The Little Bride
When 16-year-old Minna Losk journeys from Odessa to America as a mail-order bride, she dreams of a young, wealthy husband, a handsome townhouse, and freedom from physical labor and pogroms. But her husband Max turns out to be twice her age, rigidly Orthodox, and living in a one-room sod hut in South Dakota with his two teenage sons. The country is desolate, the work treacherous. Most troubling, Minna finds herself increasingly attracted to her older stepson. As a brutal winter closes in, the family’s limits are tested, and Minna, drawing on strengths she barely knows she has, is forced to confront her despair, as well as her desire.Praise for The Little Bride:
“Minna is a terrifically complex heroine: a little snobby, a little selfish and wholly sympathetic.”Read full review
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The New York Times“Like...Jonathan Safran Foer and Dara Horn. [A] wondrously strange story of Jewish immigration.”Read full review
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Miami Herald“This mythic rendition of the American immigrant narrative...finds the wondrous in the ordinary and vividly depicts the complex collisions between the Old World and the New." ”Read full review
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MORE Magazine (October Book Club pick)“A tale of hope, freedom and following one's own path.”Read full review
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Woman's Day (Must-Read Fall Books)“A fascinating debut... riveting... Solomon’s prose is bold and often gritty, and she creates complicated, surprising characters that completely defy expectations, displaying the depths of the author’s careful research and rich imagination. ”Read full review
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BookPage“The prose is exquisite as are the descriptions of the landscape…a writer to watch.”
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Publishers Weekly“Readers will feel compelled to stay with this page-turner to its solemn finish. A strong debut novel, highly recommended for those who appreciate exceptional historical fiction.”Read full review
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Library Journal“A plot-driven novel conveyed in crisp, descriptive, and thought-provoking prose....an auspicious debut.”Read full review
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New York Journal of Books“Rich in language and detail... Solomon turns her extensive research into fascinating, page-turning historical fiction.”Read full review
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School Library Journal“A reminder of just how circuitous and fraught with compromise the journeys of immigrants can be.”Read full review
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The Forward“...will give books groups much to ponder about Minna, but also about the anguish of immigration and the idea of freedom.”Read full review
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Jewish Women InternationalWatch the trailer
“A lush, gorgeous first novel. Immerse yourself in its world.”
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Irina Reyn, author of What Happened to Anna K.