Away

Away is the story of Lillian Leyb, a young Jewish woman who flees to America in 1924 after her husband and parents are killed in a Russian pogrom. Once in America Lillian learns that the daughter she thought she lost may be alive, and she embarks on any number of adventures, including involvement with one of the most powerful men in the Yiddish theater and an African American prostitute in Seattle.

This is one of those books that I can't really say I loved, but I really wanted to see what happened to Lillian next, and how she survived it. It's not a pretty novel, and it doesn't make you feel very good about the human experience. That Lillian survives her adventures is truly a miracle. I would compare it to Winter's Bone for its stark and brutal portrayal of people and their lives.

Amy Bloom is an interesting writer, and I enjoyed her style once I got used to it. She uses language beautifully, and I enjoyed her humor and lack of sentimentality. And Lillian is a very interesting character, both strong and vulnerable; you really hope that everything works out for her in the end.

Away