One-Way to Ansonia

by Judie Angell

At the turn of the century, ten-year-old Rose immigrates from Eastern Europe to America and eventually finds that her emergence into adolescence brings employment, marriage, motherhood, and self-determination.

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fiction

196 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1985

About the author

Best known for her books under the name Judie Angell, Judie Angell Gaberman (Also wrote under pseudonyms Fran Arrick and Maggie Twohill) writes novels which blend serious emotions with humorous circumstances to explore both common and unique issues that young people face--in their families, with their peers, and with authority figures. Most of Angell's protagonists are experiencing transitions, and they tend to be clever and creative in meeting the challenges involved in moving toward adulthood.

Reviews

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story follows five siblings, recently arrived Russian Jewish immigrants to New York City from 1893 to 1899. Their father is already there, about to marry a woman with a daughter, and *surprise* his new bride with five children instead of one. Who does that? Really, really disliked the father. He finds separate homes/jobs (or the back of a wagon for the boy) for all of them and then expects that they turn the money they earn over to him! Argh.

Rose works and she goes to night school, although no one understands why she cares about learning to read and write in English. At fourteen, she's nearly married off, so she takes matters in to her own hands, slowly determined that there's more to life than a tenement home.

I like turn-of-the-century immigrant stories, and I mostly like spunky heroine stories if they're not too grating/unbelievable. This one has a good balance of spunk and realism.

I have a really hard time with a suitor who "respects her enough to listen and argue" with her, but also insists that it's stupid for her to get an education. I wanted to know more of her story at the close of the book.

[CLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was thinking about this book as my train zipped through Connecticut last night. Very different from Angell's other books which are more like Ellen Conford, This is a historical about (if I recall correctly) her Russian grandmother's journey to America and how she wound up in Ansonia CT.

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because it had an interesting cover and title, and although I had doubts about it even when I picked it up, I actually quite enjoyed myself.

This is a story about Rose, a young Russian immigrant who fights to keep her identity and freedom. She is spirited and unique among all of those around her, and is a distinguished character in her world as well as among other literary characters.

I think that this is a story about immigration, about the true meaning of America, and about the power of ambition and dreams (coupled, of course, with hard work and effort to attain those dreams). I imagine that this will be a book that I come back to again.

So why the three stars? Well, I didn't absolutely love it (this isn't really my favorite genre), but I did like it. It is a bit mild, meaning that there isn't much action, but it reminds me of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It's that kind of realistic literature about a poor family in the middle of a city.

[Alisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually can't decide if I liked it or it was just okay. I was liking it up until the end and then I became torn.

[Emi えみ Takami 鷹見 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book well enough until about the last 30 pages. That alone was enough to change my view on the book's message and impact it had on me.