A Cherished Heritage — Reva Spiro Luxenberg

This is a saga of an unusual family that takes place from the late 1800s through 1930. The author fictionalized the stories that her mother told her about her family's life. The Kamensky family flees the destruction and wreckage they suffered in Kovno, Lithuania, to emigrate to the United States. Each child in the family grows up in the New World following different paths. History is incorporated in the story of their lives. Moishe changes his name to Morris and goes on to become a millionaire. He marries Annette, the last child of sixteen siblings, who has been raised by wealthy adoptive parents who rescued her from poverty. Morris loses his fortune in the Great Depression. His life comes to an end quite unexpectedly in a tragic way. Ida changes her name to Ada and remains an ‘old maid' until Ben comes along. She gives birth to Reva and lives until the age of 104.