Product Description

En route to America from Russia with her family, Rebecca Levinsky befriends Kristin Swensen, a Swedish girl, and Rose Carney, an Irishwoman. Reissue.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #80736 in Books
• Published on: 1993-08-01
• Released on: 1993-08-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

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.

From the Publisher
Russian immigrant Rebekah Levinsky hopes desperately that her dream will come true in America. On the difficult ocean journey to the "land of opportunity" she meets two other girls--Kristin Swensen from Sweden and Rose Carney from Ireland. The three quickly become friends as they share their visions of the future and endure life on the overcrowded ship.

Once they reach Ellis Island the girls must separate and Rebekah and her family settle in New York on the Lower East Side. Instead of finding streets paved with gold, they slave seven days a week in a sweatshop. Will Rebekah find the courage to conquer the odds and find happiness in the United States of America.

Customer Reviews

In order to survive Rebekah's family moved to America .
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

Realistic portrayal of life 100 years ago!
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!

Land of Hope (Its Grate!!!)
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!