Blue Thread

by Ruth Tenzer Feldman

The women’s suffrage movement is in full swing in 1912 Portland, Oregon—the last holdout state on the West Coast. Miriam desperately wants to work at her father’s printing shop, but when he refuses she decides to dedicate herself to the suffrage movement, demanding rights for women and a different life for herself. Amidst the uncertainty of her future, Miriam’s attention is diverted by the mysterious Serakh, whose sudden, unexplained appearances and insistent questions lead Miriam to her grandmother’s Jewish prayer shawl—and to her destiny. With this shawl, Miriam is taken back in time to inspire the Daughters of Zelophehad, the first women in Biblical history to own land. Miriam brings the strength and courage of these women with her forward in time, emboldening her own struggles and illuminating what it means to be an independent woman.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Time Travel, 20th Century, Feminism, Young Adult Historical Fiction

296 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2012

About the author

Ruth is an award-winning author of books and articles, mainly for children and young adults. Her three companion novels...Blue Thread, The Ninth Day, and Seven Stitches...combine speculative and historical fiction with a time travel twist. Blue Thread won the Leslie Bradshaw Award for Young Adult Literature in 2012 and was listed by the American Library Association as one of the best feminist books for young adults. Ruth's 10 nonfiction books focus on history and biography, while her articles range from leeches to Einstein’s refrigerator. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, innumerable dust mites, and a vivid imagination.

Reviews

[Lisa Ard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruth Tenzer Feldman makes the jump from non-fiction to fiction with Blue Thread, the coming of age story of Miriam Josefsohn, a sixteen-year old Jewish girl living in Portland, Oregon in 1912. This is the height of the women's suffrage movement in Oregon and Miriam is swept into it, after meeting two women running a millinery shop.

Miriam finds herself stuck between two worlds. The first is a new daring arena where women make their own decisions, they work and they seek equal treatment under the law. The other is the world her parents wish to confine her to -- a traditional life of marriage, running a household and allowing a man to oversee all decisions concerning her. When Miriam meets Serakh and is transported to Biblical times, she learns that women have faced adversity throughout the ages. Her role in changing those long ago times, leads her to believe that she can change her own time and circumstances.

Blue Thread offers a compelling story and introduces young readers to an unfamiliar time. There are nice references to Portland and the era. The Biblical story had me hunting on line for more information and I was pressed to find the level of detail presented in this fictional work.

I would have liked to have seen more descriptive language, particularly around character development. There are plenty of unusual names and figures, but few distinguishing features to help the reader know the characters. I also found the prologue to be a confusing start to the story. The situation is unclear and the characters are undeveloped at this point.

I read an advanced reader copy (ARC) and hope that the indiscriminate use of italics will be corrected in the final version.

If you pick up Blue Thread, give it a shot, past the confusing start. Once the reader gets a few chapters in, I think he/she will find that the pacing is pretty good and the conflict well defined.

[TheBookSmugglers · Rating 3 out of 5]

1912, Portland. Miriam is a young woman who desperately wants to work at her father’s printing shop and has been mustering up the courage to ask him for a chance to prove herself. For the past months, she has been reading about printing, practicing on her own and is full of innovative ideas. Unfortunately, her parents have other plans for Miriam and she finds herself having to enter the marriage market against her will. Meanwhile, the women’s suffrage movement is spreading and although her parents try to keep Miriam away from it all, she becomes increasingly interested to hear what these women have to say and ends up involved in the movement alongside new friends.

Amidst all of this, Miriam is also visited by a mysterious woman called Serakh. Serakh’s sudden, unexplained appearances are followed by a persistent demand that Miriam must help her – her first mission is to find her family’s praying shawl. This shawl has been passed down generations and contains a (Magical) blue thread that allows Miriam and Serakh to travel back to the time of Moses to meet with the five Daughters of Zelophehad – the first women in Biblical history to own land. Or at least, they will be, once Miriam inspires them to talk to Moses which is Miriam’s main mission – as proposed by Serakh.

There were many things I loved about Blue Thread and one side of the story that didn’t work as well. I will start with the bad as I want to finish the review on a high note.

According to the author’s note (or check out this article) , the premise of the book (or at least the connection to the Biblical story of the Daughters of Zelophehad) took root when she saw a real photograph of a 1908 suffrage banner which mentions those characters.

