Letters from Rifka
by Karen Hesse (Author)
From Newbery media winner Karen Hesse comes an unforgettable story of an immigrant family's journey to America.
America, the girl repeated. What will you do there?
I was silent for a little time.
I will do everything there, I answered.
Rifka knows nothing about America when she flees from Russia with her family in 1919. But she dreams that in the new country she will at last be safe from the Russian soldiers and their harsh treatment of the Jews. Throughout her journey, Rifka carries with her a cherished volume of poetry by Alexander Pushkin. In it, she records her observations and experiences in the form of letters to Tovah, the beloved cousin she has left behind.
Strong-hearted and determined, Rifka must endure a great deal: humiliating examinations by doctors and soldiers, deadly typhus, separation from all she has ever known and loved, murderous storms at sea, detainment on Ellis Island--and is if this is not enough, the loss of her glorious golden hair.
Based on a true story from the author's family, Letters from Rifka presents a real-life heroine with an uncommon courage and unsinkable spirit.
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School Library Journal
Based largely on the memories of the author's great-aunt, this historical novel has a plot, characters, and style that will make it an often-requested choice from young readers. A vivid, memorable, and involving reading experience.
Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission
Publisher's Weekly
Hesse's vivacious tale colorfully and convincingly refreshes the immigrant experience.
Copyright 2009 Publisher Weekly Used with permission
Review quotes
Karen Hesse is the author of many books for young people, including Out of the Dust, winner of the Newbery Medal, Brooklyn Bridge, Phoenix Rising, Sable and Lavender. She has received honors including the Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award, the Christopher Award, and the MacArthur Fellowship Genius Award, making her only the second children's book author to receive this prestigious grant. Born in Baltimore, Hesse graduated from the University of Maryland. She and her husband Randy live in Vermont.
Letters
Emigration and immigration
