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Dear America
Dreams in the Golden Country: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, A Jewish Immigrant Girl
Twelve-year-old Zippy, a Jewish immigrant from Russia, keeps a diary account of the first eighteen months of her family's life on the Lower East Side of New York City in 1903-1904.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Kathryn Lasky
232 books2,176 followersKathryn Lasky is the American author of many critically acclaimed books, including several Dear America books, several Royal Diaries books, 1984 Newbery Honor winning Sugaring Time, The Night Journey, and the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series.
She was born June 24, 1944, and grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is married to Christopher Knight, with whom she lives in Massachusetts.
Book 15, The War of the Ember, is currently the last book in the Ga'Hoole series. The Rise of a Legend is the 16th book but is a prequel to the series. Lasky has also written Guide Book To The Great Tree and Lost Tales Of Ga'Hoole which are companion books.
She was born June 24, 1944, and grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is married to Christopher Knight, with whom she lives in Massachusetts.
Book 15, The War of the Ember, is currently the last book in the Ga'Hoole series. The Rise of a Legend is the 16th book but is a prequel to the series. Lasky has also written Guide Book To The Great Tree and Lost Tales Of Ga'Hoole which are companion books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
November 4, 2011
This is the diary of Zipporah Feldman. Zippy's family came over to America in 1903 in hopes of a better life. Her father has already come over and established a life for himself and his family. Zippy has two sisters, Tovah, who becomes very involved in the unions, and Miriam, who falls in love with an Irish boy.
Zipporah wants to do what is best for her family and help out whenever she possibly can. Her Mama and Papa will not let her work though, on account of her age, so Zippy must go to school. Since she is so behind in America, she must start at grade three and work her way up. Zipporah meets Blu, and together these two girls come up with a plan to be in the eighth grade in a short time.
Zippy's plans don't seem to go as she planned though when her family cannot get along, Miriam runs off with her boyfriend, Blu's father runs away and Blu falls behind in school, and Mama doesn't want to leave her old ways behind and become a true American. Zippy seems to push through everything as best she can in hopes of pursuing her dream of becoming an actress. Will things work out for Zippy in the end? Or will she be left with hanging dreams and never become who she has always wanted to be?
I liked this book, especially the way that it was set up. It was neat to read a book that was written like a diary, and this made it very easy and quick to read. The historical aspect of the book is greatly accurate, which makes this all the better to read because of how informational it is. Even though it is written in 1903 by a Jewish immigrant, it is even very easy to read because it is written in an eleven-year-old's language from 1903, but in a way that people of today can understand it very easily.
As a future teacher, I would use this book and probably anyone in the series for any historical unit I was teaching. I think that it would give the students a great look into how life would have been for them if they had been alive during this time period, and it will make them feel more connected to the reading because the character is around their age. Also, the fact that it is written like a diary so the pages are not completely full with text will make it more enjoyable by many students. Because it is a historical fiction book, this would be a great book to use to introduce this genre to students.
Zipporah wants to do what is best for her family and help out whenever she possibly can. Her Mama and Papa will not let her work though, on account of her age, so Zippy must go to school. Since she is so behind in America, she must start at grade three and work her way up. Zipporah meets Blu, and together these two girls come up with a plan to be in the eighth grade in a short time.
Zippy's plans don't seem to go as she planned though when her family cannot get along, Miriam runs off with her boyfriend, Blu's father runs away and Blu falls behind in school, and Mama doesn't want to leave her old ways behind and become a true American. Zippy seems to push through everything as best she can in hopes of pursuing her dream of becoming an actress. Will things work out for Zippy in the end? Or will she be left with hanging dreams and never become who she has always wanted to be?
I liked this book, especially the way that it was set up. It was neat to read a book that was written like a diary, and this made it very easy and quick to read. The historical aspect of the book is greatly accurate, which makes this all the better to read because of how informational it is. Even though it is written in 1903 by a Jewish immigrant, it is even very easy to read because it is written in an eleven-year-old's language from 1903, but in a way that people of today can understand it very easily.
