A review by rhodesee
Letters from Cuba by Ruth Behar

4.0

Letters From Cuba is an epistolary novel that tells the story of a family separated due to the rise of Nazism and increasingly unsafe condition for Jews in Europe before the second world war. Esther and her father are in Cuba working to bring the rest of their family over from Poland. Esther find success making and selling dresses which gives them hope that the rest of the family will be able to join them sooner rather than later. We learn their story through letters that Esther is writing to her sister Malka. Through Esther's letters we learn about their lives in Cuba and the community that they have found there. In the author's note we learn that Esther is based on Ruth Behar's grandmother and that she was also inspired by 'Letter's From Rifka' by Karen Hesse which is a book I absolutely loved a kid. All in all I really enjoyed this story and think it is a great addition to the WWII set juvenile historical fiction fare.