The banner reads: LIKE THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD, WE ASK FOR OUR INHERITANCE

Like the author, I found this to be fascinating. Unfortunately I don’t think this was well incorporated in the story. My main concern when approaching the book was how the religious side of the story would play out in this context. The main character is Jewish and her travel back in time to meet the Daughters of Zelophehad alludes to a factual side of the Bible. My fear – as is my fear with any story that involves religion – was that her personal connection with her religion as well the story’s historical background would be proposed as universal truths which could potentially exclude both other religious and non-religious people’s perspectives from the equation. Thankfully that wasn’t a problem at all. Instead, I had a huge problem with the Fantasy elements of the story and the very time travel aspect of it, in terms of what it MEANT.

The Fantasy elements are sloppy at best. Serakh is a time traveller with the gift of languages who keeps bringing people from Miriam’s family line back and forth in time to….inspire other people? How she does it (beyond the Magical Blue Thread), why exactly must she do this, why Miriam’s family in particular are never truly explored. There were several WAIT A MINUTE- moments when I caught myself trying to understand the why exactly were these women doing this. I love time travel stories but I am not even sure if these Fantasy elements were essential to this story. This is even more glaring when these Fantasy elements basically disappear from the story halfway through it and the way I see it, don’t really matter to Miriam’s main arc at all. Her accomplishments in the end are hers, helped by her own timeline’s inspirations (her friends and the suffrage movement).

Which brings me to my main problem with the story which stems from how Miriam’s downright interferes with the Daughters’ story. Her “help” went far beyond mere inspiration. In fact, she basically TELLS them what to do, how and why – and even helps things along by speaking on their behalf. This means that Miriam effectively undermines those women’s victory and erases their pioneer status. I think this is unforgivable considering the very topic of this book and well, it pissed me off.

But like I said, thankfully this is just one sides of the novel and in terms of Miriam’s character arc in her own timeline as well as the historical aspects of the women’s suffrage movement, Blue Thread is a success.

Starting with Miriam’s difficult relationship with her parents – and in different ways depending on each parental unit. Her frustration with the fact that she can’t inherit her father’s business and how she knows she can be a good typesetter but no one will listen to her. Or how her mother is adamant that all she needs is a man to take care of her and she will be settled for life. There is also an element of family history and personal tragedy that plays really well overall.

I loved the development of Miriam’s feminist ideas in terms of universal ideas applicable to all women and how she started to read up on the suffrage movement and take part on it and to make friends with other women and even men, because of it. But also in the context of her life – it should be after all, her RIGHT to be the heir of her father’s business, like it would have been if she were a man. There is a lot of growth for Miriam here and one of my favourite things about the book is that it doesn’t demonises her traditionalist parents and the ending of the book is perfect – full of growth and hope but also some heartbreaking moments.

Blue Thread has a lot going for it and I am glad I read it. If you are interested in a good story about a young woman finding her footing in the historical context of the suffrage movement, look no further. But if you are looking for that as a well as a well-developed Fantasy novel involving time travel – I am sorry to say, but you should probably look elsewhere.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is def an interesting read. Never read anything quite like it. That's a point in its favor. This is like Jewish fiction, and why not? Christians have their own fiction, clean, entertaining stories with subtle religious themes or stories.

This one follows a Jewish girl in 1912 Oregon. She has a horrid, domineering father and a submissive mother who "knows her place". Until a prayer shawl with a blue thread and a time-traveling companion from Biblical days appears, there's no way Miriam would ever have the guts to join the Suffrage movement, let alone stand up against her father.

You see, her parents just want to marry her off, but she wants to run her father's printing business. Problem is, he won't even let her in the shop most of the time. Her mother certainly never takes her side either.

She time travels back to Biblical times and through her we learn the story of Zelophehad's daughters and how they asked for their land. This was a huge step for women. This was a time in which women had no rights at all, so when their father died and they were faced with destitution and/or dependency and who-knows-what, they asked Moses for their land, so that they would eat and live and the land would stay in their father's line. While the conclusion came with strings attached, it worked out for the best and inspired many women when the time came for us to demand the vote.


What I loved: The story of the daughters. I can't help but notice they conveniently leave these stories out of Sunday school. LOL I appreciate the author finding an entertaining way of bringing this to light. I won't forget it anytime soon. I also loved how the heroine grows a backbone, gets involved in the Suffrage, and appreciated the Oregon history. It was as if by being called upon to help others, she was able to finally help herself.

What I didn't like: It felt unconcluded. I wanted some resolution btw her father and her. I do not believe for one moment that that man just lets her up and catch a train outta there. Nooooo.... Serack...the time traveler was just weird. I never came to like her. She just shows up, kisses foreheads, speaks in riddles, and acts like a robot. No emotion at all. The heroine...was difficult to like at times. She does act like a spoiled brat here and there, but this is a YA novel, and hey, teenagers do act that way. The time traveling was confusing also. It just seemed awful convenient that only certain people in certain rooms could understand the heroine's language. At times, it made no sense.

