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Year One
Marina is off to a rough start in the country of her dreams. Fresh off the plane from Belarus, this eleven year old cannot seem to catch a break. Her family is split in two, she doesn’t speak a lick of English, and there is a rusty fire escape outside her grandmother’s bathroom window that terrifies her. The adults around her are convinced that, by virtue of her age, she’s immune to true hardships. After all, they have bigger things to worry about than her overwhelm. But the complicated family dynamics and the complexity of becoming a middle schooler in Brooklyn, NY in 1994 prove that nothing is as easy as it is prophesied. Marina is in for a lonely and testing ride, seeking solace in the bright colors of American television and finding company in the music played on her second-hand stereo.
What awaits Marina on this journey that is her Year One?
What awaits Marina on this journey that is her Year One?
Audible Audio
Published July 6, 2023
About the author
Marina Raydun
7 books123 followersMarina's published works of fiction include a compilation of two novellas ("One Year in Berlin" and "Foreign Bride"), a full length suspense novel called "Joe After Maya," as well as a contemporary women's fiction novel entitled "Effortless." Born in the former Soviet Union, she lives in Brooklyn with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 22, 2025
I absolutely loved this (fictionalized) memoir. With each
page I was transported to a scene in Marina’s story! The references to THE GREAT late Michael Jackson, and 90’s pop culture (Family Matters, Whitney Houston, more) was a special treat because the 90’s were my era!! I am a first generation descendant of immigrants and could draw similarities between family members’ experiences of their arrival and first year in the US (and NYC specifically) but Marina’s story is unique! Learning to navigate a language that was not her mother tongue! Being identified on her passport as “Jewish” while processing what exactly that meant ethnically and/or religiously, learning about ‘strange’
American idioms and, very importantly (as I have had the privilege of meeting Marina in-person) finding and sharing her unique voice! I highly recommend Year 1!
page I was transported to a scene in Marina’s story! The references to THE GREAT late Michael Jackson, and 90’s pop culture (Family Matters, Whitney Houston, more) was a special treat because the 90’s were my era!! I am a first generation descendant of immigrants and could draw similarities between family members’ experiences of their arrival and first year in the US (and NYC specifically) but Marina’s story is unique! Learning to navigate a language that was not her mother tongue! Being identified on her passport as “Jewish” while processing what exactly that meant ethnically and/or religiously, learning about ‘strange’
American idioms and, very importantly (as I have had the privilege of meeting Marina in-person) finding and sharing her unique voice! I highly recommend Year 1!
June 13, 2023
What an amazing read. As an an immigrant myself who came to this country the same year (and at the same age) as Marina it brought back many memories of my own struggles and trepidations that were experienced at that time. Marina was able to relay the feelings and the magnitude of emotions that she felt during that first year. It is never easy to start a new school in 7th grade, especially when this new school is in a new country. Marina has a gift of connecting with the reader on a personal level and sharing her thoughts and experiences in a very thought out manner! She has done so in her previous books as well! Such a great read!
July 3, 2023
A great fictionalized memoir that takes you back to mid-90s pop culture and the trials and triumphs of a young girl immigrating to the U.S. from the former Soviet Union. You will come to root for Marina and her family as they navigate confusing bureaucracies, language barriers, family rifts, new friendships and puberty. Through it all, Marina’s hopeful determination helps her swim against these currents when needed and along with them when she is ready to. To see Marina’s progress during her first difficult year and reflect on where she is today is awe-inspiring!
August 17, 2023
Great book! I felt like I was in her shoes.
March 2, 2026
Year One is a tender, observant coming-of-age story that captures how displacement feels from the inside. Marina’s voice is quiet but precise, shaped by loneliness, cultural confusion, and the unspoken expectation that children are supposed to be resilient without help. The result is a narrative that feels deeply honest rather than sentimental.
What stands out most is the sensory intimacy of the story. Language barriers, fractured family dynamics, and the small fears of a new environment are rendered through everyday details: a fire escape outside a bathroom window, unfamiliar classrooms, the glow of American television, and the comfort of music. These moments anchor the emotional weight of immigration and adolescence in ways that feel lived-in and true.
At its core, this is a story about being unseen at the exact moment you need to be understood. Its reflective tone and emotional clarity make it especially well suited to audio, where narration can bring out the vulnerability, humor, and quiet resilience embedded in Marina’s experience.
What stands out most is the sensory intimacy of the story. Language barriers, fractured family dynamics, and the small fears of a new environment are rendered through everyday details: a fire escape outside a bathroom window, unfamiliar classrooms, the glow of American television, and the comfort of music. These moments anchor the emotional weight of immigration and adolescence in ways that feel lived-in and true.
At its core, this is a story about being unseen at the exact moment you need to be understood. Its reflective tone and emotional clarity make it especially well suited to audio, where narration can bring out the vulnerability, humor, and quiet resilience embedded in Marina’s experience.
December 2, 2024
This was a fantastic memoir about an 11 year old girl, Marina and her family coming to America as immigrants from Belarus. In spite of the many challenges that she faces, ie: being bullied at school , wardrobe issues etc… Marina manages to Come Out on Top!
It is written with humor and very engaging .
Highly Recommend .
It is written with humor and very engaging .
