Review: A Place Called Galveston

A Place Called Galveston

by Andrea Shapiro, illustrated by Valerya Milovanova

Apples & Honey Press (imprint of Behrman House), 2025

Category: Picture Books

Reviewer: Shanna Silva

 

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A Place Called Galveston showcases both Jewish hardship and triumph. Life for Russian Jewry was bleak; antisemitism and oppression occurred throughout generations. Nothing ever improved. Prospects of a better life in America (not without its own difficulties) tempted those who could scrape together the ship-passage fare. Galveston, Texas was believed to be a welcome refuge for Jewish immigrants, where there was an established Jewish community and trade work could be found. In this story, two young men make the arduous journey, leaving their families behind in Russia with promises for future reunions. After weeks at sea, the men are greeted by bicycle-riding Rabbi Henry Cohen in Galveston. The Jewish community there welcomed them with lodging, food, and job prospects. The two men, like 10,000 other Jewish Russian immigrants, found work in towns across the Midwest. Milovanova’s illustrations are created from a muted palette, underscoring the somber existence and suffering of Jewish life in Russia. The art has lovely details that parallel the text.

Being separated from one’s family means missing life events and milestones. The emotional toll this takes is explained in age-appropriate terms, conveying the feelings simply and well. The young men are aware that family life goes on in Russia without them and letters are never enough. While this book lightly mentions the Sabbath, it isn’t a book about Jewish worship traditions. Rather, it is a primer on the Russian Jewish history of suffering and resilience and the significance of The Galveston Plan that helped Jewish immigrants find work and homes throughout the United States. The message here is that the Jewish community is one big de facto family. The core value of welcoming strangers is highlighted.

Back matter provides more details about Rabbi Cohen, the Jewish philanthropists who funded immigrant organizations, as well as some autobiographical information about the author’s ancestors.

 

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Reviewer Shanna Silva is an award-winning author and Broadway producer. She has written three children’s picture books: A Dog’s Guide to Being Human, Hannah’s Hanukkah Hiccups and Passover Scavenger Hunt. Shanna is also the author of over 60 hi/lo books for emerging readers. Her work has been featured in Kveller, national magazines, and anthologies. Shanna lives in New York with her family and a meshuggenah sheepadoodle.