I'd like to see a book two finishing this. I know there is a book two, but I think it's an entirely different story with different people. As I said above, this felt unfinished. What happens to Miriam? Does she ever make up with her dad? How does she fend on her own? 'Cause for all her bluster, she's never had to take care of herself, fend for food, pay rent...so I'm curious.

Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2013/...

[Anne Osterlund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miriam Josefsohn is many things: a daughter, a jew, a suffragette. She hopes one day a printer. But the year is 1912 and that day may never come if Miriam’s parents have their way arranging her future.

The future, though, is a flowing concept for the women of the Josefsohn family. As is time itself.

When Miriam learns of her unique inheritance—a special shawl woven with a blue thread—a gateway to the past opens. And perhaps an even more powerful gateway to the future.

Like Miriam herself, The Blue Thread interweaves elements of faith, history, and politics, but what I loved most about this young adult novel was the even more powerful element of family. From the dominant conflict and connection between Miriam and her father to the more fantastical tie between the women of the Josefsohn family, Ruth Tenzer Feldman does a beautiful job peering into the bonds that bring us together, tear us apart, and allow us to travel beyond ourselves.

[S. Wigget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in Portland in 1912, the year that Oregon women got the vote, Blue Thread is about Miriam, a teen girl who wants to become a typographer and who becomes a suffragist despite her patriarchal father's disapproval. Miriam travels back in time, makes friends with other young women, and comes to stand up for her beliefs.

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Seven Stitches by Ruth Tenzer Feldman and loving it, I had to go back and read her first installments. Blue Thread didn’t disappoint. Winner of the Literary Arts Oregon Book Award, Blue Thread takes you away to the early 1900s, to witness first hand, the women’s suffrage movement in Portland, Oregon. Much like her third book in the series, Feldman weaves her story between two timelines. However, this time it’s between the women’s suffrage in 1912 and the Daughters of Zelophehad during biblical times. Miriam, Feldman’s headstrong protagonist, fights for gender equality while traveling back and forth between these two timelines. Miriam sees firsthand how the treatment of women has changed over time and how much it’s stayed the same.

Much like the later addition, Blue Thread offers a unique experience with diverse characters exploring history from an unusual perspective with a sprinkle of religion that explores the Jewish culture without making a case for conversion. Not only did I enjoy the story, I felt like I was learning about a religion that is only glossed over by mainstream literature.

That said, I have one main issue with the book. My main disappointment was that I had hoped this book would be more connected to book three. This is a personal preference. I like when a story is continued, like a new chapter in the character’s life. I knew it was a long shot going into book one from book three given that the main character didn’t know about her time traveling shawl. Instead, this book felt familiar, like I was reading the same book with different characters and settings but with many of the same plot points.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started Blue Thread, I knew I would encounter a spunky protagonist named Miriam and a mysterious time traveler named Serakh. (I’d read Seven Stitches, the third book in the Blue Thread Saga, earlier this year.) But I didn’t expect such a refreshing, compelling narrative. Miriam is every bit the independent, creative, resourceful young woman I wanted to be at sixteen. The tension between her and her father, a Jewish immigrant who’d lost family members and started supporting his family at thirteen, was totally believable. The book seemed a window into a forgotten Portland; as a Portlander myself, I enjoyed recognizing street names and landmarks that have endured the hundred-plus years since the events of Blue Thread.

I was especially fond of the women’s suffrage plot, and Miriam conveyed the ideals of the movement perfectly. The weakest part of the book, for me, was the time-travel plotline with Serakh and Tirtzah. It wasn’t bad or boring, just less interesting than reading about Miriam fighting for women’s rights. And it must be noted that this is one of the relatively few YA books that focuses on a Jewish main character and community. A wonderful debut fiction novel yet depressingly underappreciated, Blue Thread will be my next recommendation for anyone interested in YA.

[Emma Hovley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This YA novel by Ruth Tenzer Feldman is a refreshing change of pace from the boy-centered plots and characters I was expecting. I will be the first to admit that I have only recently dabbled in the young adult shelves of my local bookstores, but Miriam Josefsohn is a headstrong and confident protagonist whose focus on women’s rights and personal struggle to make peace with her parents is inspiring and refreshing. The introduction of a time-traveling shawl—a family heirloom that comes with a lot of emotional baggage for Miriam’s family—may sound odd for a book set in the middle of Portland’s fight for women’s suffrage, but Feldman makes it work. Blue Thread vividly and remarkably captures Miriam’s Jewish ancestry and uncovers its effects on her family with ease. Miriam emerges from her time travels with a renewed desire to take control of her own life, and to watch her proceed to do so is invigorating. Feldman has written young women a protagonist who shows us that respect and love for the past does not have to stop us from moving ourselves forward.

[Shoshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was intrigued by this book because I love a good time travel journey. And I'm so glad I read it, because it has everything I look for in a time travel story! A fun adventure, full of rich details about the historical periods and cultures, and intelligent characters learning more about who they are.

Miriam is a fun character who is interested in typography and her father's printing press, when she begins to learn more about how much of a fight it can be to receive your own rights and inheritance in a society that looks down on some of its members. She learns to fight for her passion, women's right to vote, the rights of her new friends, and her inheritance of a prayer shawl passed down in her family for generations because of a special blue thread.

I loved the rich details of the 1912s, the suffragettes, and printing press, as well as the concepts and details of the time of Moses and the Daughters of Zelophehad, who I had never even heard of before but am so grateful to learn more about. I am really excited to read the other 2 books in this series.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blue Thread starts at the center of the women’s suffrage movement in Portland and follows a teenage Miriam. After finding her grandmothers Jewish prayer shawl, Miriam is thrown into a journey full of history, culture, and time travel. There is a lot of historical sci-fi out there, but this stood out to me because of the protagonists connection to her jewish heritage and its central theme in the plot. It was also very interesting to read about Portland during that time in such vivid detail, Feldmans language is truly beautiful and puts you right at the center of the city. I would recommend this to more of a younger audience base, but as an adult who reads YA frequently, I enjoyed this read!

[Joanna Szabo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been waiting to read Blue Thread for a while, but this book is exactly what I wanted (needed?) to read right now. It’s a story about a time and place not my own as well as a story a little closer to home: here in Portland, but set in 1912, during the women’s suffrage movement. The desire for women’s suffrage—Miriam’s understanding, even as a girl of 16, of the importance of responsibility of voting—rings especially true today. I needed to read about a Jewish girl fighting for what’s right, finding a voice, and finding herself. It’s got this weird time travel element to biblical times, but the fitting parallels of the two time periods and the faith element make up for the awkwardness with the time jump.

The themes of this book, namely empowerment of young women across ages to follow their passions and use their voices, adds a voice to the YA offerings that wasn’t there before.

Also, side note, as someone who just finished a typography class: I was hooked on Miriam as my heroine from the moment she obsessed over a particularly beautiful letter “M” on a prayer book: “I stared in adoration at the capital M in “Memorial Service.” Its apex had a concave dip, so the top of the letter seemed to be smiling. The left foot serif was angular and the right one curved, like oddly matched shoes. Fanciful yet solid, that M was an answer to a typographer’s prayer.”

[Anmarie Maier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this one first

There are currently three books in this series; this one takes place first. I read it while staying at the Crystal Hotel in downtown Portland and it was wonderful to take a walking tour of the places mentioned in the book. The storyline was believable and the characters well-developed. It's about a teen aged girl learning about the mysterious family heirloom prayer shawl she is given by her uncle. Time travel, semantics, and a little bible history are all woven into this great story.

[Tepintzin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. 16 year old Miriam Josephsohn is a budding suffragist in 1912 Portland. She receives a visit from the mysterious Serakh, a woman mentioned twice in the Bible, 400 years apart. Serakh is a Jewish folk figure believed to be immortal, and she guides Miriam to the Mosaic era to witness a triumph of rights for women in that time. Most of the novel takes place in 1912, with Miriam encouraged and inspired by Serakh and the Hebrew women.

Kids who have finished the Little House on the Prairie series are ready for this novel. Apparently it's one of a series.

[Micah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book!! The concept was great, the writing was engaging, and I thought the protagonist was easy to root for.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, combining history, religion, fantasy and suffrage for women in a tidy package. I think I’ll send it on to Alice, since her dad’s in the printing business too. Sorta.

[Hylary Locsin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

Being a well-to-do girl in 1912 Portland, Oregon doesn’t give sixteen-year-old Miriam Josefsohn the freedom to choose what kind of life she leads. Her strict German-born father insists that Miriam be a proper young lady, which means that she will never be able to work a job, cannot get involved in politics like the women’s suffrage movement, and needs to focus on what’s important: getting married to a wealthy Jewish man. The problem is that Miriam wants nothing to do with marriage, and wishes she could become a businesswoman and suffragette. Everything changes, however, when Miriam meets Serakh, a girl her age with bronze skin and a long white braid who asks her about a prayer shawl with a single blue thread. Miriam has never seen such a prayer shawl, but is shocked a few days later when her uncle gives her a family heirloom he has been keeping for her: her great-grandmother’s prayer shawl with a single blue thread. When Serakh returns, she informs Miriam that the shawl has the power to transport Miriam thousands of years in the past to the time of the Daughters of Zelophehad: five sisters in biblical times who sought the right to inherit their father’s lands. Miriam learns that the daughters need her help in their struggle for justice, and that their plight might influence her own generations later.