Highly Recommend .
October 6, 2023
Great read!
Year one is a captivated nonfiction story about a young girl moving from Soviet Union to New York City in the mid 90s. The author will make you feel like your right with her seeing everything she went through. She painted vivid pictures of each situation she went through. I didn’t want the book to end. It wasn’t easy for her but she doesn’t give up. I felt like I wanted to go back in time and rescue her but in the end she didn’t need rescuing. Such a good read!
Year one is a captivated nonfiction story about a young girl moving from Soviet Union to New York City in the mid 90s. The author will make you feel like your right with her seeing everything she went through. She painted vivid pictures of each situation she went through. I didn’t want the book to end. It wasn’t easy for her but she doesn’t give up. I felt like I wanted to go back in time and rescue her but in the end she didn’t need rescuing. Such a good read!
May 26, 2026
“Year One is a deeply heartfelt and emotionally resonant coming-of-age novel that captures the disorientation, resilience, and quiet strength of a young girl navigating immigration, family separation, and adolescence in a new country. Marina Raydun crafts a tender portrait of eleven-year-old Marina as she adjusts to life in Brooklyn after arriving from Belarus, balancing cultural displacement with the intimate struggles of growing up. The result is a reflective and emotionally grounded story that feels both specific in its setting and universal in its emotional truth.”
“What stood out most was the novel’s ability to portray childhood experience with remarkable authenticity and sensitivity. Marina’s confusion, loneliness, and search for belonging are rendered with honesty and emotional clarity, especially as she tries to make sense of a world where she is often overlooked due to her age and language barrier. The 1994 Brooklyn setting is richly evoked through sensory details, from the cultural textures of American television to the emotional comfort of music on a second-hand stereo. The family dynamics add further depth, highlighting the quiet tensions and sacrifices that often accompany immigration. Rather than dramatizing events, the novel leans into emotional realism, allowing small moments fear, observation, adaptation to carry significant weight. Ultimately, Year One is a moving exploration of identity formation, cultural transition, and the inner life of a child learning to survive and belong. Tender, atmospheric, and deeply human, it is the kind of literary coming-of-age story that lingers long after the final page.”
“What stood out most was the novel’s ability to portray childhood experience with remarkable authenticity and sensitivity. Marina’s confusion, loneliness, and search for belonging are rendered with honesty and emotional clarity, especially as she tries to make sense of a world where she is often overlooked due to her age and language barrier. The 1994 Brooklyn setting is richly evoked through sensory details, from the cultural textures of American television to the emotional comfort of music on a second-hand stereo. The family dynamics add further depth, highlighting the quiet tensions and sacrifices that often accompany immigration. Rather than dramatizing events, the novel leans into emotional realism, allowing small moments fear, observation, adaptation to carry significant weight. Ultimately, Year One is a moving exploration of identity formation, cultural transition, and the inner life of a child learning to survive and belong. Tender, atmospheric, and deeply human, it is the kind of literary coming-of-age story that lingers long after the final page.”
January 8, 2026
Year One is a poignant, introspective coming of age novel that captures the quiet devastation and resilience of childhood displacement. Marina Raydun offers a deeply personal and emotionally grounded portrait of an eleven-year-old immigrant navigating loss, isolation, and identity in 1990s Brooklyn.
Freshly arrived from Belarus, Marina enters the United States carrying expectations she cannot yet articulate and burdens no one seems to notice. Her inability to speak English, the fracture of her family, and the strangeness of her new surroundings create an atmosphere of constant unease. Raydun excels at portraying how adults often underestimate a child’s capacity for hardship, assuming resilience where there is, instead, confusion and loneliness.
The novel’s emotional power lies in its restraint. Marina’s fears symbolized by the rusty fire escape outside her grandmother’s bathroom window are rendered with quiet intensity, while her reliance on American television and music becomes both refuge and lifeline. These cultural touchstones ground the narrative firmly in 1994 Brooklyn, adding authenticity and texture without overwhelming the story’s emotional core.
Year One is a thoughtful and affecting exploration of immigration, family fracture, and early adolescence. Raydun’s prose captures the inner world of a child forced to grow up too quickly, making this novel a compelling read for those who appreciate character-driven fiction that honors emotional truth over spectacle.
Freshly arrived from Belarus, Marina enters the United States carrying expectations she cannot yet articulate and burdens no one seems to notice. Her inability to speak English, the fracture of her family, and the strangeness of her new surroundings create an atmosphere of constant unease. Raydun excels at portraying how adults often underestimate a child’s capacity for hardship, assuming resilience where there is, instead, confusion and loneliness.
The novel’s emotional power lies in its restraint. Marina’s fears symbolized by the rusty fire escape outside her grandmother’s bathroom window are rendered with quiet intensity, while her reliance on American television and music becomes both refuge and lifeline. These cultural touchstones ground the narrative firmly in 1994 Brooklyn, adding authenticity and texture without overwhelming the story’s emotional core.
Year One is a thoughtful and affecting exploration of immigration, family fracture, and early adolescence. Raydun’s prose captures the inner world of a child forced to grow up too quickly, making this novel a compelling read for those who appreciate character-driven fiction that honors emotional truth over spectacle.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews