Miriam's Secret

Debby Waldman

Description

In 1930 nine-year-old Miriam travels by train from Brooklyn to her grandparents' farm in upstate New York.

Her grandparents are kind, generous people, but they aren't exactly ideal playmates for a lonely girl. When Miriam is not doing homework in the kitchen with Bubby or helping prepare meals for the migrant workers that Zayde hires to help out on the farm, she plays with the barn kittens born just before she arrived. Those kittens are her only friends, until the day Miriam discovers a young girl hiding in the barn. Cissy and her brother, Joe, who's one of Zayde's farm hands, are on the run from an abusive uncle back in Mississippi. Miriam and Cissy hit it off immediately. But their friendship is tested when Miriam is forced to choose between keeping a promise and doing the right thing.

Sujets

• 20th Century
• Jewish
• Historical
• Juvenilee Fiction
• Jews
• Seder
• Purim
• Passover
• United States
• Pessa'h
• Pourim

Informations

• Publié par: Orca Book Publishers
• Date de parution: 17 octobre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 2
• EAN13: 9781459814264
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

MIriam’s SécRet

Debby Waldman

Praiŝé foR MIria’s SecRét

“ïn îs ear-warmîng nove abou a secre rîend- sîp, Debby Wadman es a sory bound up în Amerîca’s îsory o Depressîon-era obos. As Mîrîam grappes wî keepîng er rîend's secre or doîng e rîg îng, Wadman adepy brîngs îsory aîve, paînîng an engagîng porraî o mînor- îîes în a sma own and sowîng a cuura dîferences can brîng peope ogeer.”

—Leanne Lieberman, auor ohe Mos Dangerous hîng

“A wonderu, anaîzîng and ender ae abou ow, despîe our dîferences, we a ong or e same îngs: rîendsîp, connecîon and a sense o purpose.” —Monique Polak, award-wînnîng auor oWa Word Is Let

“An endearîng sory abou e power o accepance.” —Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, award-wînnîng auor oMaKîng Bombs or Hîer

Debby Waldman MIria’s SécRet

Text copyright ©2017Debby Waldman All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Waldman, Debby, author Miriam's secret / Debby Waldman.

Issued also in print and electronic formats. isbn 978-1-4598-1425-7 (softcover(pdf).—).—isbn 978-1-4598-1426-4 isbn 978-1-4598-1427-1(epub)

I. Title. ps8645.a457m57 2017jc813'.6 c2017-900846-3 c2017-900847-1

First published in the United States,2017 Library of Congress Control Number:2017933017

Summary:In this middlegrade novel, Miriam discovers a young girl hiding in the barn while she’s spending Passover at her grandparents’ farm.

Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

Edited by Tanya Trafford Cover artwork by Scott Plumbe Author photo by Curtis Trent

orca book publishers www.orcabook.com

20 19 18 17 • 4 3 2 1

To my grandparens, Veve (Wîîam) Cernof and Dora (Eva) Roband Cernof, and Harrîs Zvî Wadman and Sara PapKîn Wadman— may eîr memorîes be or a bessîng.

ôe

Mîrîam was sared awake. Her room was sakîng, e wîndow nex o er bed raîng îke caerîng ee. A ong, eerîe wîse remînded er a se wasn’ în Brookyn anymore. Sîîng up, se pused e curaîns apar, expecîng o see a gîan îtîng er grandparens’ armouse of e ground. Bu e moonîg reveaed ony e îgs o a caboose. Se waced î dîsappear down e snow-covered raîn racks. he nîg e sî and sîen once agaîn. he nex îme Mîrîam opened er eyes, sunîg was eakîng roug e curaîns. Her grandmoer was sandîng by e bed, smîîng down a er.

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DéBY âlDmàN

Bubby ad a smudge o Lour on er ceek, and er sot gray aîr was comîng oose rom er bun. “Rîse and sîne, Mîrî,” se saîd ceeruy. “ï’ve go your breakas a ready.” Wen Bubby wen back down e saîrs, Mîrîam kne on e bed and pused e curaîns apar agaîn. he raîn racks cu a pa roug e snow, srecîng rom e brîdge over e road a one end o e yard a e way o e woods a e oer. eîng e curaîns a back ogeer, se urned o e cose were Bubby ad sored er coes. As se pued on er dress and woo sock- îngs, se kep an eye on e wîndow, wonderîng wen e nex raîn woud come. Bubby ad se a bow o oamea a e kîcen abe. Mîrîam ooked around e room. Se ad never seen suc a bîg kîcen—î was amos as bîg as er enîre aparmen back ome. Se wondered î Bubby and Zayde were oney eaîng a a bîg abe every day, a by emseves, surrounded by empy caîrs. Se oug back o er breakas e day beore wî Mama, Papa and Bubby a e cozy

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Miriam’sSecrEt

abe în eîr aparmen în New York. Mama ad served er avorîes—warm, cewybîays, sot ceese and smoked wîeIs. “Wa do you înk Mama and Papa are doîng rîg îs mînue?” Mîrîam asked er grand- moer as se sîrred a spoonu o moasses îno er oamea. Bubby ooked a e cock over e sînk. ï was amos eîg. “ï îmagîne ey’re geîng ready o board e sîp. hey’re seîng saî oday.” “ï wîs ï coud go wî em,” Mîrîam saîd wîsuy. Se wîped er nose wî e back o er and. Bubby pued a andkercîe rom er apron pocke and passed î o Mîrîam. “ï’s no a journey or a young gîr,” se saîd. “Gabrîe and Raae arebabîes,” Mîrîam saîd. “Wy do ey ge o make e journey?” “hey ave o,” Bubby remînded er. “ï’s e ony way or em o ge o Amerîca.” “Unce Avram can brîng em,” Mîrîam însîsed. “He’s comîng o Amerîca oo. So wy do Mama and Papa ave o go?”

3

eBY âlDmàN

Se knew wy. Mama ad od er so many îmes, se coudn’ coun. Bubby gave e same answer. “Your unce Avram can’ ake care o wo babîes îmse. He needs your mama o ep îm, and se can’ rave a ar aone.” Mîrîam sî dîdn’ undersand. ï wasn’ as î Mama woud ge os. A se ad o do was board a sîp o Germany and rom Germany rave by raîn o e Od Counry. Unce Avram woud mee er a e saîon în Borîsov, and ogeer ey woud brîng Gabrîe and Raae back o New York. Papa coudn’ ep wî e babîes, so wy dîd e even need o go? “Your mama as never been o Borîsov, Mîrîam,” Bubby remînded er. “Se doesn’ speak Russîan.” Papa ad îved în Borîsov unî e’d moved o New York oureen years earîer. A cousîn o a cousîn o a cousîn ad ound îm a job operaîng a puscar. Cousîn Mende aso ad a puscar— e sod paper and pencîs. Papa sod buons and read, wîc îs ow e ad me Mama.

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