As a future teacher, I would use this book and probably anyone in the series for any historical unit I was teaching. I think that it would give the students a great look into how life would have been for them if they had been alive during this time period, and it will make them feel more connected to the reading because the character is around their age. Also, the fact that it is written like a diary so the pages are not completely full with text will make it more enjoyable by many students. Because it is a historical fiction book, this would be a great book to use to introduce this genre to students.
June 25, 2020
I read this book several times. I really loved the Dear America series. I think they still have a place in YA literature today, and I think more girls should read them because it gives an opportunity to make connections to the past in a personal way.
July 31, 2019
*NOTE* Some spoilers.
This was a great book - an accurate depiction of what life was like for immigrants coming to American and life for them on the Lower East Side at the turn of the century.
Twelve-year-old Zipporah Feldman keeps a diary from 1903-1906 - we join her at her first days in America at Ellis Island where she writes totally in Yiddish. She improves in school, her English-written entries in italics. Her family has many struggles - a smelly, interesting boarder, her older sister Miriam falling in love with the Irish Catholic boy who turns out their lights for them on the Sabbath (Saturday for Jews), her other older sister Tovah joining the union - and many triumphs - Zippy excels in school, her father takes up violin playing again, and Zippy falls in love with the theatre.
This is a great Dear America book to read - I highly recommend it.
This was a great book - an accurate depiction of what life was like for immigrants coming to American and life for them on the Lower East Side at the turn of the century.
Twelve-year-old Zipporah Feldman keeps a diary from 1903-1906 - we join her at her first days in America at Ellis Island where she writes totally in Yiddish. She improves in school, her English-written entries in italics. Her family has many struggles - a smelly, interesting boarder, her older sister Miriam falling in love with the Irish Catholic boy who turns out their lights for them on the Sabbath (Saturday for Jews), her other older sister Tovah joining the union - and many triumphs - Zippy excels in school, her father takes up violin playing again, and Zippy falls in love with the theatre.
This is a great Dear America book to read - I highly recommend it.
July 27, 2011
This book is written like a diary. Zipporah is the one doing the talking. She is 10 years old when her family immigrates from Russia to America. She keeps a diary for about 18 months. All her hopes, dreams and tragedy's are written here. The first thing she has to do is go to school. Since Zipporah can't speak English very well they put her in with the first graders. But she learns fast and moves up through the school system. Zipporah's one big dream is to become an actress in the theater. Does she make it in the theater? You'll have to read the book to find out.
June 2, 2016
I rated this book 3 stars because, I didn't really know much about life in NY was in 1903-1905 despite Ellis Island. This book didn't have much plot or setting. But had a lot of character. These are my thoughts on this book. I read this book when it was due, I just forgot to update this book.
October 20, 2015
i like the book so much that it make me think of a part in my life that my famliy nevreto brake up or have to go some whare to live alone.
April 3, 2022
If I'm being honest, I was kinda unsure about this book in the beginning. But when I got into it, it turned out to be a really good book! It was about a Jewish immigrant girl, Zipporah Feldman, Zippy for short, who moved to America to be with her Father. As her adventure unfolds, with new friends and a new school, it's a lot to take in. But Zippy still manages to make the best of it! I reccomend this book to people who like history and Jewishim.
March 29, 2021
I reread this in a fit of nostalgia for the excellent historical fiction of my youth - it did not disappoint. The Dear America series was always one of my favorites, and I hope that young readers will continue to discover different periods of American history from a personal perspective where the sordid details cannot be waved over or ignored; there's even a diary of a girl who went to one of the notorious forced Native American assimilation boarding schools (My Heart is On the Ground, if I remember correctly).
But this book specifically I always enjoyed because of Zippy herself, her drive to be on the stage of the Yiddish theater and her family's struggle to square their practice of the Jewish faith & values with the pull of American culture in the tenements of New York City at the turn of the century. The book portrays not just the difficult details of immigrating and adjusting to the United States, but also the reasons why Ellis Island was humming with activity at this time as people came to America eager for a new beginning and a chance to have a better life than in the country left behind (for Zippy and her family, that means escaping the pogroms of Russia). I loved how Zippy described their adaptation of Jewish festivals like Sukkot and Purim from how they celebrated in her village in Russia to the high rises of NYC. Her sister's romance with an Irish fireman was also a highlight for me.
