FICTION

LOOKING FOR SARAH: A STORY OF SURVIVAL

This novel is an inspiring tale of courage, strength, love, and female experience in the 20^th century Russia.  It explores the connections between generations, relationships between mothers and daughters, and the impact of past on present – all against the whirlwind of history and the struggle of being a Jew in the Soviet Union.  Written from personal experience and from the experience of many others, “Looking for Sarah” brings memories of a foreign life and paints the picture of how communism and anti-Semitism affected the Russian Jews.

Drama, heartbreak, and horror fill this fictionalized family memoir that spans four generations and mirrors Russia’s extraordinary century of turbulence.  The novel’s two parallel plots weave around each other as they recount the coming of age journeys of two young Jewish women during the two very different chapters of the Soviet Union’s history.

The tale begins in 1914 when, in the darkest days of pogroms, a family flees its shtetl in the Pale of Settlement in search of a better life in Argentina.  Their trip coincides with the onset of World War I and, amid the chaos, one of their daughters, Sarah, is left behind.  Alone in war-torn Russia, Sarah survives the political maelstrom of the Revolution, the vicious cycle of Stalin’s purges, the Holocaust of the Great Patriotic War, and the aftermath of the Soviet Victory.  Through the pain, bloodshed, violence and humiliation Sarah never gives up the hope of seeing her family again and, when the opportunity presents itself, she takes it.  She defects thereby making a decision that will later bring havoc into her great-granddaughter Sonya’s life.

Sarah’s journey is intermixed with that of Sonya.  Sonya lives, breathes, and marches for Lenin and the ideals of the Soviet State.  She grows up during the stagnant times of Brezhnev and Chernenko, the KGB-ridden years of Andropov, and the perestroika-clad thaw of Gorbachev.  The intricate details of Sonya’s childhood and adolescence provide a never before-seen window into the world of Jewish upbringing amidst the Soviet anti-Semitism of the 1970’s and 1980’s.  Through a life of insults, discrimination, and humiliation, Sonya develops courage and strength – two character traits she will draw upon to overcome the dire consequences when Sarah’s fate is revealed.

The two parallel stories – Sarah’s and Sonya’s – come together to shatter Sonya’s already fragile happiness.  Resigned to her status as a second class citizen, Sonya has pinned her hopes and dreams on marrying her childhood sweetheart, Sasha.  Sasha’s family is Russian and his father sees this impending union with a Jewish girl as a threat to his son’s future career in the Soviet Foreign Service.  By means of deceit, manipulation, and a vast network of connections he digs up Sarah’s file and embellishes it enough to succeed in breaking up the relationship.  Sasha leaves Sonya when he learns of her great-grandmother’s history.  Devastated and unexpectedly pregnant, Sonya decides to undergo an illegal abortion and to change her life.  She sets out to learn the truth she has never been told about her great-grandmother and, as a result, she makes a decision that will uproot her entire family.

REVIEWS:

“I absolutely loved this book. From the start, it captivated me. The history of Russian Jewry is one that I hadn’t known much about, and this poignant accounting brought it to life. The juxtaposition between the two time periods made it even more interesting and fun to read.  I am anxiously awaiting the sequel.” by dfk

“Since the moment I have begun to read this book, it has been impossible to stop thinking about it. The author allows you to travel through the terrible Soviet Union History by the hand of one of the Group of people who suffered most, the Jews. But this is not only a journey story, this is an intimate story, full of emotions and feelings, full of suffering, misery but at the same time full of strength, courage and desire for life. It is written plainness and naturalness but at the same time with enormous beauty. This is a book for any audience, for the ones who want to know better how people lived in the Soviet Union and its history, for the ones who want to know what means to suffer under discrimination, for teenagers who want to feel understood, for teachers in many subjects and for anyone who wants to feel, enjoy and love.” by Marta Simo

“Desde el momento en que empecé ha leer este libro que me ha sido imposible parar de pensar en el. La autora te permite viajar a través de la terrible historia de la Unión Soviética y de la mano de uno de los grupos que mas sufrieron en ella, los Judíos. Pero no es solo una historia de recorrido, es una historia intimista, llena de sentimiento, de sufrimiento, pero a la vez de fuerza, coraje y ganas de vivir. Esta escrita con sencillez pero con una enorme belleza. Es una obra para cualquier publico, para aquellos que quieran conocer mas profundamente como vivieron en la URSS y su historia, para aquellos que quieren conocer que es el sufrimiento de la discriminación, para aquellos adolescentes que quieran sentirse comprendidos, para profesores en varias disciplinas y para todos aquellos que quieran sentir, disfrutar y amar”. by Marta Simo

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