Beyond the Silk Mills

Emma Epstein arrives in America in 1898 craving wealth and status. Her husband Meyer a socialist and textile worker has a passion for workers rights stemming from his days as a weaver in the Jewish ghetto of Lodz Poland where he was an activist in the socialist Labor Bund. As she peddles corsets door-to-door Emma realizes that Meyer will never change or want the same things she does. He clings to his idealism and guides his comrades through the protracted Paterson Silk Strike of 1913. Disillusioned and angry Emma tramples Meyers idealism with a determination to acquire riches and finagles her way to success as proprietor of an upscale womens dress shop The New Woman. By leveraging her earnings in the stock market she hopes to usher the family into high society. Their daughter Sophie is forced to choose between her parents and the decision leads her to the tenements of New Yorks Lower East Side unlikely friendships pregnancy and newfound love. Beyond the Silk Mills is a compelling saga of family discord ambition romance and regret. The Epstein familys struggle during the early twentieth century in New York City and Paterson New Jersey illuminates the roots of modern feminism and contemporary labor issues.