But this book specifically I always enjoyed because of Zippy herself, her drive to be on the stage of the Yiddish theater and her family's struggle to square their practice of the Jewish faith & values with the pull of American culture in the tenements of New York City at the turn of the century. The book portrays not just the difficult details of immigrating and adjusting to the United States, but also the reasons why Ellis Island was humming with activity at this time as people came to America eager for a new beginning and a chance to have a better life than in the country left behind (for Zippy and her family, that means escaping the pogroms of Russia). I loved how Zippy described their adaptation of Jewish festivals like Sukkot and Purim from how they celebrated in her village in Russia to the high rises of NYC. Her sister's romance with an Irish fireman was also a highlight for me.
Read
May 18, 2012I forget where I picked this up at but I finally read it less than two months ago. I have a friend or two who are slowly reading and/or collecting the Dear America series. I have no interest in doing the same but every once in awhile I read one that interests me for a specific reason.
Since I read a lot about the Holocaust and how the Jewish people survived, and in many cases didn't survive, this caught my eye because of the title. Of course, the date is also on the cover so I knew what I was getting. I didn't expect it to be about the Holocaust itself.
There are some really great old photos in the back of the book that will probably get minds turning, along with maps, two of them I think.
I was a little surprised at the realisticness of the diary. I think since it's Dear America I expected it to be more of a younger-than-pre-teen-type of story and in all actuality a much older person can get quite into it. As I have so proven to myself.
I think I'll keep my eye out for others in the series that I might like but it's certainly not something I want to read every one of. I am looking forward to introducing the books to Julia in a few years. Maybe she'll be so enamored that she decides to make a goal out of the series.
Since I read a lot about the Holocaust and how the Jewish people survived, and in many cases didn't survive, this caught my eye because of the title. Of course, the date is also on the cover so I knew what I was getting. I didn't expect it to be about the Holocaust itself.
There are some really great old photos in the back of the book that will probably get minds turning, along with maps, two of them I think.
I was a little surprised at the realisticness of the diary. I think since it's Dear America I expected it to be more of a younger-than-pre-teen-type of story and in all actuality a much older person can get quite into it. As I have so proven to myself.
I think I'll keep my eye out for others in the series that I might like but it's certainly not something I want to read every one of. I am looking forward to introducing the books to Julia in a few years. Maybe she'll be so enamored that she decides to make a goal out of the series.
March 27, 2010
It's 1903, and Zipporah Feldman, her older sisters Miriam and Tovah, and their mother have come to join Papa in New York City, fleeing the persecution of Jews in their small Russian village. As she struggles to adjust to the American way of life, fit in at her new school, and learn English, Zippy, as she is calld, writes in her diary of how her father is becoming more American every day, Miriam is in love with a Catholic boy, Tovah is obsessed with fighting for better labor condition, and Mama attempts to keep traditional Jewish ways. Over one and a half years, we see how Zippy grows and matures. She experiances tragedies and losses, makes new friends, learns English, adapts many American ways, and persues her dreams of becoming an actress. One of my favorites from the Dear America series and highly recommended.
October 14, 2019
One of my favorites in the series. Zippy has a great sense of humor and the story makes me think of my paternal ancestors, who came to New York under similar circumstances to the Feldmans. I also enjoy the “ship” in this diary.
Three criticisms: Firstly, a plot point happens that was clearly modeled after something that happened the following decade. Secondly, Yiddish theater was on the decline at this point, and did not have quite the longevity that Lasky makes it out to have. Lastly, the Bintel Brief column of the Jewish Daily Forward was not started until 1906, the year after this diary ends.
Three criticisms: Firstly, a plot point happens that was clearly modeled after something that happened the following decade. Secondly, Yiddish theater was on the decline at this point, and did not have quite the longevity that Lasky makes it out to have. Lastly, the Bintel Brief column of the Jewish Daily Forward was not started until 1906, the year after this diary ends.
