Customer Reviews

Dreams in the Golden Country: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish Immigrant Girl, New York City, 1903 (Dear America)

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dreams in the Golden Country was another great Dear America book. It is the diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish immigrant girl from Russia, in which she describes her family's first year and a half living on New York City's Lower East Side. Zipporah, or Zippy as she is called, dreams of being an actress in New York's Yiddish theater, and is overjoyed when she is given a job as a prop gir. But her newfound joy is overshadowed by the death of her baby brother when he is just a few days old. To make matters worse for her mother, Zippy's older sister, Miriam, recently ran off to marry a non-Jewish Irish boy, and her sister, Tovah, believes in women's rights and has organized a union, both of which Mrs. Feldman dissaproves of. Plus, one of Zippy's friends dies in a factory fire. Can Zippy really make a new life for herself in this so-called "golden country" that isn't so golden after all?

Zipporah is another excellent Dear America book. Zippy, 12 years old, has just arrived at Ellis Island from Russia, where the pogroms (attacks on the Jews) chased them away. Traveling with her mother, her sisters, Miriam (15), and Tovah (17) her family goes to meet her Father who has been in America for 2 years. There they find a small tenement room. Everyone is disapointed. Zippy's mother is worried about her father loosing his Jewish faith. Zippy gets put in an early grade because she isn't very talented in English, but she moves up. Zippy learns about things and writes letters to the famous Marie Curie and Wright Brothers (never gets a reply back). Then she sees the theater and knows acting will forever control her destiny. Filled with hardships and triumphs, Zippy's diary is one of the best. It really isn't very exciting with a lot of stuff happening, but the emotional factor is so great and really makes me think. I was also happy that Zippy had the same birthday as me.

Dreams in the Golden Country is written as a diary of a 12 year old Jewish immigrant girl, Zippy. Zippy, her mother, her sister Miriam, and her sister Tovah have just come to join her father in New York City, where they live in a tenement house.

Throughout the 18 months that this book covers, you see how Zippy's dreams change in this not always golden country. She wants to learn English so she can reach her grade in school, and she wants to be in the Yiddish theater. She also handles her feuding family. But when tragedy strikes, she must overcome her sadness and continue her dreams.

This was a great book, and I'd recommend it for ages 10 - 14. I'd also recommend So Far from Home, and A Coal Miner's Bride, 2 other Dear America books.

Twelve-year-old Zipporah Feldman's life changes drastically the moment she steps away from Ellis Island in 1903. Raised in Russia, her family has immigrated to America to avoid the persecution they and other Jews in Russia face. But hardships, trials, and changes do not end for the Feldmans once they arrive in the New World. Their adaptations to their new lives and their insistence on holding on to their Jewish ways are vibrantly recorded by Zipporah.

This is truly one of the best "Dear America" books, along with Susan Campbell Bartoletti's "A Coal Miner's Bride." Lasky has created an excellent main character; for Zipporah is spunky, courageous, smart, and funny. Zipporah's writings capture the immigration experience for readers, yet her troubles and thoughts are in many ways timeless. Fascinating bits of Jewish culture and history are woven timelessly into the diary, and Zipporah's experience with Yiddish theater is truly enthralling and inspiring. There is never a dull moment in this diary (unlike some others in the series) and the ending and epilogue are both superb. Creatively written, this is definitely a "Dear America" for your collection.

I am Jewish and I found this book really interesting because my great grandmother was an immigrant girl, just like Zippy. My mom had to help me with the Yiddish words that I didn't understand. I found it cool to think that my great grandma was one of them! I would recommend this book to you because it has many interesting facts about Jewish immigrants. a good way to read this book it to picture yourself in Zippy's place, think about how hard it would be to be one of them, think about what you would do then, how you could change Zippy's future. SO READ THIS BOOK!

This books teaches you the strugles that people had to go through. Like leaving your country behind you. Your friends, your way of life, and even you language. Then there is the baot ride over and then the finale inspection. If you don't pass your sent back. It is a very intrasting and griping story with twists and turns you don't expect. I recomend this book as a 5 star and the age lever of 9-12 years of age.

I just finished this book and hope to read another Dear America book. I am about the same age as Zippy.I understood her pain about being ignored and was very suprised how good the book was. I read it, ONE, because I am jewish and TWO because I wondered what life was like in 1903-1905. I would read this book any time and suggest it to anyone. This book is definetly worth 400 stars!

This is my pure favorite! I love the story of the Jewish emmigrants and this book does it's best to show the many hopes they held in America. I really loved the character Zipporah and the many other characters. Zipporah was full of hopes and dreams, as well as worries. The book was very good at depicting life in America and describing historical events. The storyline was purely amazing! There was tension and once in a while a surprise. There were times that made me cry and times that made me happy. The setting and details were also amzing! Kathryn Lasky is even more accurate than Kristiana Gregory(much more accurate believe me!) This book is very heartwarming and will take your breath away!

As I read this book, my only thought was: Wow. This book hooks you on and reels you in. It was too real. An immigrant leaves her native country for America, has a family too deal with, while starting school and trying to move up to the grade her age group is in. I bet nobody now can relate to that very much but you just can't help but feel like you're Zippy. Read it; it's well worth your time.

I've read several of the Dear America books, and this one is by far the best, in my opinion. This book is well worth buying.