The Search for Love

Somehow, and without conscious effort, I keep reading novels about Jewish people in the Arctic. The novel I reviewed earlier, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, and this one: Away by Amy Bloom. The two novels couldn’t be more different though.

Away is the devestating but delicately written tale of Lillian Leyb, a woman who has lost everything by the time she is 22. After a Russian pogrom wipes out her entire family including her young daughter, Lillian emmigrates to New York in 1924. There she finds herself part of the Yiddish Theater as a seamstress and soon winds up the mistress of the star actor and his powerful father. But Lillian discovers that her daughter may be alive and living in Siberia and, without much to go on, is compelled to find her.

Traveling across the North America, Lillian ends up in a number of seamy situations including taking up with an African-American prostitute in Seattle, being tossed in a Vancouver women’s prison “for her own good” and wandering alone through the bitter Yukon. There are many characters along Lillian’s journey and a number of surprises both for her and for the reader. Love was never examined from so many angles. If you like a good story about a tough woman, try this terrific novel.

To check the availability of this item, go the library website at www.ci.newberg.or.us/library

Reviewed by Lori Moore

Sailing off to Sleep

Settle in for winter with this cozy bedtime read. Sailing off to Sleep speaks to children's love for adventure, independence and a comforting conclusion. This rhyming picture book tells the tale of a young girl's reluctance to go to bed and her imaginary journey across the Arctic sea. Throughout, the girl's mother asks concerned questions about her daughter's well-being, for which the young adventurer always has a confident answer. She sails with a whale, floats with a walrus, cuddles with polar bears and frolics with all manner of polar animals not often found in children's books. Cool Arctic landscape and warm animal illustrations contrast beautifully. The text's rhyming cadence can also help pre-readers learn to hear that words are made up of smaller parts. The little girl's return to home offers a soothing route to sleep for the little one in your life. Find Sailing off to Sleep at your library under  E Ashman.

Ashman, Linda. Sailing off to Sleep. 2001.
New York: Simon & Schuster books for Young Readers .
Reviewed by Amanda Lamb

Minverva Louise on Christmas Eve

Minerva Louise is back, and this time Christmas is turned upside down by a silly chicken. Christmas lights are mistaken for dressed-up fireflies, Santa's reindeer are mistaken for goats and Christmas tree decorations are mistaken for eggs. Preschoolers will love to correct this silly chicken as she muddles through the holiday in the simply delightful way only Minerva Louise could. Find it @ your library under "E Stoeke."

Stoeke, Janet Morgan. Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve. 2007. New York: Dutton Children's Books.

Reviewed by Korie Jones Buerkle

Jewish Mysticism in the Alaskan Wilderness?

You can always count on Michael Chabon for a word-packed story. He's known for being a real wordsmith. But somehow he manages to create a smooth, snappy and well-paced murder mystery with his novel The Yiddish Policemen's Union.

In this noir-ish present-day novel, Chabon develops an alternate reality where the Jews of the world have settled in Alaska after World War II and losing Israel to the Arabs. The United States has agreed to let them set up their own temporary state, but their time is about to come up and the U.S. is reclaiming the land. After 50 years of self-rule and a very Jewish- centered lifestyle, they are about to become America.

Meanwhile, hard-boiled detective Meyer Landsman is down on his luck and living in a dive hotel after loosing just about everything. He takes on one last murder case before the U.S. comes in and takes over. But he finds that this particular case is much more personal than he thought, and his sanity and maybe even his life may depend on solving it.

Full of Jewish mysticism, gangland style violence, mystery, intrigue, romance and one twist after another this is a fun and interesting read. If you like a mystery with a little more depth and density, pick up The Yiddish Policemen's Union.

To check on the availability of this item, go the Newberg Public Library website at www.ci.newberg.or.us/library.

Reviewed by Lori Moore

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