First Papers

by Laura Z. Hobson

Stefan and Alexandra Ivarin immigrated to America at the end of the nineteenth century. Russian Jewish socialists, the Ivarins are now established in a Long Island home designed, somewhat haphazardly, by Stefan. Despite their attempts at assimilation, the Ivarins find themselves still struggling to find a balance between their Russian roots and their American lives, between their past and their future—and those of their children. Based in part upon Hobson’s own childhood, First Papers is a tender portrait of the tension between embracing a foreign culture full of opportunity while longing for a lost homeland.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

502 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Laura Z. Hobson (1900–1986) was an American novelist and short story writer. The daughter of Jewish immigrants, she is best known for her novels Gentleman’s Agreement (1947), which deals with anti-Semitism in postwar America, and Consenting Adult (1975), about a mother coming to terms with her son’s homosexuality, which was based upon her experiences with her own son. Hobson died in New York City in 1986.

Reviews

[Elsie Lacy]

Have read this book several times ..as a young girl..mother and grandmother. Each time I identify with a different character.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I liked this book, though it was difficult for me to get into at first. Interesting time period to read about (early 1900s) and I liked the detail about political attitudes leading up to and during WWI. I think perhaps there were too many characters and the flow felt too choppy bouncing among them. By the end I was more absorbed and resonating more with the key characters, but not a knock out of the park for me.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Laura Hobson's fictionalized version of her childhood. Most of the novel is from the perspective of Fee Ivarin (anagrams, aptly enough, to "Naive Fire"), from the ages of about 10 to 16. Her parents emigrated from Russia rather late for Jewish refugees from the pogroms. Her father had been imprisoned in Russia for his political views.

Rather than being a novel about antisemitism, it's one about free speech and finding one's place in society. It begins centered around Fee's father's role as the editor-in-chief of New York's largest Yiddish-language newspaper. Stefan is a socialist and a large part of his life is campaigning for labor rights and speaking for presidential candidate Eugene Debs. The story also includes Fee's brother, who doesn't seem to stand for anything, her mother, who finds fulfillment through helping other recent emigres adapt to the US, and her neighbors, great friends with her parents and quite committed to pacifism.

Fortunately, the pieces about political ideology are brief. The perspective is more about having the right to be a little different from ones neighbors. First, the contrasts with Russia, where speech can be punished. And later, as the US is drawn into World War I, all about the parallels between Russia and where the US is headed as the right to speak is abandoned for the war effort.

It's a bit heavy, even through the child's perspective. But I think it's very well done. Like Gentleman's Agreement, her most famous work, First Papers is more relevant today than ever.

[Myron Lezak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction at its best

An interesting time in American history before WW1 and socialism was not the anathema it became after the Bolshevik revolution in Russia. Interesting families and characters caught in those times kept me reading!

[Ann E · Rating 3 out of 5]

The beginning went easier than the end but I finished because I was interested in the immigrant story and time frame. Gives a good feel for the difference in thinking of the first generation immigrant and their children.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Russian couple emigrates to the United States. They are involved in the socialism movement. There children are alternately repelled and proud of their parents as they try to forge their own identity through their teenage and young adult years.

[Ann L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the older fiction stories. It takes me back to how things were and it teaches me how history really was and how people acted, talked, etc. I don't really appreciate how things are going now politically speaking so this book makes you know how things were back in the day so you don't forget.

History is not to be erased or to pretend it never happened. I will always appreciate it.

The author's writing is so intelligent. So different than the writing I read nowadays.

I really appreciated the story... a true escape from the present madness of this world. It takes you to past madness instead and it's much more thrilling to know how things ended up back then.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful story that illustrates the difficulties of moving to a new land. Hobson’s characters have a knack for making you feel what they feel.

[Marguerite]

I inherited First Papers from my mother and I read it at least once a year.
I have a rule; at the end of the first chapter, I can decide to abandon a book. I seldom do it, but I very nearly did with First Papers; Papa was so depressive and I thought Mama was an embarrassment and a bit of a fool. However, I wanted to watch the formative years of the girls, so I soldiered on.
The book starts with the Triangle Shirtwaist fire in 1911 and ends with the Russian revolution and (almost) the armistice at the end of WWI. It touches on union organizing and socialism. I learned that a person could go to prison during WWI for any behavior or opinion even slightly deemed to be anti-war.
Nearly forty years ago, I wrote to Laura Z. Hobson speaking about what I had thought were the Good Ol' Days and how much I had learned from her novel. She responded, thanked me for writing and said, "You mustn't have me thinking of myself as being an historian; that would be dangerous for any novelist."
I still read the book once a year, still find something new each time, and will always recommend it.

[Laura Milvy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This will be very interesting bc from what I understand, it is a fictionalized account of my great grandparents. Substitute the "Jewish Daily Forward" for the Jewish News and Michael Zametkin for Stefan Ivarin.