History author Ruth Tenzer Feldman demonstrates her prowess at creating enjoyable, thoughtful works of fiction with Blue Thread. Combining historical fiction, fantasy, and Jewish fiction, Feldman weaves a tale that both educates and entertains readers who are interested in experiencing something less fluffy and melodramatic as other novels for teens. The most successful part of Blue Thread is, without-a-doubt, the protagonist, Miriam. The character is well-written to the point that by the end of the novel, the reader feels like she is a long-lost friend. Although she lives 100 years ago, modern teens will find much to identify with in Miriam’s struggle to prove to her parents that she is capable and independent. Miriam evolves throughout the story, learning from her travels to the past, and ending her journey on a very exciting note. The time travel aspect of the novel is interesting and adds a level of fantasy to the book, but more important is Miriam’s efforts to champion women’s rights in general. The author does an excellent job of intertwining the fantasy and historical fiction components of the story, but the novel is primarily a coming-of-age story about a really likable and admirable young woman.

I hadn’t heard much of anything about this novel prior to picking it up, but as a Portland, Oregon native I wanted to give it a try. Fortunately it is one of those gems that somehow always seem to get lost in the sea of young adult literature. Obviously, I really liked this novel pretty much from start to finish. It is well-written and not overly wordy or dramatic. Miriam is really likable and I found myself cheering her on as she struggled to stand up for herself against her misogynistic father. I also loved reading about turn-of-the-century Portland and learned a lot about the women’s suffrage movement and the Daughters of Zelophehad. I think that Blue Thread could easily have a place in the classroom, especially as a novel that enhances education about a certain time in history, or simply as a good book for both teens and adults to enjoy.

[Sylvia McIvers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miriam wants to be a printer, just like her daddy. She has a book of printing fonts in her bedroom, and imagines creating such lovely posters, menus, and bills that people line up at the door of her print shop door. Unfortunately for her, Daddy doesn’t believe that girls are able to do the work, and intends someday to leave the shop to Miriam’s younger cousin Albert. Mama doesn’t believe girls need an education. This fall, instead of going to school again as she wants, Miriam will leave Ohio to accompany her Mama to the marriage markets of New York.

Absolutely nothing is going Miriam’s way at all. Life is so, so unfair. Suddenly,

Miriam meets people who plan to change their own lives. At the synagogue, a strange, olive skinned girl named Serach in mismatched clothing asks if she received her blue threads yet. At the hat shop, the milliner who makes lovely hats asks if she’s going to the Votes for Women rally. Even the woman who runs the charity home asks questions that make Miriam think twice.

When Miriam visits her father at his shop, she meets a woman who works for him – further proof that women can do the job – any woman but Miriam, that is. She is expected to let her father take care of her, and then let her husband take care of her. And she should be happy that she has menfolk to take care of her, instead of complaining about it. Working is for poor women, and for unfortunate women who have no male relatives.

Meeting independent women opens Miriam’s mind to new possibilities, but she will still need all her courage to take the first step.

Grandma Miriam, rest in peace, left a shawl with a blue thread to the grand-daughter named after her. Will Miriam be allowed to keep the shawl? It’s a terrible controversy in her family, between Mama and Papa and Papa’s brother, because it stirs up terrible memories. But the shawl’s history goes much further into the past…

Miriam looks up the history of the Miriams that came before her, and further back. Much further back than she had ever thought existed. And Serach asks her for help – for friends who lived thousands of years ago. Serach is a time traveler, and with Grandma’s shawl with the blue thread, Miriam can travel with her.

Will she be able to give advice to Serach’s friends? These five sisters want to inherit their fathers lands They are exactly the “unfortunate women” her father talked about – they have no husbands, father, or brothers to help take care of them. They want to inherit the land in their own name. Serach wants Miriam to encourage them. How can she, when she is afraid to argue with her father about the shawl that was left to her?

With the example of her friends, and the words of encouragement she herself gave the five sisters, Miriam takes the first step toward becoming a real printer. And the next step. And there’s always one more step, until she takes a step that she can’t walk away from.

Ruth Tenzer Feldman captures the spirit of the times, from settlement houses to attitudes about alcohol. she sprinkles details about clothing, immigrants, and politics through the book like chocolate chips in a cookie, without hitting the reader over the head with it. It is left to the reader to decide whether Miriam or her father is right...



