The Hills That Divide

The Hills That Divide transports you to a time between 1848 and 1924 when America represented an escape from persecution, poverty, starvation, and death for 30 million European immigrants. Among them were a Jewish shoemaker from Russia, an Italian sulphur miner from Sicily, and an orphaned son of a tannery worker from Ireland, who came to Haverhill, Massachusetts to find work in one of its many shoe factories. The immigrants and their children became laborers, managers, union representatives, or even factory owners. Haverhill was surrounded by hills that not only mirrored the geographic and residential division of its immigrant population, but also their religious, cultural, social, and economic differences. Haverhill was a true melting pot; that was a good thing. But ethnic and religious prejudice, greed, income inequality, and class envy caused the pot to boil with hostility that was further heated by disputes between owners and workers, often resulting in strikes, lockouts, and violence. While love, religious faith, human kindness, and self-sacrifice helped to lower the pot's boiling point to a more tolerable simmer, the immigrant families had to deal as well with other challenges, including alcohol abuse, sibling rivalry, teenage rebellion, interfaith marriage, homophobia, betrayal, and tragic death. The Hills That Divide lays bare the eternal human themes of survival, resilience, love, success, disappointment, prejudice, betrayal, tragedy, and redemption; it reflects the dynamic struggle between the good and the dark side of human nature.