Chapter 1

FEARS AND TEARS

“Sara, you’re so lucky you’re going to America tomorrow,” my truly best friend Nettie says, reaching over and squeezing my hand. We’re sitting on her stoop, dressed in our warmest wool coats, hats and mittens, sticking out our tongues to catch snowflakes. It is December, 1909. We live in Slonim, a town in Russia, a place not safe for us. We’re leaving tomorrow. We’reJewish.

“I know I’m lucky,” I say. “Everyone wants to leave. But Nettie, I wish you were coming with me. I wish you were moving right next door, just the way we’ve alwaysbeen.”

“Soon,” Nettie says. “I know Papa will send us the money for tickets any daynow.”

“I’m sure,” I say, squeezing Nettie’s mittened hand real tight because I’m not sure atall.

Several years ago, our papas left Russia for America. My papa is a carpenter and he’s been working very hard. Every few weeks he sends us a letter and money. Nettie’s papa is a peddler. At first he sent letters but he hasn’t written letters for a long time----no letters, nomoney.

“Let’s run,” Nettie says. I know she wants to change the subject. Nettie is a really fast runner. I have to run hard to keep up. We chase and jump to catchsnowflakes.

“Stop! Stop!” finally I shout. I’m out of breath. I sit on her stoop. Nettie keeps running for a while longer. She can runforever.

Actually, I should be faster because I’m three days older and taller but Nettie’s thinner and more agile. Once she even caught a butterfly in her fingers. She has the longest, most delicate fingers and they are quick like little sprinters. And even with short legs, Nettie climbs trees—not very lady-like but a lot offun.

Slowly Nettie drops to the stoop. “It’s been too quiet,”