Incidentally, the Dedication page of this book contains the phrase, Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History. I didn't know that, when I picked up both books at the same time!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blue Thread is the story of Miriam Josefson. She lives in 1912 Portland, OR at the height of the women's suffrage movement. Her father owns a printing shop, which Miriam loves to visit and hopes one day to run. But her father is determined to have Miriam marry well and live life as a proper lady. It seems that no matter how hard Miriam tries, she will not sway her father. Then fate intervenes. One day a mysterious girl named Serakh appears to Miriam and tells her that her great-grandmother's prayer shawl is special: it has the power to transport Miriam through time. With the touch of the blue threads on the shawl Miriam finds herself in biblical times, in the midst of another struggle for women's rights, and her actions and decisions could change the lives of many. Alternating between journeys to the past and struggles in the present, Miriam's story is one of perseverance, dreams, and the power of one woman to change the world.

What I loved about Blue Thread was Miriam. She is headstrong and confident, but still learning what it means to be a woman in her world. She is sixteen, at the crux of becoming a woman, but still held in the thralls of childhood by her parents. Struggling to free herself from sexist prejudices and societal expectations, Miriam breaks all the rules in her effort to build a place for herself in what could be a new world. But amid all her bravery she is still afraid: afraid of her father and angering him (because despite his flaws she does love him), afraid that one wrong word will doom her friends in ancient times, afraid that the suffrage movement will fail, afraid that she will not get to live in the future that she wants to. Her strength and her flaws are what makes Miriam feel so alive. Even though she lived a hundred years ago, through her actions and dreams she is just like any teenager today, wishing for a better world.

The world and story that Feldman built is lush and detailed, from the eccentricities of 1912 Portland to the grand majesty of the ancient biblical lands. She certainly did her research and it paid off. Her world feels as real and alive as her protagonist, and the two match perfectly. The characters surrounding Miriam are also brave and flawed like she is. You are drawn into their lives and struggles, hoping that it will end on a good day for all.

Definitely an excellent read for any teenage girl, or any lover of history. This is a story that will echo with girls for years to come.

[Dennis Fischman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, and I realize it was seeing a suffragist banner that alluded to the daughters of Tzlofchad that gave the author the idea for this book to begin with. So, I am bemused that I think the two parts of the book don't belong together. The 1912 story could stand on its own. While it's nice to see a fantasy element based on a Jewish motif for a change, the blue thread seems a little woo-woo to me. And I don't think there's any need to explain where the daughters got the courage to speak up for themselves by importing a twentieth-century teenager into the Torah. I'm willing to believe that Jewish women could always speak up for themselves.

[Margaret Pinard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simplified version of events (for younger YA, like, right after the American Girl series), a deft mix of history, fantasy, growing up, biblical reference, inspiration. And so much of Portland woven in! Enjoyed it.

[Jasmine Gower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue Thread is a fun and hopeful read that brings together Judaic tradition with American and feminist history to explore the concepts of equality, coming into womanhood, and holding on to cultural tradition in the American melting pot. Mariam is a charming young heroine whose drive, curiosity, goodwill, and naivety are convincing for a character of both her age and her socioeconomic class, and her balancing act between notions of American feminist modernity and centuries-old Jewish tradition taps into an internal conflict faced by many American that too often goes unaddressed in young adult fiction.

The portrayal of Jewish communities in Portland, Oregon at the turn of the 20th century is especially compelling. In an area of the United States that is generally considered to have little presence of Jewish communities, it was refreshing to read a detailed account of the diverse kinds of lives Jewish Americans have historically lived in the Pacific Northwest. The themes and values in Tirazah’s story tied in nicely to Miriam’s story in the age of American suffrage, giving the entire book a consistent identity reflecting Judaic cultural values.

Blue Thread is a wholly enjoyable, accessible read that applies a compelling Jewish perspective to a turning point in American and feminist history.

[Leigh Kaisen]

Ruth Tenzer Feldman’s Blue Thread weaves the story of sixteen-year-old Miriam, a Jewish girl in turn-of-the-century Portland, Oregon, and the beginning of women’s history in Biblical times, centering on the five daughters of Zelophehad. As the women’s suffrage movement rises, Miriam finds herself caught between a traditional life trajectory with the expectation to become marriage material, and following her own ambitions along a path that will require bravery. When Miriam meets an enigmatic woman named Serakh, she is encouraged to seek out the fringes of her father’s prayer shawl, as it contains a blue thread with time-transporting powers. Miriam discovers that she is needed in the time of Moses, where she must help Tirtzah and her sisters claim their rightful inheritance. In crossing over from the present to the past, Miriam is given the chance to shape both.

