LAND OF HOPE (Ellis Island) [Hardcover]

Joan Lowery Nixon (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Series: Ellis Island

Fleeing the Russian pogroms, Rebecca Levitsky crosses the Atlantic aboard a ship of immigrants and befriends Kristin Swensen, a Swede, and Rose Carney, an Irishwoman.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This first book of a series spotlights Rebekah Levinsky, who, with her family, escapes the pogroms of Russia and boards a crowded steamship for New York City in 1902. The journey's rigors and the agony of leaving her homeland recede somewhat when she meets three emigrants of her own age, yet the girl's joy on arriving at Ellis Island is diminished when her grandfather's limp prevents his entering the country. More problems follow: cramped living quarters, sweatshop working conditions, a street gang that harasses Rebekah's older brother. Nixon ably dramatizes the hope that can emerge in response to oppression--political and otherwise; despite Rebekah's pleas to attend school and become a teacher, her parents insist she focus on an arranged marriage and childbearing. The book has its shortcomings, however--stilted dialogue, a repetitious, sometimes dull narrative and numerous Yiddish words likely to perplex youngsters. Still, this close-up view of turn-of-the-century America and Nixon's factual afterword on Ellis Island are admirable compensations. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7-- Rebekah, 15, and her family leave their shtetl in Russia for the U. S., seeking safety from the random violence against Jews. On the ship she meets two girls, one Irish and one Swedish, representing two other major groups of immigrants in the early 1900s. Rebekah and her friends talk about the opportunities for women in their new country, a theme that reappears throughout the story. Interwoven is the beginning of a romance that will surely develop in later books. The novel's strength is its sense of place; readers suffer the smells and trials of the long, harrowing ocean trip and feel the confusion the family faces in New York, even then a large and chaotic city. The characters, who seem to be typecast for their role in a book about the ``immigrant experience,'' and the episodic plot slow down the pace of the story, and it's difficult for readers to care much about these people. Other novels set in the same period include the powerful Call Me Ruth (Doubleday, 1982; o.p.) by Marilyn Sachs and One Way to Ansonia (Bradbury, 1985) by Judie Angell. --Amy Kellman, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 171 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers; 1St Edition edition (October 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553081101
• ISBN-13: 978-0553081107
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,390,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In order to survive Rebekah's family moved to America ., December 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Land of Hope (Ellis Island) (Paperback)

Land of Hope is a very realistic book. It tells the reader about what it was like to be a Russian Jew traveling steerage class on a boat to Ellis Island. It also describes realistically what it was like to be a refuguee. This is a very good book. I would reccomend it to everyone who likes to read. Tara Kavaler 5th grade

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Realistic portrayal of life 100 years ago!, September 25, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Land of Hope (Ellis Island) (Paperback)

What a realistic beautiful portrayal of life 100 years ago! The struggle of the immigrants to make it in the States is realistically portrayed. I actually felt like I was there in that awful-smelling steerage hold & the scariness of the storm. I thought it was interesting & neat that three girls from three different countries & religions form a strong bond. Ellis Island was really accurate too; I especially loved the scene where the immigrants see Ms. Liberty (I personally think she's the most beautiful statue in the world!). But what was really true-to-life was the struggle once the Levinskys get to the States & the portrayal of the sweatshop they're forced to work in seven days a week. The descriptions were so vivid that I could actually feel the heat & grime of the garment sweatshop as well as visualize the rampant poverty & noisiness of the Lower East Side of New York. It made me think of how we've come a long ways since, but still have a ways to go. A great historical read for history buffs!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Land of Hope (Its Grate!!!), March 10, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Land of Hope (Ellis Island) (Paperback)

Land of Hope
By, Joan L. Nixon

This book is about a Jewish girl named Rebekah Levinsky and her family traveling to America. She has a mother, Father, a brother named Nessin, a brother named Jacob, a sister named Sofia, and a grandfather named Mordecai. When her family gets on the long boat ride to America, problems start. Though the trip is bad Rebekah makes friends on the trip. Reabekah starts to see that this trip might not be so bad. But once they get off the ship, there are a lot more problems to go.

To see here the end of this book read Land of Hope or some of the other books written by Joan Nixon. I liked this book because it was very fast pace and exciting. I think a lot of young girls out there would like it. Joan Nixion is a very good, talented writer. If you like romantic, exciting, and hart-braking books, you will probably love this one too. Take it from me, this book started out to be a book report, but I really liked it. Nixon has also written many other books like this that I am really positive you will like them!