Letters from Rifka

Last updated
Letters from Rifka
Letters from Rifka.jpg
First edition
Author Karen Hesse
CountryRussia
SubjectThis book is about a Jewish girl named Rifka who escapes Russia after being threatened by the government. She makes her way to America to seek a new beginning.
Genre Children's historical novel, epistolary novel
Publisher Henry Holt & Co. (Macmillan)
Publication date
July 15, 1992 [1]
Media typePrint
Pages148 pp
ISBN 9780805019643
OCLC 25205387
LC Class PZ7.H4364 Le 1992 [2]

Letters From Rifka is a children's historical novel by Karen Hesse, published by Holt in 1992. The novel is based on the life of Hesse's great-aunt Lucille Avrutin. [3] With an intended young adult audience, the book aims to inform and validate. [4] Letters from Rifka details a Jewish family's emigration from Russia in 1919, to Belgium and ultimately to the U.S. The protagonist's name, Rifka, is the East European Jewish version of Rebecca (Rivká in Modern Israeli Hebrew).

Contents

Karen Hesse earned several awards for Letters from Rifka, including the Sydney Taylor Book Award, the National Jewish Book Award, and the Phoenix Award. [5] [6] [7]

Plot

During the Russian Civil War of 1919, Rifka Nebrot and her family flee Russia because the country’s army after one of her brothers, Nathan, for deserting his service duties. The penalty for his crime is death for the entire family. Three of her older brothers – Isaac, Asher, and Reuben – are already in the United States, and Rifka, her other two brothers, Nathan and Saul, and their parents seek to be reunited with them.

Rifka tells her story in a series of letters she writes to a cousin named Tovah, who remains behind in Russia. The letters are written in the blank spaces of an edition of Pushkin's poetry that once belonged to Tovah. Each letter includes the date, Rifka’s location, and a unique sign-off, such as “Pray for me, please, Rifka.” Along their way to America, the family faces many obstacles, including Rifka’s mother, father, and brother Saul falling ill with typhus. Cruel officials made the expedition more challenging, and the family also suffered from hunger and theft. Rifka contracts ringworm, a skin disease that forced her to stay behind in Belgium while her family leaves for America. In Belgium, Jewish people are treated with kindness, and a caring doctor named Dr. Marinus helps Rifka recover from her illness. Her improved health allows her to leave Belgium in pursuit of reuniting with her family. She travels to America on a large ship, where she befriends a sailor named Pieter. The two develop a deep connection, but a storm occurs during the voyage and kills Pieter. Upon learning of his death, Rifka weeps not only out of mourning for this loss, but for all that she has had to endure.

Finally, the ship arrives at Ellis Island, but instead of getting to see her family, Rifka is prohibited from entering America because her ringworm has returned. Ringworm was common on Ellis Island, so it forced Rifka to be detained at a hospital. [8] While being treated, she finds she has a talent for nursing others to health. Rifka also meets Ilya, another child who immigrated from Russia. Ilya is shy and judged by others because he is frail and barely eats. Once Rifka and Ilya begin to develop a friendship, she discovers that he is very smart. She also helps Ilya mend his relationship with his uncle by explaining that his uncle is not cruel and wants Ilya to come to America out of love. After practicing with encouragement from Rifka, Ilya demonstrates his English skills by reading from Rifka's Pushkin poetry book. As a result, he is permitted to enter the United States. Having now recovered from her ringworm, Rifka reads her own writings in English and is also authorized to enter America, where she reconnects with her family.

Characters

Genre

Hesse has written over 20 published books, some of which are illustrated. [9] Her pre-writing process includes conducting research and then developing her characters. [10] She writes her first draft quickly and then reviews her work to contemplate the subject of the book and its characters. [11] Hesse wrote Letters from Rifka for young adult readers, whom she believes looks for books “‘that challenge their intelligence, confirm their beliefs, and console them in their times of turmoil.’” [12] However, the book's audience is not limited to children. The details of Rifka's immigration from Russia to the US can broadly inform adult readers on the journey taken by thousands during World War I, while children may concentrate on Rifka's journey alone. [13] Key lessons in the book stem from Rifka’s experiences dealing with oppression, including, for example, keeping written records. [14]

Reception

Hesse received the Sydney Taylor Book Award from the Association of Jewish Libraries in 1992 in the Middle Grade Category for Letters from Rifka. [6] The book won the 1993 National Jewish Book Award in the Children's Literature category. [7] Hesse and Letters from Rifka were awarded the 2016 Phoenix Award from the Children's Literature Association, which recognizes the best children's book published in the past twenty years that did not receive a major award during its time. [5]

Kirkus Reviews called the novel "an unforgettable picture of immigrant courage, ingenuity, and perseverance." [15] Publishers Weekly wrote "Hesse's vivacious tale colorfully and convincingly refreshes the immigrant experience." [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Pushkin</span> Russian poet, playwright, and novelist (1799–1837)

Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin was a Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era. He is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet, as well as the founder of modern Russian literature.