Blue Thread is a unique story in its chosen settings and in its approach to exploring glimpses of two significant milestones for women. I could see this book becoming a primary choice for the YA historical fiction bookshelf, especially for girls interested in the suffrage movement and stories that champion women’s voices. (Adults, of course, can appreciate these same efforts). The typography nerd in me was amused by all the type references Miriam makes, as she longs to work in her father’s printing shop. At times, I wanted the writing to go a bit further or provide more in-depth character development. The fantastical element of the magical thread and time travel abilities feel like more of a tool to tie the two timelines together, and reading too much into this device could cause room for disappointment—the historical fiction side is more prominent here. Still, the author is able to spin a fascinating perspective of women’s history through a young girl given the chance to inspire legacies in two different times that needed women’s voices to be heard, and for someone to speak up.

[Lisa Hein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blue Thread is the first of Ruth Tenzer Feldman's companion books in this Oregon Book Award-winning series. A historical fiction young adult novel with a time-traveling twist, this novel sets the stage for a saga that follows a family line that experiences generational time slips. The protagonist, Miriam, lives in 1912 Portland and dreams of establishing a career at her father's print shop. Unfortunately, her father is completely against the idea, and wants to pull Miriam out of school and send her to New York City for "the season" in order to find a husband. Miriam meets a mysterious woman named Serakh who asks her to find her "garnishment of fringes," or a family heirloom that that has a special blue thread that allows her to slip back in time. Miriam and Serakh travel back to the biblical era to help the Daughters of Zelophehad earn their right to inherit property. While helping the daughters gain their rights, Miriam also learns to empower herself.

Having read the follow-up novel, Ninth Day, I know the time traveling is an important device used to help certain women in Miriam's family line come of age. One thing I wished was that Feldman had provided more of a breakdown of how the time traveling works in the world of this story. Serakh and Miriam enter the "Olam" to travel to the past, but there isn't much description around the machinations of the journey.

Despite the vague explanations about the time traveling, I loved Miriam's character; she was so strong and independent without seeming out of context in her own era. Her courage to get involved politically both in the women's suffrage of her era and in the women's property rights of the past is admirable and kept me engaged in the story. With the current political climate, this book has never been more relevant and important its target audience (young women) to read.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue Thread is a captivating and unique story that serves to inspire young female YA audiences. It does so brilliantly, and with a twist. The intertwining of fantasy and realistic fiction is woven together as seamlessly as the prayer shawl Miriam carries, and the particular representations of Judaism, the working class of the 1920s, and important historical figures are not only accurate, but inspiring. Although a great deal of the text relies on a religious understanding, I never felt bogged down by this information and, in all honesty, felt as if I was learning as I read. No stone was left unturned in Feldman's explanations, and the explanations were presented and developed naturally--it never felt forced, and I never felt confused. Miriam is a unique protagonist who at times is naive, but is a realistic product of the time in which she lives. As the novel progresses, so does Miriam: she is guided by a well-intentioned, kind-hearted, and brave spirit that is shockingly and newly exposed to what reality is like for so many around her. It is imperative to remember that Miriam's lack of exposure is not her fault; a well-to-do woman of the 1920s was not intended for such "upsetting" notions of reality. What Feldman captures beautifully is a young girl's development into an independent thinker who, quite frankly, sacrifices so much to help others with little to no benefit for herself. Her intended career is inspiring and fresh, her views on marriage are progressive and brave, and her bonds with friends and her community are well-formulated and strong. The fantasy elements are beautifully written and linked with her present-day struggle, making Blue Thread an incredible introduction into the Serakh saga and all it has to offer young female YA readers everywhere.

[Kristin M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m giving Blue Thread a rating of 2. The characters seemed more like stereotypes than real flesh-and-blood people to me, the middle section was slow and uninteresting, and I found myself unable to become emotionally invested in the things that the protagonist felt were vitally important – and given that said heroine was an early 20th century suffragist, and I am a woman who very much appreciates her right to vote, that speaks volumes! I think the credibility of Miriam’s concerns was damaged by the fact that her most prized possession in this book was a magic, time-traveling shawl.

I normally like fantasy and sci-fi elements in stories – I enjoy exploring what-ifs and worlds that don’t work quite the same way as our own. In Blue Thread, however, my opinion is that the time-travel subplot is poorly placed and poorly handled. I found it underwhelming that Miriam was sought out by an exotic-looking immortal time-traveler solely for the purpose of going back to Old Testament times and giving a few words of encouragement to a batch of sisters contesting a patriarchal inheritance law.

