What do you think?
Rate this book
NO TIME FOR TEARS
Sweeping from Russia to Jerusalem, from New York to Nazi-occupied Germany, and finally to Israel, this is the richly layered story of an extraordinary woman whose epic struggle mirrors the battle of an emerging nation to forge its own identity. Chavala Rabinsky is 16 when her mother dies and she becomes the caretaker of her five siblings. Beautiful and wise beyond her years, Chavala catches the eye of Dovid Landau, a poor cobbler whose dreams transform her life when he marries her. But Odessa, Russia, is a dangerous place in 1905. The Landaus flee the pogroms of their homeland for Ottoman-ruled Palestine - until escalating violence forces the family to become wanderers again. Rich in passion and scope, No Time for Tears sounds a call of love and liberation that will ring out for generations to come.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
261 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
About the author
Cynthia Freeman
29 books58 followersBeatrice Cynthia Freeman (January 10, 1915 - October 22, 1988), pseudonym of Bea Feinberg, was an American novelist. She was born in New York City, where, as a young girl, she began writing books but abandoned writing to pursue a career running an interior decoration business. When poor health forced her to give up her business, she decided to dust off an old manuscript from childhood but discovered the cleaning lady had thrown it out. From memory, she rewrote the story.
Ms Freeman specialized in multi-generational stories of Jewish families, centering on a female protagonist. Her novel, "No Time For Tears," was No.10 on the list of bestselling novels in the United States for 1981 as determined by the New York Times. Her books were translated into thirty-three languages, selling more than twenty million copies worldwide.
Cynthia Freeman died of cancer in San Francisco in 1988,[1] aged 73.
Ms Freeman specialized in multi-generational stories of Jewish families, centering on a female protagonist. Her novel, "No Time For Tears," was No.10 on the list of bestselling novels in the United States for 1981 as determined by the New York Times. Her books were translated into thirty-three languages, selling more than twenty million copies worldwide.
Cynthia Freeman died of cancer in San Francisco in 1988,[1] aged 73.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
April 10, 2016
A compelling historical novel and family saga, both compelling and rich in scope.
It takes us from from turn of the Century Russia to the Holy Land, New York and Germany.
Sixteen year old Chavala, a courageous and spirited young girl must take charge of her family after the death of her mother in childbirth and after marrying Dov, the family migrates to Ottoman-ruled Palestine.
The novel takes us through the trials and tribulations of the Jewish Yishuv (community) of the Land of Israel from the time of Ottoman rule, the heroic work of NILI Zionist network against the Turks during the First World War, and the Arabs pogroms against Jews starting in the 1920's, under the leadership of Mufti Haj Amin el Husseini, while the British armed the Arabs at the as same time preventing Jews from carrying arms of taking basic self-defence measures.
Meanwhile the Nazis supported the cause of the Palestine Arabs putting out the canard that the Jews were stealing Arab land under the protection of British imperialism, while encouraging and helping to organize Arab pogroms against Jews in the Holy Land.
Brilliantly captures British brutality against the Jews of the Palestine during the British mandate, Nazi cruelty and Arab blood lust.
One of Chavala's sisters marries a gentile German and go's to live in Germany, later perishing in the Nazi Holocaust, while Chavala works in New York to set up a jewellery business to support her family in the Holy Land.
Excitingly novelizes Jewish history from 1905 to 1948, a story of Jews and Israel, persecution and survival, death and renewal.
It takes us from from turn of the Century Russia to the Holy Land, New York and Germany.
Sixteen year old Chavala, a courageous and spirited young girl must take charge of her family after the death of her mother in childbirth and after marrying Dov, the family migrates to Ottoman-ruled Palestine.
The novel takes us through the trials and tribulations of the Jewish Yishuv (community) of the Land of Israel from the time of Ottoman rule, the heroic work of NILI Zionist network against the Turks during the First World War, and the Arabs pogroms against Jews starting in the 1920's, under the leadership of Mufti Haj Amin el Husseini, while the British armed the Arabs at the as same time preventing Jews from carrying arms of taking basic self-defence measures.
Meanwhile the Nazis supported the cause of the Palestine Arabs putting out the canard that the Jews were stealing Arab land under the protection of British imperialism, while encouraging and helping to organize Arab pogroms against Jews in the Holy Land.
Brilliantly captures British brutality against the Jews of the Palestine during the British mandate, Nazi cruelty and Arab blood lust.
One of Chavala's sisters marries a gentile German and go's to live in Germany, later perishing in the Nazi Holocaust, while Chavala works in New York to set up a jewellery business to support her family in the Holy Land.
Excitingly novelizes Jewish history from 1905 to 1948, a story of Jews and Israel, persecution and survival, death and renewal.