Karen S. Hesse is an American author of children's literature and literature for young adults, often with historical settings. She received the Newbery Medal for Out of the Dust (1997).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ilya Prigogine</span> Belgian physical chemist (1917 - 2003)

Viscount Ilya Romanovich Prigogine was a Belgian physical chemist of Russian-Jewish origin, noted for his work on dissipative structures, complex systems, and irreversibility.

Ilya, Iliya, Ilia, Ilja, Ilija, or Illia is the East Slavic form of the male Hebrew name Eliyahu (Eliahu), meaning "My God is Yahu/Jah." It comes from the Byzantine Greek pronunciation of the vocative (Ilía) of the Greek Elias. It is pronounced with stress on the second syllable. The diminutive form is Iliusha or Iliushen'ka. The Russian patronymic for a son of Ilya is "Ilyich", and a daughter is "Ilyinichna".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Alexandrovna Ulyanova</span> Mother of Vladimir Lenin (1835–1916)

Maria Alexandrovna Ulyanova was the mother of Bolshevik revolutionary Vladimir Lenin, who in 1922 founded the Soviet Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesya Ukrainka</span> Ukrainian poet and writer (1871–1913)

Lesya Ukrainka was one of Ukrainian literature's foremost writers, best known for her poems and plays. She was also an active political, civil, and feminist activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine</span> 19th and 20th-century British aristocrat, formerly German princess

Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine, then Princess Louis of Battenberg, later Victoria Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford Haven, was the eldest daughter of Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom, daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

<i>Number the Stars</i> 1989 novel by Lois Lowry

Number the Stars is a work of historical fiction by the American author Lois Lowry about the escape of a family of Jews from Copenhagen, Denmark, during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesléa Newman</span> American author, editor, and feminist

Lesléa Newman is an American author, editor, and feminist. Four of her young adult novels have been finalists for the Lambda Literary Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature, making her one of the most celebrated authors in the category.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tovah Feldshuh</span> American actress, singer and playwright

Terri Sue "Tovah" Feldshuh is an American actress, singer, and playwright. She has been a Broadway star for fifty years, earning four Tony Award nominations. She has also received two Emmy Award nominations for Holocaust and Law & Order, and appeared in such films as A Walk on the Moon, She's Funny That Way, and Kissing Jessica Stein. In 2015–2016, she played the role of Deanna Monroe on AMC's television adaptation of The Walking Dead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denis Fonvizin</span> Russian playwright and writer (1745–1792)

Denis Ivanovich Fonvizin was a playwright and writer of the Russian Enlightenment, one of the founders of literary comedy in Russia. His main works are two satirical comedies, one of them Young ignoramus, which mocks contemporary Russian gentry and are still staged today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hana Brady</span> Czech Holocaust victim

Hanička "Hana" Brady was a Czechoslovak Jewish girl murdered in the gas chambers at German concentration camp at Auschwitz, located in the occupied territory of Poland, during the Holocaust. She is the subject of the 2002 non-fiction children's book Hana's Suitcase, written by Karen Levine.

<i>The Devils Arithmetic</i> 1988 childrens time slip novel by Jane Yolen

The Devil's Arithmetic is a historical fiction time slip novel written by American author Jane Yolen and published in 1988. The book is about Hannah Stern, a Jewish girl who lives in New Rochelle, New York, and is sent back in time to experience the Holocaust. During a Passover Seder, Hannah is transported back in time to 1941 Poland, during World War II, where she is sent to a concentration camp and learns the importance of knowing about the past.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaine Feinstein</span> English poet and writer (1930–2019)

Elaine Feinstein FRSL was an English poet, novelist, short-story writer, playwright, biographer and translator. She joined the Council of the Royal Society of Literature in 2007.

The ringworm affair refers to circumstances involving an alleged number of 20,000 to 200,000 Jews who were treated between 1948 and 1960 for tinea capitis (ringworm) with ionizing radiation to the head and neck area within Israel. The population suffering from the disease in Israel at the time was composed primarily of newly-arrived immigrants and populations who were expected to emigrate, mostly from North Africa, as well as some from Middle East and elsewhere, but many Jewish children were irradiated in their home countries regardless of their intent to emigrate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal descendants of Queen Victoria and of King Christian IX</span> Descendants of Victoria and Christian IX

The royal descendants of Queen Victoria and of King Christian IX, monarchs of the United Kingdom (1837–1901) and Denmark (1863–1906) respectively, currently occupy the thrones of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. At the outbreak of the First World War their grandchildren occupied the thrones of Denmark, Greece, Norway, Germany, Romania, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom. For this reason Victoria was nicknamed the 'grandmother of Europe' and Christian IX the 'father-in-law of Europe'.

