Good-Bye to the Trees

Thirteen-year-old Fagel bids her family in Russia goodbye and, accompanied by her uncle, proudly journeys to America. Here she plans to earn enough money to send for her family, one member at a time, until they are all together in a new and exciting land. However, Fagel is not prepared for the fear, loneliness, and anger she must face in her struggle to become her own person in a strange foreign country. Shiefman perceptively addresses some of the issues which faced Europeans who came to the United States at the turn of the century. Like many immigrants, Fagel desperately tries to learn new ways while clinging to the old. She confronts a language barrier, employment problems and a binding sense of duty to both her family in Russia and to her relatives in America. The girl's present-tense narration creates an enticing sense of immediacy and potency in this story that sensitively examines a small segment of one family's history. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)