September 24, 2009
Zipporah (Zippy) Feldman is a Jewish Immigrant to America, she has heard of all the great opportunity in America, and is eager to take some. Zippy runs into all the greatness of America, as well as some of her downfalls. She starts school, makes new friends, and watches her sister, Miriam fall in love.
This book was sweet. It is a true account of what Jewish Immigrants felt. It was well written, and full of information. I loved the sisters, even when different belifes seperated them. They still loved each other.
This book was sweet. It is a true account of what Jewish Immigrants felt. It was well written, and full of information. I loved the sisters, even when different belifes seperated them. They still loved each other.
December 13, 2015
I have always found this period of American history fascinating. The story of Zippy and her family shows the struggles faced by immigrants, particularly learning English and trying to combine the traditions of their country with the new ideas they were exposed to in America. I did feel a bit out of touch with some of the Jewish traditions and High Holy Days, because I am Catholic, like Sean, but I did find the family's devotion to their Jewish tradtions touching and it was interesting to learn about a different religion.
May 18, 2011
I absolutley loved reading these books when i was younger, and actually remember historical events that occured because of these books. The pictures at the back of the book of the time period and event were great, and I would often stare at them for an endless amount of time. I think this was one of my favorites, the description of the triangle factory fire amazed me, and to this day I remember what happened and what the triangle fire was and what it did for the US. Awesome book overall :D
July 9, 2009
My mother-in-law gave me this children's novel after we visited the Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side. The guided museum tour was fantastic (and highly recommended), and the experience helped me visualize the family's apartment and neighborhood in the novel. The main character, Zipporah, is a lovable, hardworking girl that you just want to root for. Go, Zippy!
September 9, 2010
I enjoyed this book, and not just because the sister's name was Tovah, which made me think of my friend's sister, Tova! I like reading about what it might have been like for immidgrants to this country in the early 1900s, and I didn't really know anything about Russian Jewish immigrants before reading this story.
April 30, 2024
Another great story in this series!!! As easy and interesting as these books are I will be through with them in just a few days :) I highly recommend this book!!!
July 24, 2015
Gives quite an informative view of life in the US for Russian Jewish immigrants.
May 6, 2020
Really, this is a 3, perhaps 3.5 stars but I was entranced by this. It is the fictional diary of a young girl,age 12, who was named Zipporah Feldman. Btw Zipporah means little bird in Hebrew. This is part of the Dear America series of fictional diaries telling about a pivotal year (or so) in the girl’s life. This is about a Jewish immigrant girl who comes from the Pale in Russia. Zipporah immediately sees the tug of the old world and ways while being attracted to the pull of the new world and those customs. She is determined to learn English but is infuriated to be put into first grade! She and a friend study hard and gets promoted from grade to grade until they have caught up with their age. At the end is an epilogue where you discover Zipporah became a famous star of the Yiddish theater. She made the transition to film and acted in many movies, losing an Oscar to Ginny Rogers! Her granddaughter has continued in the acting world.
I was caught up in this story and read it pretty much in one sitting. One complaint I did have was that there was no dictionary of Yiddish words. There were some I didn’t know and I’m sure most children would have been confused even if they had gotten the general sense of the words. There were also a few too many minor characters for me to remember. But I loved the story and discovering about someone I haven’t heard of before.
Recommended for women’s month displays, Jewish history, and kids who love acting.
I was caught up in this story and read it pretty much in one sitting. One complaint I did have was that there was no dictionary of Yiddish words. There were some I didn’t know and I’m sure most children would have been confused even if they had gotten the general sense of the words. There were also a few too many minor characters for me to remember. But I loved the story and discovering about someone I haven’t heard of before.
Recommended for women’s month displays, Jewish history, and kids who love acting.
February 23, 2011
Dreams in the Golden Country (New York City) / 0-590-02973-8
It seems I like all the Dear America books, and this one is no exception. Although I was expecting something a little more along the lines of "The Jungle" and a little less along the lines of "Fiddler on the Roof", this book does manage to neatly encapsulate the life of an immigrant to America in the early 1900s.
