book. It's a great story to read and anyone can relate to it since America is made up of lots and lots of immigrants. A lot of the book is actually about the new generations wanting to "be different" and break away from tradition, wanting to be "themselves" and not just an extention of mom, grandmom, or great-grandmom. But it's hard to escape something when it's a part of a person and this book is about about that trip. And to the author......Thank you for writing this book. You gave things back to me that I didn't even know I lost. I can hear my grandmother's broken English, I can smell her cooking, I can feel her love for me. Like the book says...I'm a Polish daughter.

Akin to the stories about women and family and culture by Amy Tan, this book tells the story of self discovery, of roles we play and of Polish Culture. Books like this leave you changed. Knowing yourself a little more, maybe even a little less but intent on discovery. My thanks to the author.

I was very impressed with Leslie Pietrzyk's Pears On A Willow Tree. It is a story of several generations of women from a Polish-Ameican family but it could just as well have been about people from almost any immigrant culture. The book is well written, well paced, and a joy to read. I read it in two evenings because I wanted to see how things turned out. Ms. Pietrzyk has a very good sense of dialouge and an economical style that adds to the enjoyment of the book. The characters and their relationships are real and well developed. Almost everyone I have talked to who has read the book said that they were reminded of their own family experiences. In that sense Ms. Pietrzyk has capture something universal. I hesitate to say more because I don't want to give away any of the story. Buy the book. You won't be disappointed.

I just finished reading Pears on a Willow Tree, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys good literature that's fun to read. Pears on a Willow Tree is about four generations of Polish American women, but it's not just about being polish or being a woman. It's about life, the American experience, and the importance of lasting cultural traditions. The book opens with one of the characters remembering an earlier time when her grandfather photographed her with her mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. From there, each subsequent chapter itself is snapshot of family history from the intimate perspectives of each character. I was pleasantly surprised with this unique organizational style. Its creativity kept my interest to the very end. Ms. Pietrzyk gently guides the reader through a narrative that addresses the challenges that life has in store for us all: growing up, getting old, and dealing with the loss of a loved one. This novel reminded me about what's really important in life.I think this book is well worth the time, and it may one day take its place as a classic in American literature.