Sure, you’ve done your genealogical research. You know who your antecedents were: their names, when and where they lived, and in some cases, like grandparents and great-aunts and -uncles, you know them personally. You know who they are because you have met them and they have been a part of your life. But do you know what their existence really was like, what ordeals and adventures they went through, and who else was a part of their lives?
Maybe if you are fortunate, they kept a diary or journal you know a little bit of this. Cheri Emahiser, a SaddleBrooke resident, did not have this luxury. She had known her grandmother, but in her heart, she wanted to know more. So she went on a prolonged search, exploring family history, and with the discovery of previously unknown documents and stories from family members she learned that there was a lot she didn’t know.
The result is the book that she has written, “Della and Dodi in America”. Della, Cheri’s grandmother, and Dodi, her grandmother’s brother, came to America as Italian immigrants to start a new life in the early 20th century. America, to them, was the Land of Opportunity. But they soon discovered that in a country that boasted of equality, they were not regarded as equals in the sight of the citizens of that land. Where they expected acceptance, they were ostracized and faced suspicion, hardship, and injustice.
Cheri’s book traces a journey shaped by resilience, betrayal, and the unspoken cost of survival in a new land. It is a tale of an actual but little-mentioned period of American life, when people who were of the same race, but from a different culture, were expected to be quiet and stay in their place. Her meticulous research reveals the intimate life of her grandmother, and the period in which she lived, and Cheri’s lyrical prose brings the story to life. It includes a sprawling courtroom drama, and is at heart a saga of the triumph of the human spirit.
Cheri is a native Oregonian who has been a resident of SaddleBrooke for a number of years. She enjoys cycling desert roads, is an accomplished singer, and performs with several community musical groups. She has appeared in many local concert and theatre productions and now serves as the secretary of the SaddleBrooke Singers. Her work has appeared in The Sun magazine, the Bulletin of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon, and on Tripsite’s website, and she also writes the SaddleBrooke Singers news articles published in local newspapers.
Her book is available at Amazon.com and the HOA1 Gift Shop. Contact her at cheriauthor@gmail.com or visit her website at https://cheriwritespress.com.
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