Reader Reviews

Unforgettable characters

The characters in “Four Acres” are endearing, they become a part of your life, and I find myself thinking about them long after I finished the book. Highly recommend this great read. I learned so much about world history. The photos and maps enhance the reading experience.

-October 30, 2023

Real-life detail historical writers rarely achieve

While this book reads like fiction, it is very real. Four Acres Under Slavnik brings together the Fradel family verbal lore, extensive correspondence, and site-based investigation to tell a tale of a traditional 19th Century Slovenian family’s painful transition from a simple agrarian life to the World as we know it today. It is the fast-fading experience of millions of families who migrated across the world or suffered through the violent tumult of the first half of 20th Century Europe. Leaving their European homeland did not free the migrants from the agony of those that remained behind. This is their story in the real-life detail historical writers rarely achieve.
Full disclosure, I am a member of the Fradel family, the author is my sister. That said, once you read this story it only reinforces the validity of my views because while we are a modern American family, the fractious personality and relational habits are still with us. I had no part in the writing, was not consulted, and have no financial interest in this book.

— December 4, 2023

Understanding immigration and history of Yugoslavia

It took me a little time to get into this book but it was worth the effort. The author’s great Uncle Jozef was a wonderful letter writer and a man of great patience and forbearance. It is easy to see how coming across these letters led to the accomplishment of this book. I have no connection with Slovenia, but there was so much in the book that relates to the stories of immigrants from all over the world. Jozef’s sister and brother-in -law struggle to survive and become established in the USA but back home it is hard for their family to understand the nature of that struggle and assume all is well and prosperous. The intention to return one day erodes as subsequent generations identify with the new country, in this case America. And then there is the question of land that can tear families and neighbours apart all over the world, often with tragic consequences.  However, there is more to this book than the family letters. In order to provide a context for the family history, the author recounts a century of Slovenian history in Europe. This was new knowledge to me but it increased my understanding of events in Europe with the breakup of Yugoslavia. When I had finished, I wondered how different the book would have been if the author had access to the letters her grandparents wrote back to Jozef.

-2023 from London, UK

Easy, smooth flowing read

Absolutely loved this book. Have been researching my paternal side of the family and wasn’t well informed of the history of Slovenia and the migration patterns there and to here in the U.S. A wonderful read, easy, smooth flowing, full of historical tidbits and knowledge making you feel like you are actually there. It answered so many questions that I had and now I have several more answers to discover. Thank you, Amy Fradel

— January 1, 2024

Cultural and ancestral reconnection

I just finished Four Acres under Slavnik, and it was such a meaningful, emotional, learning experience for me. I am deeply grateful that you’ve offered this book to people like me. My mom grew up in Cleveland and her four grandparents immigrated from Slovenia. One of my great grandmothers came from Hotična, mentioned in your book. Very little of our Slovenian heritage was passed down to us. For the last fifteen years, initiated by my own intention to deepen my anti-racist practice, I’ve been pursuing a project of cultural and ancestral reconnection. That’s led me to places in Cleveland, to the archives in Ljubljana and Koper, to villages in Slovenia—most recently with my mom and aunts in tow—and to new conversations with my extended family. 

— March 14, 2026

Understanding Eastern European immigrant experience

This meticulously researched migration story recalled for me my own family’s Eastern European roots. Through author Amy Fradel’s careful weaving of a treasure trove of family letters and oral history with thoroughly described historical events, I gained a deeper understanding of the economic and political conditions which probably caused my ancestors to leave their motherland. So powerfully told is this family’s story that I found myself having dreams about my own ancestors! The privations suffered by Jozef, whom we come to know as if he were a relative, and his family, inform today’s worldwide migrations, which one fears can only increase in light of climate change and so many autocratic governments. This story should be read as an alarm: history need not repeat itself.

— November 25, 2023

Vivid and personal storytelling

I sincerely appreciate your wonderful book, Four Acres Under Slavnik. It deepened my understanding of my mother’s heritage and my Slovenian roots with remarkable clarity. While much of what you described was familiar, your storytelling brought it to life in a way that made it feel even more vivid and personal. I’m truly grateful for your dedication and meticulous research into the historical, political, and cultural aspects of your family’s story. The century-long record of communication is an invaluable treasure, and how fortunate that you were the one to bring their story to life and share it with the world. I’m lucky enough to maintain a relationship with my family “back home” in Branik, and if there’s a Slovenian translation, I’d love to get copies of your book for them.

-January 31,2024

Crash course in Slovenian history

I’m  a journalist writing from Calgary, Canada to say a wholehearted thank you for your book on Slovenian migration. I started a novel based (very loosely) on my grandmother, who immigrated to Canada from Slovenia in 1938. She comes from Radovici, a southeastern village on the border of Croatia.  I knew next to nothing about the country and realized that I needed a crash course in Slovenian history. Even though my story is more about the choices we make as mothers and daughters, I want to know the basics so my book rings true. Reading the letters in your book has given me such insight into domestic life in that time period. It also reminds me of my grandmother. I laughed out loud when I read about the woman who wore two aprons, one dirty, one clean one underneath just in case company arrived. Anyways, this is a long-winded way to say thank you. Your book is excellent company.

-October 31, 2024

Thank you for this beautiful project

Dear Amy, I am reading your “Four Acres Under Slavnik.” Thank you for all the effort and love you expended on this beautiful project. Three of my grandparents and a great grandfather came to Pennsylvania from Slovenia in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. All were from a region around Novo Mesto and Metlika. Grandma Katerina Gorse always referred to Bela Krajina and Stari Kri (sp?) or more commonly the “old country.” Your stories and letter have answered so many questions about the history and culture of our people. Even the personalities and nature you have shared almost lead me to believe we came from the same village. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

— October 25, 2025