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Search - Bread Givers
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Bread Givers Author: |
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Book Information
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Other Versions of this Book: Paperback
Book Description:
Persea's 25th anniversary edition of this classic of twentieth-century American literature. More than 250,000 copies sold. Set on New York's Lower East Side during the 1920s, this is the moving story of a young woman's struggle to free herself from the traditional female role in an Orthodox Jewish family and society. Sara Smolinksy, the youngest daughter of a rabbi, watches as her father marries off her sisters into dire circumstances, and she vows to escape this fate. She leaves home, takes a job as an ironer, and rents a room with a door: "This door was life. It was air. The bottom starting-point of becoming a person." Sara's rebellion and her struggle for self-fulfillment-for education, work, and a marriage based on love-resonates with a passionate intensity all can share. In this new edition, the original text is retained; the introduction is updated; and a new foreword is added describing the discovery of this important work and the relationship with Yezierska's daughter that followed.
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Top Member Book Reviews
Cindy C. (
1 member(s) found this review helpful.
i read this for a course on early 20th century American women's history. after i finished it, i realized it is one of those books i would have valued whether or not it was on a required texts lists. it's painful, frustrating and heartbreaking but also powerful and inspiring. even if your family has always been on solid financial footings and you agree with every decision your parents have made, you'll find connections and resonances with Yezierska's commitment to living a full life and finding a way to balance the obligations of family with the need for self identification.
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Please Rate these Book Reviews
Debra R. (Fantastic, exuberant story about one littleJewish girlbeat the matchmaking system and got the education she dreamed of. This is one of the best books about the issues inherent in marriage and life I have ever read yet. Very touching and real!
great book on what it meant to be a Jewish immigrant in the early 20th century
A young Jewish immigrant breaks away from traditional roles in the 1920's. Set in NY- some very archetypal characters. A good read, a bit depressing or uplifting depending on whether you percieve the stereotypes or embrace the story of an independent woman.
THIS BOOK WAS RECOMMENDED IN "A YEAR OF READING". THE SUBJECT MATTER--GRUELLING POVERTY EXPERIENCED BY IMMIGRANTS IN NYC IN THE FIRST DECADES OF 20TH CENTURY. THE READING EXPERIENCE--A RIVETTING TALE, YOU CAN'T PUT DOWN. THE READER IS QUICKLY ABSORBED INTO SARA'S LIFE. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT REALLY MATTERS. WONDERFUL BOOK FOR ADULTS AND THOUGHTFUL TEENS.
One of the books that I would have never discovered if it wasn't required reading for English class. Great description of the American immigrant experience.
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