Letters from Cuba
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4.5 • 6 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
Pura Belpré Award Winner Ruth Behar's inspiring story of a young Jewish girl who escapes Poland to make a new life in Cuba, while she works to rescue the rest of her family
The situation is getting dire for Jews in Poland on the eve of World War II. Esther's father has fled to Cuba, and she is the first one to join him. It's heartbreaking to be separated from her beloved sister, so Esther promises to write down everything that happens until they're reunited. And she does, recording both the good--the kindness of the Cuban people and her discovery of a valuable hidden talent--and the bad: the fact that Nazism has found a foothold even in Cuba. Esther's evocative letters are full of her appreciation for life and reveal a resourceful, determined girl with a rare ability to bring people together, all the while striving to get the rest of their family out of Poland before it's too late.
Based on Ruth Behar's family history, this compelling story celebrates the resilience of the human spirit in the most challenging times.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 1938, Esther, 11, travels alone from her small Jewish village in Poland to join her father in a small Cuban town, vowing to help earn enough money to pay for the rest of their family her grandmother, mother, and four younger siblings to join them. Inspired by her own grandmother's life, Behar (Lucky Broken Girl) crafts a series of loving letters from Esther to her sister, describing the perilous journey and Esther's first year in Cuba. Esther's optimism, determination, and unconventionality allow her to adapt quickly; while her father remains as true to his faith as possible, Esther explores her world and, thanks to a highly developed skill learned from her mother, succeeds far beyond expectations. Esther's new friendships with both Cubans and fellow immigrants set the stage for encounters with numerous benevolent minor characters and one who embodies the period's terrors. Global issues such as Hitler's rise, anti-Semitism, slavery, and worker protests are neatly woven into Esther's narrative. Despite a telescoped time frame and an underdeveloped supporting cast, Behar's appreciative descriptions of Cuba and Esther's close, protective bonds with her father and sister make for an engaging read. Ages 10 up.
