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Out Of This Furnace: A Novel of Immigrant Labor in America
List Price: $15.95Our Price: $14.35 You Save: $1.60 (10%)Prices subject to change.
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Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.52
EAN: 9780822952732
ISBN: 0822952734
Label: University of Pittsburgh Press
Manufacturer: University of Pittsburgh Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 424
Publication Date: June 30, 1976
Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press
Studio: University of Pittsburgh Press
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Editorial Review:
Out of This Furnace is Thomas Bell’s most compelling achievement. Its story of three generations of an immigrant Slovak family -- the Dobrejcaks -- still stands as a fresh and extraordinary accomplishment.
The novel begins in the mid-1880s with the naive blundering career of Djuro Kracha. It tracks his arrival from the old country as he walked from New York to White Haven, his later migration to the steel mills of Braddock, and his eventual downfall through foolish financial speculations and an extramarital affair. The second generation is represented by Kracha’s daughter, Mary, who married Mike Dobrejcak, a steel worker. Their decent lives, made desperate by the inhuman working conditions of the mills, were held together by the warm bonds of their family life, and Mike’s political idealism set example for the children. Dobie Dobrejcak, the third generation, came of age in the 1920s determined not to be sacrificed to the mills. His involvement in the successful unionization of the steel industry climaxed a half-century struggle to establish economic justice for the workers.
Out of This Furnace is a document of ethnic heritage and of a violent and cruel period in our history, but it is also a superb story. The writing is strong and forthright, and the novel builds constantly to its triumphantly human conclusion.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Great instructional resource
Very powerful book. This is perfect for teachers who want an emotional connection to immigration and the Industrial Revolution for their students. A great story for the casual reader, too!
Rating: - Book
Came in very fast and in great condition. Can't say I actually enjoyed reading it, though. Lol...
Rating: - A Great Read - Not Just for the Classroom
As someone has lived in the Pittsburgh area for over 30 years and is still considered a 'newcomer' by many, I have often wondered where the uniquely "Pittsburgh-ese" traditions and culture came from. For example, how is it that modern-day natives of Pittsburgh can be so incredibly conservative in terms of family values and gender roles, and yet align themselves with liberal political movements that tend to marginalize the family? Many of my questions were answered by this book, and in very human ... Read More
Rating: - Highly Recommended
This text was required reading for a college course on immigration and, I must admit, I was not looking forward to reading it. I decided to read it before the semester started and fell in love with it immediately. The characters are well developed from Kracha, to Mike & Mary, to Johnny. A very moving tale of the development of unions, the plight of immigrants, and the dangers they faced everyday working in the steel mills. I highly recommend this to anyone, required reading or not.
Rating:  - Neither novel nor history
Out of the Furnace was the assigned "text" for the first half of a 3-unit American History (after the Civil War) class. As a responsible and voracious reader, I bought and began reading the book. I found the style conclusory and turgid--this happened, that happened, something else happened--without any real character development to differentiate between and among the characters and clarify their relationships. As another reviewer observed, names kept changing and keeping the people sorted out was nearly ... Read More
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