January 2, 2023
What started out (and by that I mean the first 25 pages) as a riveting tale of one family’s struggles through war, poverty, and tragedy turned into a sluggish mess of lukewarm prose and an over abundance of characters. It seemed like half the novel detailed strategic war efforts and little of the family drama promised from the synopsis. I skimmed the last 75 pages, hoping for some tumultuous declaration, but I only found more of the same drivel. Apparently, this novel broke the New York Times top ten in 1981. Not sure how, but hey, to each their own.
September 7, 2016
DNF. I quit after about 100 pages. Some parts were interesting and I do enjoy Jewish history but this book is just too melodramatic for my tastes. All the women are in love with their sister's husbands. All that could possibly go wrong does. And I just did not agree with most of what Chavala had to say about everything.
July 1, 2013
It was said numerous times in the book, Chavala Landau is a remarkable woman. And she was. Her determination, efficiency, and sheer will to survive was definitely inspiring; her strength combined with her street-smart no-nonsense attitude gave her the ability to achieve her dreams; the reader can't help but cheer her on.
This is a story about a Jewish family, the Rabinsky-Landau's, who trekked from the slums of Odessa to Palestine and beyond; surviving on instinct alone. While the characters were greatly developed, the story itself seemed to be all over the place. At times it was difficult for me to keep track of where certain characters were going to or coming from; Haifa, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Athlit, so on and so on. I found the part of Russia to be very boring, and although most people would applaud, I felt that there was too much focus on military strategy, or ammunition, or who's getting ready to protect what, when we have the Landau boys meeting girls and proposing on the second date. Maybe if the story were balanced it may have been different, but I just found the Jewish history to be dull, and other parts rushed through.
This is a story about a Jewish family, the Rabinsky-Landau's, who trekked from the slums of Odessa to Palestine and beyond; surviving on instinct alone. While the characters were greatly developed, the story itself seemed to be all over the place. At times it was difficult for me to keep track of where certain characters were going to or coming from; Haifa, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Athlit, so on and so on. I found the part of Russia to be very boring, and although most people would applaud, I felt that there was too much focus on military strategy, or ammunition, or who's getting ready to protect what, when we have the Landau boys meeting girls and proposing on the second date. Maybe if the story were balanced it may have been different, but I just found the Jewish history to be dull, and other parts rushed through.
May 3, 2016
Cynthia Freeman wrote that a thin line between fact and fiction often lives in the mind of the author and that her novel is a fantasy about the way the events might have unfolded. This wonderful saga is an example of historical fiction at its best -- s story of love, loss, hatred, war, inhumane treatment, abject poverty, and ultimately survival and family ties. It would have been helpful if the author had included some historical notes.
When her mother died in childbirth, sixteen year old Chavala Rabinsky assumed the responsibility for her grief-stricken father and younger siblings. The newly married woman, her husband, and the Rabinsky family fled the pogroms in Russia to live in the Turkish province of Palestine.
Chavala Rabinsky Landau has a dream and a strong sense of responsibility -- to move to America and provide for her family. Defying tradition this strong woman leaves her beloved husband behind and forges a new life dedicated to financially supporting both her family still in Palestine and the struggle for Jewish independence.
No sex
No graphic violence
When her mother died in childbirth, sixteen year old Chavala Rabinsky assumed the responsibility for her grief-stricken father and younger siblings. The newly married woman, her husband, and the Rabinsky family fled the pogroms in Russia to live in the Turkish province of Palestine.
Chavala Rabinsky Landau has a dream and a strong sense of responsibility -- to move to America and provide for her family. Defying tradition this strong woman leaves her beloved husband behind and forges a new life dedicated to financially supporting both her family still in Palestine and the struggle for Jewish independence.
No sex
No graphic violence
April 13, 2014
This book reminds me of when I would sleep over and my grandma's house and raid her bookshelf. I read this book about 25 years ago, and just tracked it down. I understood a lot more of it than I did before. I am keenly interested in modern Jewish history, and while the book is a bit "Forrest Gump-y" in that the whole family is interwoven with actual historical figures, it is accessible to all readers. I enjoyed the trip down my own personal memory lane and enjoyed catching up with the landaus.
December 7, 2011
One my mom used to own that I read more than once. Found it at a library sale last night and bought it right up for $.50! Will be reading this one again in the near future.
May 5, 2016
Fabulous read - couldn't put down immediately went on to the next one..if you love historical fiction you must read!
April 18, 2016
Not sure how I picked this one. Very good historical novel about Jewish family. Russia-Palestine-America. 1905-1949.
May 17, 2017
The history behind the story is very well researched and quite interesting. The story itself is very uneven and I found the characters all too perfect to be believable.