The author skims briefly over their stay at Ellis islands, the perfunctory and frightening medical exams, and the cramped apartment living that waits them in the new world. This is dealt with in a light vein, and the overall tone is never dim or depressing. The life of the family is never terribly hard - the mother starts a sewing business more to stay occupied than to bring in money, and the father is offered a position at the local university teaching violin.
Because the "immigrant hardships" are toned down so much, the conflict in the book comes from the social changes within the family: one daughter becomes involved in unions and suffrage activities, another daughter romances and marries a non-Jewish boy, and the father slowly stops following the Orthodox manner of dress and grooming, to the mother's horror and consternation. As the family is absorbed into this new culture, they have to decide which traditions are sacrosanct and which traditions can be abandoned for the new ways.
Parents might want to be aware of some of the themes presented here, depending on the age and maturity of the child. Although the theme of "immigrant hardships" is largely ignored, the book does feature two sudden deaths - one a newborn infant, and the second a worker who dies from unsafe working conditions involving a warehouse fire. The imagery is moved over as swiftly as possible, but the concepts are disturbing. One of the daughters routinely sneaks out at night to see her non-Jewish boyfriend, although there is never any indication that the young lovers are doing anything more than holding hands and kissing. Lastly, the mother can come off as an unsympathetic character, as she routinely and openly alienates several members of the family for not being "religious enough". Although this issue is resolved by the end, the mother can come across as caring more about her religion than about her family, depending on your own point of view.
~ Ana Mardoll
It seems I like all the Dear America books, and this one is no exception. Although I was expecting something a little more along the lines of "The Jungle" and a little less along the lines of "Fiddler on the Roof", this book does manage to neatly encapsulate the life of an immigrant to America in the early 1900s.
The author skims briefly over their stay at Ellis islands, the perfunctory and frightening medical exams, and the cramped apartment living that waits them in the new world. This is dealt with in a light vein, and the overall tone is never dim or depressing. The life of the family is never terribly hard - the mother starts a sewing business more to stay occupied than to bring in money, and the father is offered a position at the local university teaching violin.
Because the "immigrant hardships" are toned down so much, the conflict in the book comes from the social changes within the family: one daughter becomes involved in unions and suffrage activities, another daughter romances and marries a non-Jewish boy, and the father slowly stops following the Orthodox manner of dress and grooming, to the mother's horror and consternation. As the family is absorbed into this new culture, they have to decide which traditions are sacrosanct and which traditions can be abandoned for the new ways.
Parents might want to be aware of some of the themes presented here, depending on the age and maturity of the child. Although the theme of "immigrant hardships" is largely ignored, the book does feature two sudden deaths - one a newborn infant, and the second a worker who dies from unsafe working conditions involving a warehouse fire. The imagery is moved over as swiftly as possible, but the concepts are disturbing. One of the daughters routinely sneaks out at night to see her non-Jewish boyfriend, although there is never any indication that the young lovers are doing anything more than holding hands and kissing. Lastly, the mother can come off as an unsympathetic character, as she routinely and openly alienates several members of the family for not being "religious enough". Although this issue is resolved by the end, the mother can come across as caring more about her religion than about her family, depending on your own point of view.
~ Ana Mardoll
Want to read
March 6, 2017I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14430420
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14430420
February 24, 2013
Zippora or what people call her "Zippy" has just come to America. She and her family are going to go stay with their dad. Their dad had been away in America for a long time, trying to earn enough money for them to come. Well after Zippy, her two sisters, and her mother have to wait to get a check up to see if they have any diseses. When someone came to check Zippy's eyes, she wrote something on her back. Zippy's sister took Zippy's jacket and put it inside out.
When they saw their dad, they were surprised to see that he looked different. He looked more American. Zippy also had to start school from first grade since she didn't know English. Her two sisters went with her dad to go work in the factory. Zippy's teacher said that if she wants to catch up with her standard grade, then she will have to study and try to master the English language. Zippy took her things and would study for a long time. She kept going from one grade to the next until she reached seventh grade.
