NATHAN'S SONG

Love of opera brings a Jewish boy from czarist Russia to New York.

When he hears an opera singer perform in the neighboring shtetl, Nathan wants to sing also. His impoverished family saves for years and finally can afford to send him to Italy to study. Nathan sets out for a Black Sea port but is so overwhelmed by the many languages that he ends up on the wrong ship—one that is sailing to New York City. Fortunately, he can literally sing for his supper, and all the passengers dine and dance to his music-making. When he sets foot in New York, he continues to sing, this time on street corners to pay for food and lodging. A job in a hat store, marriage, and earning enough money to bring over his family follow. Nathan continues his studies and even sings on Broadway. The author recounts what is loosely her grandfather’s journey to America with great affection. In her author’s note, she provides some background information on Jewish life in Russia’s “Pale of Settlement” with its often violent anti-Semitism. The graphically striking artwork is brightly colored in blues, yellows, and oranges and fills the pages with dancing figures and city buildings. Families may follow this story with tales of their own American journeys. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.5-by-16-inch double-page spreads viewed at 33.9% of actual size.)

A warm and nostalgic family remembrance.