June 8, 2016
I could not get into this book at all, even after reading 150 pages.
December 17, 2019
I saw this book for $1.99 on Apple Books and decided to download it because the heroine, Chavala, has the same name as my daughter, but spelled differently. She is Chavaleh.
I have to say I was hooked from the beginning. The clever way the author educates you about the awful treatment of the Jewish people, wherever they have lived, makes you despise humans and their tribal and religious allegiances.
The story begins in Russia, in a small village, where Chava’s mum dies giving birth to yet another child, a girl, Chia. Chava assumes the dreadful responsibility of looking after her siblings, four girls and one boy, after her father falls apart in grief. She decides pragmatically to marry Dov, the boot maker and during an attack by Christians, she stabs and kills a man looting their modest home. After nursing Dov from his injuries, she uses the sale of her mother’s diamond earrings to pay for passage to Palestine for her family. She would prefer to go to America, but her father longs to live in the holy land and pray at the wall.
Chava manages to keep her family safe despite awful treatment by the Turks, the Arabs and the British. While Dov, her husband, becomes increasingly political, urging family to go to the emerging kibbutz, Chava focuses on making money to keep her very annoying family provided for.
Her sisters start branching out . One changes her name and marries a German, dyeing her hair blonde. Another who is madly in love with Dov, leaves, another marries a farmer and another marries a man who would rather pray then work to provide for his family.
After yet another attack, Chava kills the man and finds “ manna from heaven,” a small bag of jewellery that she uses to go to America and start a small business. She coerces friends to help to grow these businesses until she is a very wealthy woman who can make huge donations to the emerging state of Israel. All this she accomplishes to provide for her less fortunate siblings while being separated from Dov, who seems to have more lives than a cat, as he is captured and tortured so many times.
Yes it is hard to believe some of the things that happen to the family, but it is based on history and what might well have happened to a poor Jewish family fleeing persecution, trying to improve their lot in life and finding a country where they won’t be persecuted.
I loved it.
I have to say I was hooked from the beginning. The clever way the author educates you about the awful treatment of the Jewish people, wherever they have lived, makes you despise humans and their tribal and religious allegiances.
The story begins in Russia, in a small village, where Chava’s mum dies giving birth to yet another child, a girl, Chia. Chava assumes the dreadful responsibility of looking after her siblings, four girls and one boy, after her father falls apart in grief. She decides pragmatically to marry Dov, the boot maker and during an attack by Christians, she stabs and kills a man looting their modest home. After nursing Dov from his injuries, she uses the sale of her mother’s diamond earrings to pay for passage to Palestine for her family. She would prefer to go to America, but her father longs to live in the holy land and pray at the wall.
Chava manages to keep her family safe despite awful treatment by the Turks, the Arabs and the British. While Dov, her husband, becomes increasingly political, urging family to go to the emerging kibbutz, Chava focuses on making money to keep her very annoying family provided for.
Her sisters start branching out . One changes her name and marries a German, dyeing her hair blonde. Another who is madly in love with Dov, leaves, another marries a farmer and another marries a man who would rather pray then work to provide for his family.
After yet another attack, Chava kills the man and finds “ manna from heaven,” a small bag of jewellery that she uses to go to America and start a small business. She coerces friends to help to grow these businesses until she is a very wealthy woman who can make huge donations to the emerging state of Israel. All this she accomplishes to provide for her less fortunate siblings while being separated from Dov, who seems to have more lives than a cat, as he is captured and tortured so many times.
Yes it is hard to believe some of the things that happen to the family, but it is based on history and what might well have happened to a poor Jewish family fleeing persecution, trying to improve their lot in life and finding a country where they won’t be persecuted.
I loved it.
February 22, 2022
Actually I loved this book, though the more "romantic" sections are poorly written and very politically incorrect by today's standards. (Was I really 30 years old when this was written in 1982? it seems so last-century...oh yeah, that was the last century...) It describes the early beginnings and founding of the state of Israel beginning in 1905 when the lead character is growing up near Odessa and leaves to escape pogroms, first making it to Palestine and then to America. Though the character and her family are fictional (yes, I checked with Google), a lot of the auxiliary characters and all of the situations seem to be historically accurate (not that I'm an expert). I feel like I learned so much - I had no idea how hard the early Jewish pioneers in Palestine had to struggle under the rule of the Turks and the British, how much espionage and violence were required of them just to stay alive over the first half of the 20th century, and how much danger was all around them all the time. What life was like for Jewish women is really very eye-opening. This book puts today's Middle East conundrums in a different perspective for me.
