The Woodcarver's Daughter

After a pogrom forces Batya's Russian Jewish family to leave their home and make the journey to America, Batya hopes her new life will offer her a chance to become a woodcarver like her beloved father. But while many things in America are different from the world of her shtetl, one thing seems to be the same: only boys can be woodcarvers. Still, Batya is determined to learn.

With the same perseverance that helped her family survive and start over in an unfamiliar land, Batya sets out to carve a place for herself. This atmospheric historical fiction novel captures the setting of Russia and New York in the 1910s, complete with vibrant descriptions of the experience of traveling shipboard and of trying to integrate in a new country. This is a powerful tale of the immigrant experience that celebrates a girl who is determined to make her own place in the world.

No results found.