A Real Purpose

Every now and then I receive a true validation that my writing strikes a chord with readers–and it is a great feeling. Today was one of those days.

I received a telephone call from a woman who bought my book Slovak Pittsburgh (Arcadia Publishing). She said that her aunt was in one of the photographs and wanted to know how to get a copy of the image. The image was of a Slovak wedding party but the names of the people were unknown. It turns out that it was a photograph my cousin gave to me but not labeled or identified in any way. When I called this woman, she told me her aunt was the bride in the photograph and she told me the groom’s name and the names of a few others in the wedding party. When I heard the groom’s surname I realized that it was a name in one of my family lines (my paternal grandmother’s side).

I am happy that I can provide this woman with a copy of the photograph so she can share it with her family. I am also glad that I included this image in my book. This is one of the most rewarding aspects of writing these books on historical images for Arcadia–it gets old photographs otherwise tucked away in a box or drawer into a format that can be seen and discovered by folks who may be connected to the people shown in the images.

I am pleasantly surprised by this particular book’s popularity. It is a real testament to the Slovak community in Pittsburgh and the continued interest in learning about and preserving the Slovak heritage. Thank you to everyone who has bought this book.