Today New York publisher The Dial Press, a division of Random House, releases Haley Tanner's debut novel Vaclav and Lena, a coming of age tale about Russian-Jewish immigrant children in Brooklyn. In my New York Journal of Books review I describe the book as "a tale of unconditional love; of attachment, separation, and reunion; and of trauma and healing." It's an engaging read that will appeal to teens, their parents, and anyone interested in the immigrant experience.
Ms. Tanner is a Brooklyn resident who got the idea for the story when she was a tutor whose students were Russian immigrant children not unlike the novel's title characters. For a view of more affluent, better educated suburban Russian-Jewish immigrants try The Cosmopolitans by Nadia Kalman.
For more info: David Cooper
via the late examiner.com