Synopses & Reviews
At first I thought everything in America would look like New York City, with shops and crowded streets, but I have discovered, the farther west we travel, that there are long stretches of nothing. Absolutely nothing.I only hope the place we are going to is not so empty.
A Russian Jewish family struggles to make a new start in America
To Emma, Colorado seems as barren as an unfinished house. The land is too poor to farm, so Papa must work long hours in the mines. The trials of frontier life are especially hard for these Russian Jewish immigrants, who speak no English and practice a different religion from the others in the area. With a harsh, hungry winter coming, the settlement needs some good luck. Can Emma make it happen?
Based on the real struggles of an exceptional group of pioneers who came west in 1882, this is a finely crafted portrait of a family striving to make a home out of nothing.
Review
"Emma's first-person story is nicely realized; sensory language and strong dialogue carry the tale. . . .A strong addition to the growing body of immigrant stories."
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Review
"Emma's first-person story is nicely realized; sensory language and strong dialogue carry the tale. . . .A strong addition to the growing body of immigrant stories."
--Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
At first I thought everything in America would look like New York City, with shops and crowded streets, but I have discovered, the farther west we travel, that there are long stretches of nothing. Absolutely nothing.I only hope the place we are going to is not so empty.
A Russian Jewish family struggles to make a new start in America
To Emma, Colorado seems as barren as an unfinished house. The land is too poor to farm, so Papa must work long hours in the mines. The trials of frontier life are especially hard for these Russian Jewish immigrants, who speak no English and practice a different religion from the others in the area. With a harsh, hungry winter coming, the settlement needs some good luck. Can Emma make it happen?
Based on the real struggles of an exceptional group of pioneers who came west in 1882, this is a finely crafted portrait of a family striving to make a home out of nothing.
About the Author
Nancy Oswald lives with her family on a ranch at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado. The remains of the Cotopaxi Jewish Colony are located on the ranch, and these inspired her to write this book.