I think the book would have been better if the plot had concentrated solely on the suffragist movement of Miriam’s native time; she could certainly have found inspiration in the story of Zelophehad’s daughters, but I couldn’t see any need for her to go inserting herself into it. Ultimately, I felt that the time-travel plot was as unnecessary to Blue Thread as Miriam was to the story of the daughters of Zelophehad.

[Gloria Mulvihill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Brief Synopsis:

Miriam is sixteen years old and living in Portland during the time of the Oregon campaign for women’s right to vote. One day she runs into a mysterious girl in ill-fitting clothes that smell strangely of goats who asks her about her blue thread. Miriam soon discovers she comes from a long line of time travelers and it is her birthright to use the blue thread to go back and help the Daughters of Zelophehad earn the right to their inheritance.

Review:

I had the great pleasure of meeting Ruth during a course I took at PSU. I finally had the chance to pick up Blue Thread, and though this is not normally a genre I am interested in, I found myself immediately immersed in Miriam’s life and adventures. Ruth weaves together historical fiction with fantasy to create a lush, beautiful story that teaches as it entertains. As an Oregonian, I took particular interest in her portrayal of Portland during the women’s suffrage movement. The amount of research and time she spent on Blue Thread is apparent. I can’t wait to pick up the next book in the series, The Ninth Day. Miriam is spirited, spunky, and smart—much like Ruth herself. Absolutely delightful book, and a must-read for fans of historical fiction and hybrids of historical fiction and fantasy.

[Maraskywalkeriii · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blue Thread is an inspirational YA adult novel to girls of all ages. I loved the main character Miriam; a strong female that made me wish I could have been a suffragette back in the early twentieth century. The book is an interweaving of two separate stories on different time lines; The 1912 women's struggle for the right to vote in Oregon, and women's struggle to acquire the rightful inheritance to their land in the time of Moses. Through the power of her grandmother's prayer shawl, she travels through time with a centuries old girl named Serakh, and helps to inspire her female ancestors to fight for the right to their land.

As a native Portlander I loved that this book takes place in Portland, Oregon, and the descriptions of the streets allowed me to imagine being Miriam and walking the streets of Portland in 1912. It's very interesting at this time that the Central Public library of Portland was being built in the same year that Oregonian suffragette's were fighting for their rights to vote.

I highly recommend this book to any lover of history and fighter for women's rights, in the past, present, and future.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had fun reading this book and think that if makes for a great beginning to a fun new series. Miriam is very likable and is a great role model for girls to look up to. She is smart, resourceful, and doesn't let the very male dominated world of the early 1900's stop her from doing what she wants to do. Despite her father's obvious negative feelings about the Women's Suffrage movement, Miriam gets involved in the fight while simultaneously teaching herself the printing business (and often using this to the advantage of the movement) and helping a women thousands of years in the past with a similar struggle for independence and equal treatment.

Ruth Feldman manages to balance the magical with reality in a cohesive way that shows that we today are still fighting the battles of the past when it comes to women's rights.

Miriam's courage to stand up for what she believes in is inspiring and makes the reader want to go out a take some action as well. This was a great read, with interesting and believable characters that leaves us with the knowledge that there is still work to be done in our modern age.

[Chelsea Lobey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t typically read a lot of young adult books, but this one I found to be interesting and unique. The fact that this book is set in a time period far different from my own made it stand out from other young adult books about young women struggling to find out who they are and what they stand for. I found Miriam, the main character, to be relatable despite the difference in time period. The things she struggled with are similar to things young women still struggle with, and I liked her tenacious spirit. I am a bit older than the target demographic, but I think Miriam’s character will speak to women of many ages, places and time periods. Her thoughts and struggles are timeless in that way.

My one real criticism is that I found the references to the city of Portland to be too heavy-handed and a bit distracting. It seemed as if Tenzer Feldman used every chance she got to pepper in a reference to a Portland landmark or a historic Portland person or issue, which repeatedly took me out of the story and felt a bit forced.

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not every day that I come across a historical Jewish time-travel novel with a female protagonist, so I had to read this based on the premise alone, and I'm glad I did. It was an enjoyable read. Some people have already discussed the novel's plot, so I will focus instead on the little things I really enjoyed. I haven't read a lot of YA lately, but I'm familiar with the genre, so it was refreshing to see a protagonist whose parents actually existed in the foreground instead of drifting in and out only when it suited the plot. Also, as a book nerd/type nerd myself, I found Miriam's desire to work for her father's print shop very endearing. Much like historical Jewish time-travel, it's not every day you see a protagonist geeking out over typefaces. Miriam is a lovely, relatable protagonist for young women, and I would recommend this book to teen girls who desire more in their young adult heroines.