Siberian Odyssey: Part Two: The Immigrants (Paperback or Softback)

This fictionalized history of the author's maternal ancestors in Siberia provides the focus of this wide ranging book. From unjustly exiled Russians to Polish immigrants, the cavalcade of characters comes together in far eastern Siberia. They were part of the diverse group of people who settled there before 1885, known as Old Settlers or Siberiaks.Part Two, subtitled The Immigrants, introduces Michael Gladstein, a farmer and cattleman living in a village near Warsaw, whose lifelong desire is to escape the Pale of Settlement where all Jews in Russia must reside. The story of The Exiles continues in alternate chapters. But the main thread of Part Two shows how Michael and his two youngest sons manage to lawfully break out of the Pale and head for their dreamed of ranch in Siberia.

About The Author
The author of this fictionalized family biography, a retired superior court law clerk, began her writing career during her first three years attending Pacific University in Oregon where she edited the campus newspaper and the literary magazine. Later she graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in literature and writing. A voracious reader, she has written stories most of her life. But in middle age, after interviewing her mother in depth, she became mesmerized by the stories of her maternal ancestors and began the reading and intense research necessary to bring this remarkable family odyssey to life. Relying on additional information gathered by her father many years ago and genealogical records assembled by her brother David, she was able to piece together an intimate picture of the struggles, tragedies and triumphs of people and times long gone. Ms. Chamberlin Levy lives in San Francisco, has three children and one grandson.