June 5, 2024
Definite great read
Having just read The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, I went in search of a saga to fill the desire. I came upon the bike of Cynthia Freeman. The ones I've read have been good. But this is my favorite. A long span of a family of Jews from 1908 to 1948 which covers so much history and the World Wars. Gave me a better understanding of the evolution of the Palestine in these years. If you find it hard to read non fiction history start here. The historical fiction makes it easier to get familiar with places, terms, the tine period.
The story of this family was very interesting. Many varying family dynamics, global travel, love, trust, and courage to grow and change.
My review will do no justice. I'm still running over the story in my mind.
Having just read The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem, I went in search of a saga to fill the desire. I came upon the bike of Cynthia Freeman. The ones I've read have been good. But this is my favorite. A long span of a family of Jews from 1908 to 1948 which covers so much history and the World Wars. Gave me a better understanding of the evolution of the Palestine in these years. If you find it hard to read non fiction history start here. The historical fiction makes it easier to get familiar with places, terms, the tine period.
The story of this family was very interesting. Many varying family dynamics, global travel, love, trust, and courage to grow and change.
My review will do no justice. I'm still running over the story in my mind.
June 7, 2018
The Title was deceptive for me. I thought of some melodramatic romance, and was pleasantly surprised to find a historical novel that was compelling. The story is largely about Chavala Landau, and her determination at all costs, to uphold the sanctity of her marriage and her family. The saga spans 300 years and several different locations, Palestine, Russia, Germany and New York, USA. It is descriptive of the genocide and the efforts to quell the German fronts across Africa and Europe, while weaving a tale of Honor and sacrifice within Chavala's own family. I enjoyed this story of truimph over slim odds.
January 16, 2018
I loved this book. Truly educational it was like taking a class beginning in
Odessa, and studding this wonderful family all the way through the Jewish Independence. I recommend reading the book. Once you start you can’t finish or pit the book down. It’s a great read!
Odessa, and studding this wonderful family all the way through the Jewish Independence. I recommend reading the book. Once you start you can’t finish or pit the book down. It’s a great read!
March 10, 2018
No Time for Tears
An incredible story of a Jewish family during WWII and the persecutions they withstood from the nazi’s and many others. This was an epic tale of the birth of the state of Israel which cost many lives and tore families apart and still continues today.
An incredible story of a Jewish family during WWII and the persecutions they withstood from the nazi’s and many others. This was an epic tale of the birth of the state of Israel which cost many lives and tore families apart and still continues today.
July 9, 2017
I read this book years ago and it is one of those that stays with you.......amazing read!
November 12, 2019
History Come Alive
This book held my attention from a novel and historical point of view. The characters were nicely developed. This was excellent from start to finish!
This book held my attention from a novel and historical point of view. The characters were nicely developed. This was excellent from start to finish!
October 31, 2020
History
It was amazing. A real history. The characters were wonderful. I could picture everything as I was reading. It was easy to follow even with all the characters.
It was amazing. A real history. The characters were wonderful. I could picture everything as I was reading. It was easy to follow even with all the characters.
February 17, 2021
Just couldn't get into this one , moves slowly. Loved her other books , maybe I'll pick it up again .
November 1, 2021
Absolutely breathtaking.
What an enthralling read. I just couldn't put it down. A 5. Star read that shouldn't be missed. Gail Gabriel
What an enthralling read. I just couldn't put it down. A 5. Star read that shouldn't be missed. Gail Gabriel
Read
January 24, 2023Unfinished
October 6, 2024
What a great book
January 14, 2017
The rags-to-rags story of a Jewish family simply searching for a home in the early 1900's. They flee the bloody pogroms of Russia only to be quickly disillusioned by the so-called Promised Land.
At least that's what has happened as far as I read.
It was a struggle with my "I paid for it so by golly I'm going to read it" mentality before I decided I had no time for tears or this book. It was so boring. The characters are shallow. Freeman's writing is underwhelming. Stuff was happening so why did it feel like the story was going nowhere?
At least that's what has happened as far as I read.
It was a struggle with my "I paid for it so by golly I'm going to read it" mentality before I decided I had no time for tears or this book. It was so boring. The characters are shallow. Freeman's writing is underwhelming. Stuff was happening so why did it feel like the story was going nowhere?
August 7, 2016
No Time For Tears
A wonderful novel about a horrific time in our history, told with emotion, and man's love of country, faith, family and the will to make a better life for all the generations to come!!!
A wonderful novel about a horrific time in our history, told with emotion, and man's love of country, faith, family and the will to make a better life for all the generations to come!!!
Want to read
April 18, 2018Before Reading (4/18/18): This is the isbn of my copy, but the cover is different. The copy I own has a beautiful vintage cover.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews