“With so much fiction devoted to the Holocaust, it is refreshing to read an historical novel about the period of the great Jewish migration from Eastern Europe to the New World. From the founding of HIAS, the Jewish refugee agency, from 1880s - 1920s, millions of Jewish immigrants arrived in the U.S. There is hardly a Jewish family in the U.S. whose immigration is not rooted in that era. Few novels tell that story. It is all the more gratifying that this one, Shayna, tells it beautifully. From the moment I picked up Shayna’s saga, I was captivated and found myself caring deeply about her and her family. That is the test of a good novel – and this one passes with flying colors! Kudos to the author.”

— Roberta Elliott, daughter of a refugee, and former VP of Communications, HIAS

“I loved this book! It’s authentic, emotionally satisfying and a compelling read.”

— Bonnie Dimun, Executive Director, Museum at Eldridge Street

“It's a story of the hardship of a young Jewish woman, Shayna, and her family fleeing religious persecution in their homeland of Ukraine in 1919 bound for America. Black's characters are so well-crafted that I felt like I was a member of the family. To tell you the truth, I didn't want to be part of the family, because what they go through is crushing and terrible stuff. I identified strongly with Shayna, not because I've ever endured anything like what happens to her, but there was something universal in her strength, her unrelenting quest for defining herself on her own terms, not letting the horrible actions of others define her. So in the end, I too was Shayna and deeply felt her victory. I closed the book with gratitude and a sense that what is good does win over what is evil.”

— Holly Hartwell, early reader

“Miriam Ruth Black’s writing is stunning. “Shayna” draws readers into this epic story of one woman’s flight from the dark night of the pograms where death and tragedy propel her to take the unimaginable journey through Europe to the “Goldeneh Medina,” the Golden Land, as America was named by thousands of Eastern European Jews. Black has the talent and the heart to create a character and her story that readers will long remember. I loved this book! 

 — Shelly Christensen, author of From Longing to Belonging

“Shayna is one of those rare novels that grabs you on page one and doesn't let go until you reach the satisfying ending. In this tale of a spirited young Jewish woman escaping pogroms in early 20th-century Ukraine and making a life for herself and her family in America, Miriam Ruth Black establishes herself as a master storyteller. I loved every minute of reading this wonderful book.”

— Alice Bloch, author of Mother Daughter Banquet

“This is a refugee story that makes all other refugee stories come to life. An unflinching portrayal of the pogroms that push Shayna’s small group past borders and across an ocean to a harsh new world, and an empowering tale of the slow healing and resilience it takes for each person to find themselves again. Shayna reminds us that every refugee is a person with immense potential.”

— Frankie Rollins, author of The Grief Manuscript