Letters from Cuba

Starred review from June 15, 2020
In 1938, a Jewish refugee from Poland joins her father in small-town Cuba. After three years abroad, Papa's saved only enough money to send for one of his children. Thus Esther boards the steamship alone even though she's not quite 12. Cuba is a constant surprise: Her father's an itinerant peddler and not a shopkeeper; they live as the only Jews in a tiny village; and she's allowed to wear sandals and go bare-legged in the heat. But the island is also a constant joy. Nearly everyone Esther meets is generous beyond their means. She adores her new trade as a dressmaker, selling her creations in Havana to earn money to bring over the rest of the family. In glowing letters to her sister back in Poland, Esther details how she's learning Spanish through the poems of Jos� Mart�. She introduces her sister to her beloved new friends: a white doctor's wife and her vegetarian, atheist husband; a black, Santer�a-following granddaughter of an ex-slave; a Chinese Cuban shopkeeper's nephew. Esther's first year in Cuba is marked by the calendar of Jewish holidays, as she wonders if she can be both Cuban and a Jew. As the coming war looms in Europe, she and her friends find solidarity, standing together against local Nazis and strike breakers. An author's note describes how the story was loosely inspired by the author's own family history. Warmhearted cross-cultural friendship for a refugee on distant shores: both necessary and kind. (bibliography) (Historical fiction. 8-11)

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July 1, 2020
Grades 8-12 When Esther's father, a Jewish Polish refugee working in Cuba to send money back to his family, asks one of his sons to join him, she?not quite 12?goes instead. Esther's poignant letters to her sister reveal the heartbreaking stories of the people?the displaced, the downtrodden, the dreamers?she meets along her journey, even as she exposes injustices among class and religion and within ethnic groups, all in parallel to her family's experience in 1938 Poland. Belpr�-winning Behar's epistolary novel, based on a true story, addresses identity, family dynamics, culture, tradition, and acceptance as loving Esther opens her heart to her friends and neighbors in Agramonte while learning about issues both in her new home and abroad. Complemented by a vibrant supporting cast and an extensive author's note about the Holocaust and Cuban refugees, Esther's tale is one of adaptation and perseverence as she pursues dressmaking while also fighting for her rights and for peace in her new home.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

July 27, 2020
In 1938, Esther, 11, travels alone from her small Jewish village in Poland to join her father in a small Cuban town, vowing to help earn enough money to pay for the rest of their family—her grandmother, mother, and four younger siblings—to join them. Inspired by her own grandmother’s life, Behar (Lucky Broken Girl) crafts a series of loving letters from Esther to her sister, describing the perilous journey and Esther’s first year in Cuba. Esther’s optimism, determination, and unconventionality allow her to adapt quickly; while her father remains as true to his faith as possible, Esther explores her world and, thanks to a highly developed skill learned from her mother, succeeds far beyond expectations. Esther’s new friendships with both Cubans and fellow immigrants set the stage for encounters with numerous benevolent minor characters and one who embodies the period’s terrors. Global issues such as Hitler’s rise, anti-Semitism, slavery, and worker protests are neatly woven into Esther’s narrative. Despite a telescoped time frame and an underdeveloped supporting cast, Behar’s appreciative descriptions of Cuba and Esther’s close, protective bonds with her father and sister make for an engaging read. Ages 10–up.

Starred review from August 1, 2020

Gr 3-7-Pura Belpr� Award winner Behar's newest story is based on her own grandmother's immigration journey. Eleven-year-old Esther bravely travels to Cuba from Poland to help her father earn enough money for the rest of their family to join them, including her mother, grandmother, three brothers, and cherished sister Malka. The narrative is told in a series of letters from Esther to Malka, chronicling her journey across the sea and her experiences in this new homeland. As a means to earn money for her family's travel arrangements, Esther puts her sewing skills to good use by making custom dresses for many islanders. Throughout the story, readers learn that many Jewish people are arriving in Cuba, trying to escape the Jewish persecution in Europe, despite Nazi sympathy infiltrating the island. Readers dive into the story headfirst as they get to know Esther, her family, and her newfound friends. Esther's first-person descriptions of people and the island craft a vivid experience of Cuba's sights, sounds, and culinary delights. VERDICT Readers will not want to part with this story of resilience. A World War II refugee tale that spotlights dedicated hard work. A must-have for public, elementary, and middle school libraries.-Kristin Unruh, Siersma Elem. Sch., Warren, MI

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