Streets of Gold: A Novel

A Polish girl comes to America at the turn of the century in this fast-paced historical novel about the immigrant experience.

It's 1901. Marisia and her family flee Poland ahead of the czar's soldiers. But when they arrive at Ellis Island, Marisia's younger sister is diagnosed with tuberculosis and she and her parents are turned away. Now, with only her wits and her courage to guide her, Marisia and her brother Stefan must find their way in the New World alone. Streets of Gold is Marisia's story--the story of a spirited young girl who dreams of becoming an artist. Can she overcome the hardships of immigrant life on New York's Lower East Side, the struggle to find work, and the tyrannical views of those who stand in her way? If one dream dies, can she find another dream to live by? Deftly written, rich with historical detail, and illustrated with period photographs, Streets of Gold "will carry [you] to another time and place....Readers won't want the story to end" (Diana Pardue, Ellis Island Immigration Museum).

Marie Raphael, author of Streets of Gold (Persea, 2001), has taught in middle school, high school, and college. She lives in Redway, California.