Land of Hope

September 28, 1992
This first book of a series spotlights Rebekah Levinsky, who, with her family, escapes the pogroms of Russia and boards a crowded steamship for New York City in 1902. The journey's rigors and the agony of leaving her homeland recede somewhat when she meets three emigrants of her own age, yet the girl's joy on arriving at Ellis Island is diminished when her grandfather's limp prevents his entering the country. More problems follow: cramped living quarters, sweatshop working conditions, a street gang that harasses Rebekah's older brother. Nixon ably dramatizes the hope that can emerge in response to oppression--political and otherwise; despite Rebekah's pleas to attend school and become a teacher, her parents insist she focus on an arranged marriage and childbearing. The book has its shortcomings, however--stilted dialogue, a repetitious, sometimes dull narrative and numerous Yiddish words likely to perplex youngsters. Still, this close-up view of turn-of-the-century America and Nixon's factual afterword on Ellis Island are admirable compensations. Ages 10-up.

October 1, 1992
Gr 5-7- -Rebekah, 15, and her family leave their shtetl in Russia for the U. S., seeking safety from the random violence against Jews. On the ship she meets two girls, one Irish and one Swedish, representing two other major groups of immigrants in the early 1900s. Rebekah and her friends talk about the opportunities for women in their new country, a theme that reappears throughout the story. Interwoven is the beginning of a romance that will surely develop in later books. The novel's strength is its sense of place; readers suffer the smells and trials of the long, harrowing ocean trip and feel the confusion the family faces in New York, even then a large and chaotic city. The characters, who seem to be typecast for their role in a book about the "immigrant experience," and the episodic plot slow down the pace of the story, and it's difficult for readers to care much about these people. Other novels set in the same period include the powerful Call Me Ruth (Doubleday, 1982; o.p.) by Marilyn Sachs and One Way to Ansonia (Bradbury, 1985) by Judie Angell. -Amy Kellman, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

December 15, 1992
Gr. 6-9. In the first book of the Ellis Island series, 15-year-old Rebekah Levinsky escapes persecution in Russia and flees with her family to join Uncle Avir in New York City. Few of the family's belongings can be brought on the treacherous voyage, and Rebekah misses her best friend and the home she leaves behind. Even so, she adapts quickly to life on board the ship and finds friends. Her arduous journey is vividly described; her friendships and fleeting shipboard romance are less convincing. When Rebekah's grandfather is denied entry into the U.S. because he is lame, the family is devastated. They are also unprepared for the cramped living quarters of their new home and the long hours they must work in the sweat shop to survive in the new land. Despite the difficulties, Rebekah is still granted her one wish--to go to school. Nixon's careful rendering of life for immigrants in the early 1900s is realistically harsh yet hopeful, and teenagers will absorb a strong sense of the times as they read Rebekah's engrossing story. ((Reviewed Dec. 15, 1992))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1992, American Library Association.)

January 1, 1992
When Rebekah Levinsky and her family embark on the long voyage to America at the turn of the century, she befriends two other young immigrants. At Ellis Island, the three friends part ways, with the Levinskys staying in New York. The city is a shock as they adjust to the many changes and new hardships. An honest portrayal of a slice of American history, from the perspective of a young Russian-Jewish immigrant.

(Copyright 1992 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)