While this happened, Zippy's mother became pregnant and was going to have a baby. Zippy's sister Miriam fell in love with a non Jew and they want to marry. But Miriam doesn't want to break the rule. And Zippy's sister Tovah has now organized a women's union in which they talk about the society. But what will happen next? Will Tovah's union get women's rights back? Will the baby make it alive? Or will Miriam's love story finally come to an end? You will have to read this interesting book to find out.
Just as the book is interesting, so is the author. Kathryn Lasky created this book and I believe that she did a wonderful job. She put some sorrows in the book and also some happy moments. She really played with my feelings when I read this book. She shows us what a life of a Jew can be. And it was interesting. I love the way this diary started and i loved the way it ended.
I would give this book a four out of five stars because I really enjoyed it, but I didn't think that it was finished. It should have had some more towards the ending. I like all the dreams that were presented and how they were accomplished. But I didn;t really like all those sad and unhappy moments. This book is in the middle of good and okay so it deserves four stars.
When they saw their dad, they were surprised to see that he looked different. He looked more American. Zippy also had to start school from first grade since she didn't know English. Her two sisters went with her dad to go work in the factory. Zippy's teacher said that if she wants to catch up with her standard grade, then she will have to study and try to master the English language. Zippy took her things and would study for a long time. She kept going from one grade to the next until she reached seventh grade.
While this happened, Zippy's mother became pregnant and was going to have a baby. Zippy's sister Miriam fell in love with a non Jew and they want to marry. But Miriam doesn't want to break the rule. And Zippy's sister Tovah has now organized a women's union in which they talk about the society. But what will happen next? Will Tovah's union get women's rights back? Will the baby make it alive? Or will Miriam's love story finally come to an end? You will have to read this interesting book to find out.
Just as the book is interesting, so is the author. Kathryn Lasky created this book and I believe that she did a wonderful job. She put some sorrows in the book and also some happy moments. She really played with my feelings when I read this book. She shows us what a life of a Jew can be. And it was interesting. I love the way this diary started and i loved the way it ended.
I would give this book a four out of five stars because I really enjoyed it, but I didn't think that it was finished. It should have had some more towards the ending. I like all the dreams that were presented and how they were accomplished. But I didn;t really like all those sad and unhappy moments. This book is in the middle of good and okay so it deserves four stars.
March 3, 2014
1903 Russia Proper was over six million square miles, and the Pale of Settlement was the only place Jews were allowed to live. It was 386,100 sq. mi. in the area we now call Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine. It was not a self-governing body, as they were subjected to numerous anti-/Semitic decrees that limited various activities and professions. Life was unpleasant, but manageable.
The Pale was abolished in 1917, when the Russian Revolution ended. Pograms were frequent, sabers rattled, homes destroyed, women abused, crops and businesses destroyed, and murders were the order of the day.
Between 1880 and 1924, as many as two million Jews immigrated to the U.S.from Russia. Most entered the port of NYC.
Zippy is 13 and the youngest of 3 daughters. Her mother gave her a diary, before they left Zarichka, a small settlement near the Polish border. Father was a violinist, trained in ST. Petersburg. A pogram in the nearest settlement, where a girl's ear was cut off, was the reason Father decided to move his family to the U.S.
Imagine yourself, 13, leaving a comfortable stone cottage with a clear, sweet, running brook for fresh water, for a 3 room tenement in NYC. It is small, dark, and hot, AND the old man who boards with them smells like animal droppings. Papa says, "How lucky we are!" Zippy thinks, "Lucky to have one window, lucky to share a bathroom in the hall with strangers, lucky to be unable to sense 7 AM from 7 PM because it is so dark." Well, at least she had 2 ears and a nose.
The family settles in quickly. Papa sheds some of his Jewishness by shaving his sidelocks. Tovah, oldest daughter, is first to learn English, Miriam, falls in love with a non-Jew, and Zippy goes to school to learn the culture and the language. Mama refuses to become Americanized.
It is entertaining and I feel a pretty accurate account of what it would be like to "walk in those shoes."