Sydney Taylor was an American writer, known for her series of children's books about a Jewish-American family in New York during the early 20th century. Her first book won the Charles W. Follett Award in children's literature.

<i>Pick-Up Sticks</i> (novel) 1991 childrens book by Sarah Ellis

Pick-Up Sticks is a children's novel by Canadian author Sarah Ellis. The novel received the 1991 Governor General's Award for Children's Literature. The story is told from the perspective of a thirteen-year-old girl, Polly, as she experiences the struggles of losing her home and her comfortable life. Ellis stated that it was inspired by an interview with a homeless woman who was no longer able to care for her family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Hobson</span> British writer, poet and translator (1926–2020)

Mary Hobson (1926–2020) was a British writer, poet and translator. She wrote four novels and an autobiography. She translated Alexander Griboedov's Woe from Wit and his letters. Hobson also translated works by Alexander Pushkin. She won the Griboedov Prize and Pushkin Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shifra Shvarts</span> Israeli professor

Shifra Shvarts, born in June 1949, holds the position of Professor Emeritus at the Center for Medical Education within the Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben-Gurion University. In addition to her academic role, she is a dedicated researcher specializing in the field of medical history. Shvarts holds significant positions as the Deputy Director-General of the International Society for the History of Medicine and as the Deputy Secretary General of the World Organization for the History of Medicine. Her research focuses on the examination of healthcare services' history and evolution in Israel, as well as the history of public medicine.

References

  1. ↑ Hesse, Karen (1992). Letters from Rifka. Macmillan. pp. 1–15. ISBN   978-0-8050-1964-3.
  2. ↑ "Letters from Rifka / Karen Hesse". Library of Congress Catalog Record. Retrieved 2013-03-03.
  3. ↑ Karen Hesse, "Author's Note", Letters from Rifka (Puffin Books, 1993; ISBN   0140363912), pp. ix–x.
  4. ↑ Oliphant-Ingham, Rosemary (2005). Karen Hesse. Scarecrow Press. ISBN   978-0-8108-5391-1.[ page needed ]
  5. 1 2 "Phoenix Award Brochure 2012" [ permanent dead link ]. Children's Literature Association. Retrieved 2013-03-03.
    See also the current homepage, "Phoenix Award" Archived 2012-03-20 at the Wayback Machine .
  6. 1 2 Pinchuck, Kathe (31 December 2008). "Recognizing Jewish Children's Literature For Forty Years: The Sydney Taylor Book Award". Judaica Librarianship. 14 (1): 27–34. doi: 10.14263/2330-2976.1071 .
  7. 1 2 "Past Winners | Jewish Book Council". www.jewishbookcouncil.org. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  8. ↑ Shvarts, Shifra; Romem, Pnina; Romem, Yitzhak; Shani, Mordechai (March 2013). "The Mass Campaign to Eradicate Ringworm Among the Jewish Community in Eastern Europe, 1921–1938". American Journal of Public Health. 103 (4): e56–e66. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2012.301020. PMC   3673251 . PMID   23409897.
  9. ↑ "karenhesseblog". karenhesseblog. Retrieved 2023-12-10.
  10. ↑ Beck, Cathy; Gwyn, Linda; Koblitz, Dick; O'Connor, Anne; Pierce, Kathryn Mitchell; Wolf, Susan (1999). "Talking about Books: Karen Hesse". Language Arts. 76 (3): 263–271. OCLC   425577120. ERIC   EJ577088 ProQuest   196872383.
  11. ↑ Bryant, Ellen Huntington (1997). "Honoring the Complexities of Our Lives: An Interview with Karen Hesse". Voices from the Middle. 4 (2): 38–49. OCLC   424890786. ERIC   EJ551879 ProQuest   213929719.
  12. ↑ Oliphant-Ingham, Rosemary (2005). Karen Hesse. Scarecrow Press. p. 22. ISBN   978-0-8108-5391-1.
  13. ↑ Isaac, Frederick (2002). "Who Cares about Harry Potter? The Best Jewish Books for Children, 1990-2000". Studies in American Jewish Literature. 21: 171–183. JSTOR   41205973.
  14. ↑ Clark, Roger; Kulkin, Heidi (March 1996). "Toward a Multicultural Feminist Perspective on Fiction for Young Adults". Youth & Society. 27 (3): 291–312. doi:10.1177/0044118x96027003002. S2CID   144212311.
  15. ↑ "Letters from Rifka". www.kirkusreviews.com. Kirkus Media LLC. 15 July 1992. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
  16. ↑ "Letters from Rivka". www.publishersweekly.com. PWxyz LLC. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.