Although it centers a specific experience, The Promised Land is an aspirational story that speaks to a universal audience. Upon its release, the book was a resounding success for Antin, eventually selling more than 80,000 copies. It propelled her into a career of public speaking, which she used to address anti-immigration sentiment and invoke policy change.
With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of The Promised Land is both modern and readable.
Mary Antin (1881-1949) was a writer and activist whose work reflected the American immigrant experience. Born in the Russian Empire but raised in the U.S., Antin was a bright child whose exceptional writing quickly impressed her teachers. In 1899, she published her first book, From Plotzk to Boston, which was an early detailing of her emigration story. She was then encouraged to write an autobiography, which became The Promised Land, her most popular and acclaimed work.