The Pale was abolished in 1917, when the Russian Revolution ended. Pograms were frequent, sabers rattled, homes destroyed, women abused, crops and businesses destroyed, and murders were the order of the day.
Between 1880 and 1924, as many as two million Jews immigrated to the U.S.from Russia. Most entered the port of NYC.
Zippy is 13 and the youngest of 3 daughters. Her mother gave her a diary, before they left Zarichka, a small settlement near the Polish border. Father was a violinist, trained in ST. Petersburg. A pogram in the nearest settlement, where a girl's ear was cut off, was the reason Father decided to move his family to the U.S.
Imagine yourself, 13, leaving a comfortable stone cottage with a clear, sweet, running brook for fresh water, for a 3 room tenement in NYC. It is small, dark, and hot, AND the old man who boards with them smells like animal droppings. Papa says, "How lucky we are!" Zippy thinks, "Lucky to have one window, lucky to share a bathroom in the hall with strangers, lucky to be unable to sense 7 AM from 7 PM because it is so dark." Well, at least she had 2 ears and a nose.
The family settles in quickly. Papa sheds some of his Jewishness by shaving his sidelocks. Tovah, oldest daughter, is first to learn English, Miriam, falls in love with a non-Jew, and Zippy goes to school to learn the culture and the language. Mama refuses to become Americanized.
It is entertaining and I feel a pretty accurate account of what it would be like to "walk in those shoes."
May 3, 2011
I've read two Dear America books now, this being the 2nd. I had heard great things about them, but so far, I found them merely average. These are children books, but that doesn't mean adults can't like them, and I usually like children's novels.
Zipporah and her family are new immigrants to America. Here they are starting over with a new life, but they have to make sure they are adjusting to life appropriately as it is very different from what they are used to. While her sisters each have something to occupy their time (boys, unions, etc.) Zipporah dreams of performing in the theatre or learning science. She does her best at school and works hard, but problems in her family make her lose some ground.
None of the characters were that great. Zipporah is kind of blah and while her sisters are interesting, they aren't given that much time in the book. Her father had the same problem. Meanwhile, her mother has some time spent to her in the book, but she was kind of an unlikable person, at least from Zipporah's eyes.
As far as plot goes there really isn't too much of a plot in this one. It just kind of bounces around Zipporah's first few years in America. There are a lot of different details thrown in, but they aren't explained. Since Zipporah and her family are Jewish there are a lot of terms and holidays thrown in the book, but they aren't described very well and I wish the author had taken more time to elaborate instead of just using them as filler. I don't know much about history of this time, but considering the story was interesting it has that going for it.
I might try some of the other Dear Americas, but I hope they turn out to be better than this one. A story can be interesting, but it also needs to be complete and go somewhere.
Dreams in the Golden Country
Copyright 1998
183 pages including pictures and history
Review by M. Reynard 2011
Zipporah and her family are new immigrants to America. Here they are starting over with a new life, but they have to make sure they are adjusting to life appropriately as it is very different from what they are used to. While her sisters each have something to occupy their time (boys, unions, etc.) Zipporah dreams of performing in the theatre or learning science. She does her best at school and works hard, but problems in her family make her lose some ground.
None of the characters were that great. Zipporah is kind of blah and while her sisters are interesting, they aren't given that much time in the book. Her father had the same problem. Meanwhile, her mother has some time spent to her in the book, but she was kind of an unlikable person, at least from Zipporah's eyes.
As far as plot goes there really isn't too much of a plot in this one. It just kind of bounces around Zipporah's first few years in America. There are a lot of different details thrown in, but they aren't explained. Since Zipporah and her family are Jewish there are a lot of terms and holidays thrown in the book, but they aren't described very well and I wish the author had taken more time to elaborate instead of just using them as filler. I don't know much about history of this time, but considering the story was interesting it has that going for it.
I might try some of the other Dear Americas, but I hope they turn out to be better than this one. A story can be interesting, but it also needs to be complete and go somewhere.
