Letters From Rifka (bad) book report

     During Rifka’s life, she wrote letters to her family member Tovah.  She knew she couldn’t sent them, but still kept track of her life, which was quite an extreme life…She had to fight sickness, living alone for a year, becoming bald, and most importantly, her journey to America.
     “Letters From Rifka” took place around WWI.  Rifka, her father, mother, and brother, Saul, were all headed from America, to escape their lives in Russia.  They were all Jews, and feared people discovering them and having them put to death, so it is understandable why they would run away.
     Rifka was a brave and determined girl at the age of 12.  She always wants to be clever, but doesn’t think she is, despite the fact that she’s been told she is clever various times.  Throughout her journey, she learned English, Flemish, and Yiddish.  Rifka’s father was also a very brave man.  He took a beating just so he could keep his new shoes, and has risked his life on multiple occasions to help his family.  Saul has always acted “mean” towards Rifka, called her names, not really been supported in her times of need.  But Rifka soon found that he still loves her no matter what.  Saul is the kind of person who hides their feelings from others.
     Rifka and her family were well on their way to America, and had almost completed their trip.  But when they found Rifka wasn’t allowed on the boat to America due to a disease called Typhus, Rifka had to stay behind.   Her parents were mailing her money and making sure she was able to get by, but Rifka had something in mind other than just getting by.  She wanted to overcome her fears, to get out and have fun while waiting for her disease to be cured.  And she eventually did.  When she found that nobody around really cared that she was sick or was bald (Which was a side effect of her disease.), she was able to enjoy herself, talk to others, even make friends.
     Not only this, though, but Rifka was also very determined to learn.  While in the hospital, she learned Flemish, and some English.  Because of this, everybody told her she was “clever,” but she denied it.  Also, she learned that she was able to use the money her parents sent her to buy and eat on her own diet.  While she was living alone, she had eaten almost nothing but ice cream, chocolate, and bananas.
     Conquering Russia in her trials to make her way to America was most important to her.  While she knew that she was going to be cured of her sickness soon, she had always thought of complex plans to escape Russia and make it to America on her own.  All of which she knew she wouldn’t be able to carry out.  However, when it came down to it, and Rifka was finally well again, she got on the boat, and was set for America.  Finally, she had defeated Russia, in her mind, once and for all.  Now able to live a free life, she feared nothing; she could learn whatever she wanted, and she was on top of the world!  (Just not in the Hitler sort of way, which is what she was avoiding in the first place…)
Overall I thought the book “Letters From Rifka” was a pretty good book, and I would certainly recommend it to anybody who is into this type of genre.  In this story, the author did a good job keeping the reader in suspense, and keeping a good storyline.  Not only was aI kept entertained by the book, though, but I also learned a lot from the book.  For example, I had no idea there were so many disease outbreaks during the time period of this book.