Broken Song
by Kathryn Lasky
Published by Puffin Books
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Reviewed by Rowena Brew
The next book from National Jewish Book Award-Winner, Kathryn Lasky, who won the title for her book, The Night Journey, Broken Song once again delves into the world of Reuven Bloom, a 15-year-old Jewish boy, living in Russia at the turn of the 20th Century.
Reuven lives with his father, mother and two sisters in a small village in The Pale, which was the only part of Russia where Jews were allowed to settle at the time. His love of music, and in particular his love of playing the Ceruti violin, which he had been given by his Uncle, who had in turn been given it from the ring Baron for whom he was a tailor. Music occupied all of Reuven’s time, when he was not playing it, he was thinking about it. And so, life was good.
Until the word spread that the Cossack soldiers had destroyed a nearby village, forcing all of the young men to join their army. Reuven’s family is quick to hide him in the small potato hole in their floor, and when the Cossacks finally arrive, he can do nothing as he hears them ransack his family house and slaughter his family. When he finally does come out of hiding, he discovers that baby sister Rachel has been hidden from the soldiers when a press fell over, and trapped her inside. Uninjured, but scared, Reuven now had the huge responsibility of taking care of this little child, as well as himself. But where would he go?
His uncle had told him of a cousin in Vilna, and Reuven and Rachel sets off on the long and perilous journey to safety. Along the way, Reuven meets some who want to help him, and some who want to harm him. Will he reach his ultimate goal of reaching Vilna, and then following his uncle to America?
This book gave an excellent insight into the struggle of the Jewish community in Russia at the turn of the 20th Century, and would be ideal for a school curriculum reading book for young teens, because, as well as being educational, it also raises some interesting questions which could be debated in the school environment.
Armchair Interviews says: A well-written story of one boy’s struggles to survive.
Author’s Web site: http://www.kathrynlasky.com