Abstract

For this thesis, I have written a series of interconnected short stories that tell the early life of Teklė, a Lithuanian immigrant to Canada in the 1930s. These stories are written alternately from Teklė’s point of view as well as that of different women who come in and out of her life. In this work, I aim to paint a picture of the ways women recognize and connect with one another through common experiences, in turn telling the story of Teklė’s hardships, unwavering hope, and determination to find family and place. Teklė is based loosely on my own grandmother, and each story in the collection centres around people and events that influenced her life.

In the women’s stories, I explore themes of grief, caretaking, marital conflict, child-rearing, and other responsibilities carried by women across generations. Each woman is compelled by Teklė’s presence to reflect on their own life, and in turn help Teklė to heal and move on.

Interspersed are stories told from Teklė’s point of view, providing an opportunity to see her unfiltered at pivotal moments. Although the themes of abuse, scarcity, discrimination, and sexism run through the collection, Teklė remains a character with unshakable hope. Hers is ultimately the story of the female immigrant experience, where new lives are built on a foundation of trauma and tragedy that’s often walled away for survival. This collection is an attempt to remove some of the bricks for Teklė.