Middle Grade Buddy Read January
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. From Newbery media winner Karen Hesse comes an unforgettable story of an immigrant family’s journey to America.
During the Russian Civil War of 1919, Rifka and her family must flee Russia because the Russian army are after one of her brothers for leaving the army; the penalty for that is death for the entire family. She tells her story in a series of letters to a cousin named Tovah who remains behind in Russia, written in the blank spaces of an edition of Pushkin’s poetry. Rifka, her parents, and her brothers, Nathan and Saul (who was abusive towards her in the past but changed throughout the course of the novel), escape Russia, hoping to join the three older sons who have been living in America. Along the way, they face many obstacles such as cruel officials. Her mom, dad and older brother all catch typhus. They suffer through hunger and theft. Rifka gets a skin disease, ringworm, which forces her to stay behind in Belgium while her family travels to America. In Belgium people are kind to Jewish people and she is able to recover from her illness. Once she recovers she can leave Belgium to travel to America to meet her family. She travels to America by a large ship where she befriends and develops romantic feelings for Pieter, a sailor. During the voyage, a dangerous storm occurs, killing Pieter. She arrives to Ellis island where she learns that her skin disease has returned and she can’t enter America yet. While she is detained at Ellis Island, she finds she has a talent for nursing others to health. On Ellis island Rifka meets a new friend named Ilya, but he first does not talk to her nor will he eat, so everyone thinks he’s a simpleton. Once Rifka becomes better friends with him, she discovers that he is very smart. She helps him understand that his uncle is not cruel and wants him to come to America because he loves Ilya. Ilya even reads from Rifka’s Pushkin poetry book. He passes the “Test” and makes it to America. Rifka gets over her ringworm, and gets to America to be with her family.
Reading this realize the only Pushin I own is Eugene Onegin! This is unacceptable. I do adore poetry and love to sit and read it. As for Rifka I am really enjoying it and thinking of buying several copies for my reading kiddos to pick from to read during spring break. As for Pushkin I will be on the hunt while drooling over the above pictures poem book.
