Rosamunde: "So Goes the Life in America" By: Catherine Sterzer Knett This is the fascinating story of a sweet, young girl named Rosamunde who leaves her peaceful Alpine village and comes to New York through Ellis Island and the many hardships and challenges she faces in her new country. While only a short time here she finds herself, through difficult and heart-breaking circumstances, alone and abandoned on the streets of Manhattan with little knowledge of the English language. When she seeks refuge in a church, a kindly, old priest helps her to find her way in life. She marries, has a child and life is good but in a few years she finds herself struggling to keep a disastrous marriage together. When the tragic death of a loved one occurs, she holds an eerie Wake in her home. The aftermath of strange, unexplainable circumstances that arise take their toll on her already fragile nerves yet her mysterious attachment to the supernatural and a brief rest in a sanatorium, where she incredibly encounters the unexpected, help her to survive. She regains her strength during a visit back to her homeland but on her return to America she is involved in a near ocean liner catastrophe. Home again, she finally finds her niche of happiness but tragedy does not elude her for long when she receives an envelope with a black border around it. Yet she remains stoic and relies on her supernatural gift. "So goes the life in America" was her favorite expression whenever anything happened, either good or bad. Only a few words but it sums up an extraordinary lifetime that Rosamunde would like to share with you. “A great novel that will hold your attention from beginning to end.” “Vivid descriptions of Rosamunde’s encounters with the supernatural.”