Synopses & Reviews
Golda and her family are leaving their home in Russia to embark on an exciting journey. But why are the grownups crying? Golda doesn't understand. All she knows is that she and her family are going to America, where the streets are paved with gold and money grows on trees. Soon Golda realizes that her grandparents will not be coming with them on the voyage, but even this sad fact can not quell her excitement for the trip. Things are as different as they possibly can be in America. Golda soon comes to learn that there are no golden streets in New York City, but that wishes can still come true, even in this foreign place. This beguiling tale of the immigrant experience, told through the eyes of a child, is sure to warm the heart of every reader.
Review
This series of vignettes about America in the 1900s is told in the voice of a slightly embittered grandmother. The tone may be problematic for some children, but grandmother Gussie certainly has reason to be upset. After surviving a boat voyage in steerage class, she arrives in the U.S., where her name is changed on a whim by an inspector. Her mother is quarantined, leaving Gussie at the mercy of her Aunt Fanny, a situation so disturbing Gussie considers suicide. The stories are interesting, well paced, and important enough to be passed to future generations. The pictures are evocative, but some things that seem to lend themselves to artwork aren't adequately illustrated. For example, the author notes that the reader has probably never seen a hurdy-gurdy or a cowcatcher, but such curiosities often appear so far in the corner of the pictures that children will have to search hard to find them. Although this probably won't be something children request, it is a good book to prompt discussion about immigration or early-twentieth-century America, and it may inspire readers to think about family stories of their own. A glossary provides translations for the many Yiddish words used.