On Bittersweet Place

On Bittersweet Place is a love story, immigrant story and coming of age novel. The writing is soft, melancholy, expressive and descriptive. It is written from the perspective of a young immigrant girl who leaves Russia with her mother, uncles and brother to join her father in Chicago. The angst, tri......more

A contemplative bildungsroman about a 1920s immigrant girl, which maybe bit off more than it can chew. Lena Czernitski’s family completes their move to the United States from Ukraine after her grandfather is murdered by Cossacks for being a Jew. Her father had left years before, in a bid to escape co......more

A heart-rending and yet ultimately hopeful portrayal of the Jewish immigrant experience of 1920’s Chicago. While escaping the terrors of Europe, the journey in America for this one extended family presents its own challenges, frustrations and disappointments. Wineberg’s tender, compassionate, and ly......more

I fell in love with Lena Czernitski, a girl on the threshold of adolescence. Lena's voice pulled me right back into historical Chicago and into a family that has escaped pogroms only to find themselves exposed to other dangers. In the world of her family, keeping secrets are the norm. Lena has secre......more

Overall I enjoyed the story line. I felt parts were a bit redundant being written about more than one time. The author was able to make me feel what poor Lena was feeling throughout the story, which was usually overwhelming sadness and pain. I liked how when non-English words were used in the story,......more