Books like Letters from Rifka

Women’s history month 2019 rolls on this time with a quality book for middle grade kids. One of my kids won Letters from Rifka as a prize from the library summer reading program a few years ago and it has been sitting on my book shelf begging to be read. Karen Hesse wanted to preserve her family’s history and interviewed her great aunt Lucy Avrutin, who provided a treasure trove of stories for her to use in her writing. Aunt Lucy’s memories combined with Hesse’s ability to weave a story gives way to an award winning tale about perseverance of a young immigrant girl. The year is 1919. The first wave of Jewish immigration from Russia has ended as those sensing danger left before the revolution. My own family came to the United States between 1905-1910, some members arriving even earlier. Some Jews believed in the revolution and stayed behind yet the Bolsheviks made life as difficult for Jews as the czar they replaced. Pograms continued and Jewish boys were conscripted into the Russian army. These young men had the choice to serve or they were killed or their family was forced to flee the country. The Nebrot family of Berdichev had five sons. The oldest three had left for America and worked to save money for the rest of their family to finally leave Russia. The arrival of the money coincided with the youngest brother Saul being conscripted into the army. It was time for the Nebrot family to join their Jewish brothers and sisters in leaving Russia. Rifka Nebrot, aged twelve, is the youngest child in the family and the only girl. As in any quality coming of age story, Rifka has conflicted feelings about leaving behind the only life she ever knew. Her grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins all live in Berdichev, and Rifka would rather stay behind or bring the rest of her family with her. She copes with the grandiosity of her journey by clinging to her one prized possession, a volume of Pushkin’s poems given to her by her cousin Tovah, her favorite girl cousin closest in age to her. Rifka writes letters to Tovah in the margins of the book of poetry because she has no other paper and she wants to preserve this journey for both her cousins and herself. Over the duration of the journey, Pushkin as a symbol becomes more and more valuable. Usually youngest members of any family tend to be spoiled and babied by their parents and older siblings. This is not the case for Rifka as she is the most creative and spunky member of her family and oh what a talker. When she develops ringworm in Poland, she is not able to go onto America with her family but rather stays behind in Europe to heal. In Antwerp, Belgium, she befriends all different types of people who laud her precociousness and ability to speak her mind in all different languages. Not a thought or idea escapes her, as she prepares for her long awaited journey to America, reflecting that an ocean will separate her from her cousins in Berdichev. Even though she is seeking a better life, Rifka empathizes that she would like nothing more than to me reunited with her entire extended family, the Russian branches included, in America. Karen Hesse’s personal tale won her the Jewish Book Award and Christopher Award for young readers in 1992. Rifka’s tale is one of a strong willed young girl who in another era could have been considered for politics or any other leadership position. In 1920, however, Ellis Island’s medical officials did not doubt that Rifka would have a bright future, but job prospects at the time were limited even for the top notch women available. Hesse gives adult readers many thoughts to ponder and teachers a wide range of discussion points with their classes. In Rifka Nebrot, girls are given a role model who is determined to achieve anything she wants out of life. 4+ stars