Laurice B. Maloley

Destiny by Default Laurice B. Maloley

In light of the September 11, 2001 tragedy in New York and Washington, D. C., I felt compelled to finish this book in order to shed some light on the lives of Arab-Americans, who are Christians. I am proud to be an American born of Arabic decent; I have the best of both worlds embodied in my heart. This book tells a story about my parents who emigrated from Damascus, Syria to Boston Massachusetts in 1906. It tells of their trials and tribulations, and sheds light on the reason for the great migration that occurred in the latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th century. My mother was a woman ahead of her time; it was through her tenacity that her eldest son, George, was able to attend college, and become the first Syrian lawyer, of immigrant parents, in Boston. She was also instrumental in securing help for her younger son Charles to become a doctor. Her struggles and achievements are well worth noting not only for her progeny, but women everywhere who are struggling to raise children in today's society with or without supportive husbands and fathers. This book tells the story of how my mother faced each challenge as it presented itself with faith and courage, how she turned her tears into triumphs; and her despairs into desires and dreams; her aches into action, and finally achieved her goals not for herself, but primarily for her children. Wadia Shagoury left a legacy to all of society, and her story was long overdue As a student at Simmons College in Boston, it became obvious to me that if I wanted to achieve my goals, I must travel down the same road as my mother. Even if it meant I had to go it alone, because my husband adamantly opposed my going to college. With God's guidance and support, I was able to earn two degrees. My one greatest regret is that my mother was no longer living to see me make it to the end of that road. My mother's story is my story, and in my college years, I found out in one-way or another almost every woman's storyIn the wake o