To Save a Life

In 1909, Malka Kaminsky steals her dowry to flee Russia and an arranged marriage, arriving in New York hungry for freedom. Drawn into the hustle of the Golden Land, Malka joins a sweatshop strike and is nearly beaten by thugs, but a stranger and fellow Russian Jew, Yaakov Rogovin, rescues her. Malka doesn’ t thank him, refusing to acknowledge her debt, but when chance brings Yaakov to her Sabbath table, they laugh and trade warm glances— only to deny their mutual attraction. After all, they carry deep scars from Russia, where admitting to desires always led to heartache. But as they strive to become entrepreneurs— Yaakov as a musician, Malka as a dressmaker— they hope that independence will show them how to live unafraid, despite the past. And they will need that lesson soon, because when Malka’ s fiancé arrives, determined to reclaim her, she seeks Yaakov’ s help, neither of them aware what fighting for their dreams will cost.

2026 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award Finalist

"A vivid picture of immigrant life in early 20th-century New York City.” ―Library Journal

In 1909, Malka Kaminsky steals her dowry to flee Russia and an arranged marriage, arriving in New York hungry for freedom. Drawn into the hustle of the Golden Land, Malka joins a sweatshop strike and is nearly beaten by thugs, but a stranger and fellow Russian Jew, Yaakov Rogovin, rescues her. Malka doesn’t thank him, refusing to acknowledge her debt, but when chance brings Yaakov to her Sabbath table, they laugh and trade warm glances―only to deny their mutual attraction. After all, they carry deep scars from Russia, where admitting to desires always led to heartache.

But as they strive to become entrepreneurs―Yaakov as a musician, Malka as a dressmaker―they hope that independence will show them how to live unafraid, despite the past. And they will need that lesson soon, because when Malka’s fiancé arrives, determined to reclaim her, she seeks Yaakov’s help, neither of them aware what fighting for their dreams will cost.