Dreams in the Golden Country
Copyright 1998
183 pages including pictures and history
Review by M. Reynard 2011
February 2, 2016
This is the story of Zipporah Feldman, a young Jewish girl who came to American from Russia. At the time there was an effort by the government to kill Jews, and villages where Jews lived would be attacked by Cossacks, with people raping and killing the people who lived there.
Many Jewish people moved to the U.S. and this is the story of one family and what its various members had to do. A lot of the novel examines the daily lives of the people in the family. The novel looks at what the people do for a living, the problems of the places where they worked, things that people did for fun, how short life could be for some, and how discrimination can work both ways. In the story one of the Jewish girls falls in love with and marries a non-Jewish boy, causing her own mother to basically disown her.
The novel centers around the culture of the Jewish people at the time and is quite interesting in itself. This novel is a little longer than the average Dear America book and that's good because it is very, very interesting.
Many Jewish people moved to the U.S. and this is the story of one family and what its various members had to do. A lot of the novel examines the daily lives of the people in the family. The novel looks at what the people do for a living, the problems of the places where they worked, things that people did for fun, how short life could be for some, and how discrimination can work both ways. In the story one of the Jewish girls falls in love with and marries a non-Jewish boy, causing her own mother to basically disown her.
The novel centers around the culture of the Jewish people at the time and is quite interesting in itself. This novel is a little longer than the average Dear America book and that's good because it is very, very interesting.
December 14, 2014
This book in particular, reminds me of when I was a little girl. The diary of Zipporah Feldman is slightly bilingual because Zipporah introduces the Yiddish language every so often. The book itself is pretty humorous because it is told from a 12-year-old's perspective and it's very entertaining because of it. Zipporah basically lets us into her daily life and allows us to experience her family's hardship while immigrating to the United States. Her experience is so heart warming and sad that I just could not stop reading the book. I am happy that our society has changed somewhat to where people do not have to go through the hardships like they did before. It is definitely a book that I will include in my future lessons because students will be able to relate to Zipporah and her experience may just be something that they have been through or something that their own family has experienced.
January 8, 2018
An okay read except for two things. 1. I doubt very much Zippy would be standing in line at Ellis Island, writing away in her diary. And yet in the first passage, that is what the reader is led to believe.
2. I also doubt that a Russian Jewish girl would describe her life in quite that expository tone in her own diary. To her it's normal life. She would only describe things that to her are so normal and everyday to someone from outside, and her diary is supposedly her own private writing. Anne Frank was about Zippy's age when she kept her real diary, and while she refers to St Nicholas Day and some Jewish holidays and culture, she doesn't write it all out like that, because for her it's just life.
And then there's the heavy-duty flagwaving, but then that was the point of the book.
2. I also doubt that a Russian Jewish girl would describe her life in quite that expository tone in her own diary. To her it's normal life. She would only describe things that to her are so normal and everyday to someone from outside, and her diary is supposedly her own private writing. Anne Frank was about Zippy's age when she kept her real diary, and while she refers to St Nicholas Day and some Jewish holidays and culture, she doesn't write it all out like that, because for her it's just life.
And then there's the heavy-duty flagwaving, but then that was the point of the book.
January 30, 2018
A great addition to the Dear America series. The author does an amazing job teaching the reader about Russian-Jewish culture and customs while also going over life in New York as an immigrant. I love the internal battle of the family as they struggle between the old and new ways, how you can see Zipporah’s English improving, the intense (and real) setbacks many of the characters had- including the loss of loved ones, and the depth of research the author did (factory fires, the layout of the immigration place on Ellis island, etc). This book reminded me of the Dear America book “Hear my Sorrow”, which is one of my favorites.
December 17, 2009
Dear Diary... That's the first thing I read in this book, kind of like a diary(just so you know, I'm kinda into these 'Dear America' books right now). It's about a jewish immigrant named Zipporah Feldman, which I think is a really unique name. Anyway, they she and her family just moved to america to a crowded apartment where all the people have to SHARE a toilet. Ugg. So Zipporah goes through that, while her family is growing away from being seriously jewish. Except her mother. A really great book!
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