"If a book
is engaging from the first page, it’s a sign of a very good writer. Paula Rose
Michelson is an excellent writer, so she gets the readers interested in the
fate of her main character from the very first line. As soon as I read, “Naomi
knew she was in trouble the moment the immigration official had told her, he
was taking her to Ellis Island,” I was hooked. I knew I was in for a treat. And
then the story got even better.
For
fifteen-year-old Naomi, Ellis Island truly becomes “the last hope,” but that
hope comes at a price. The seemingly nice woman who agrees to sponsor Naomi’s
application to stay in the US quickly becomes more of a hostage taker than a
helper. At least that’s what Naomi thinks at first. Later, she realizes that
she has just entered into a business arrangement that will shape her life in
ways she has never expected.
Naomi’s
story is heartfelt and heart-breaking. In her native Spain, she had to “live in
the shadows” and pretend to be Catholic to avoid persecution for her Jewish
faith. She comes to America in hopes of gaining more freedom, but at first it
seems that she gets loneliness and an overwhelming sensation of guilt instead of
that freedom. Naomi’s life journey involves loss, adaptation to the new world,
a quick coming of age, marriage, and a sudden flood of opportunities that
promise a brighter future, including the hope to get reacquainted with her
faith and the Jewish way of life.
There’s
so much to love and admire about this book. It is engaging from the first to
the last page, it is beautifully written, and meticulously researched. The
research section that details the plight of Jewish people in Spain has more
research than one could ever expect in a novel, and that information is highly
appreciated and needed. With authentic detail and a sincere narrator’s voice,
Naomi’s story comes to life on the pages of Paula Rose Michelson’s wonderful
book. Highly recommended." http://amzn.to/1tN7hEp
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