When it comes to Jewish lives and immigration, the only event that dares to pop up is Holocaust. I’m not against Holocaust novels, but often times I wish to see more aspects beyond that event to be represented in Jewish fiction, and this book is an answer to my prayer. I’ve previously read Jews without Money by Michael Gold and while I enjoyed it, the story of immigration in there was nothing but despair; people try, people fail to make something of themselves and have to return to old roots. In this story, while its drawn realistically, there is also hope for Leah’s future, that she will amount to something more than the requirements of her day. It’s also relief that despite the monotony and hardship, Leah and her family enjoy the moments of daily life be it picnics, weddings, courting or just being together in the new land. A beautiful and poignant story of an all too forgotten history of Jewish immigrants.
