You Were There Before My Eyes

A Novel

By: Maria Riva

Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley

Length: 20 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

A woman leaves her Italian village and enters a new world as an immigrant in Detroit in this sweeping novel by a New York Times best-selling author.

In a small village in Italy at the turn of the 20th century, Jane chafes at stifling routine and tradition. So when an opportunity presents itself to immigrate to America, her hunger for escape compels her to leave everything behind. Far away, in Henry Ford's factories in Michigan, a new kind of life is taking shape, and it offers gleaming promise for Jane and her young husband. Determined to survive, and even thrive, she will find herself seeking fulfillment and building a family while navigating not just a new language and country, but a world poised on the edge of economic and social revolution, with the Great War looming on the horizon.

From the chaos of Ellis Island to the melting pot of a Midwestern industrial city, You Were There Before My Eyes is rich with colorful characters and vivid period details, an authentic portrait of the immigrant experience that poignantly captures the ever-evolving nature of the American dream, and "[A] dazzling historical saga of love, adventure, war, hardship, and discovery" (Allan Levine).

©2017 Maria Riva (P)2020 Tantor

Flashbacks to Detroit’s Hey Days

Great characters, and sequence of events from leaving European countries to immigrate to Michigan, specifically to work at Ford Motor Co Very interesting and entertaining story.

On my top 5 list! And Elizabeth Wiley! Wow!

What a fantastic story but without Elizabeth Wiley I don’t think it would have merited the 10 stars I’d love to give it. She never once lost track of the voices for the different characters. Now that is talent.

The story follows an Italian couple who move to Michigan before WWI. The husband, John, hires on for Ford and helps design the Model T. His wife, Jane, goes from being a shy Italian woman who married John without any real knowledge of what marriage should be. She grows and discovers who she really is.

I didn’t know about Henry Ford. What a guy!

There is a huge cast of characters and this is where Elizabeth Wiley really shines. A kind of funny side note...she sounded so much like Suzanne Torren in the beginning. I had to look up to see if Suzanne might be using another name.

Really excellent book. No cussing, no gratuitous sex. You won’t be disappointed.

Excellent in every way.

I loved this story! The author has a way of weaving history into fiction that pulls you not only into the story, but into the era also. The narration is excellent. How the narrator flawlessly navigates all the languages and dialects is truly amazing. you will love this, too!

Early 20th Century Detroit

This is an excellent historical fictional story of immigration, assimilation, courage and intellect of people who worked in the early years of the Ford Motor Company. These were brave, curious and welcoming people. As all immigrants are. They bring much to our country.

Sadly, it ends during the Depression when the world was on the brink of another war. Two characters in the story are not well resolved at the end, but the unspeakable tragedy we all know they experienced is probably better left unsaid.

A glorious historical fiction

I was riveted from the beginning.
The description of a young woman who was so courageous and the history of the US through immigrants’s eyes during the rise of Henry Ford’s company and vision … so much information I never knew.
So well written and beautifully read… very character so distinct . I just kept being impressed the whole time I have been listening.