About the Book
A brave girl’s adventurous journey from Bolshevik Russia to the Zionists’ settlement in the Holy Land.
Sara, a Jewish 12-year-old in 1919 Russia, has spunk, independence, and a deep commitment to her heritage. Suddenly orphaned under mysterious circumstances, her home and shtetl destroyed, Sara begins a daring journey toward Budapest and her eventual destination, Palestine. On this amazing odyssey, Sara meets fascinating people of all sorts. Set against a backdrop of stormy historical events—pogroms, the influenza epidemic, the Bolshevik Revolution, and the struggle to create the State of Israel—this riveting young-adult novel is told with warmth, grace, and subtlety.
Through the heart and mind of Sara, young readers will experience a world of connections between generations, genders, cultures, religions, and nationalities. Sara grows into a true follower of her father’s wise advice: “Be bold and brave, but not foolhardy.”
[A] complicated but gripping first novel.