PROSE Away by Amy Bloom

Away by Amy Bloom (2007)

Lillian's family is murdered in a Russian pogrom, apart from her daughter who is missing. Lillian flees to America and is determined to make her way, she quickly bags the job of a seamstress and begins lessons on how to speak English with a new friend, Yakov. She is taken under the wing by a famous actor, Meyer, and Lillian falls for his father who is also married and becomes Reuben's mistress without the knowledge of Meyer.

A distant relative travels to America to find Lillian and tell her that she knows where her child Sophie is, she is not dead which was presumed but she was taken to Siberia. Lillian goes on a hunt across America with little to no money in order to find her daughter. Lillian is forced to give up her body,belongings, privacy, and security and finally giving up herself to the natural elements but her love for Sophie does not stop her.

I think that the biggest struggle for Lillian is living and adjusting to America for the first time, she doesn't speak the language and is of a low class and she struggles to get by alone. The search for her daughter is also tragic as she has no money and has to deal with many struggles along the way. Lillian never found her daughter in the end but she found happiness.

Quotes
"Eviction," Frieda said. "You can't pay, you can't stay." She said in Yiddish, "Es iz shver tzu makhen a leben." It's hard to make a living."

"A young woman in America would have breakfast now. She would have tea. A young woman hoping to see her boyfriend."

Context

This was a time where immigration was acceptable and rich people were prospering, but there is always the people who are poor and Lillian suffers when others are prospering. She is launched into a world with jazz and theatre. Bloom was also a Jewish Russian immigrant so the feeling of discomfort and isolation is put into the character of Lillian.  Lillian feels uncomfortable about the way she speaks in front of others as she feels she doesn't fit in, she also feels lost without her family or daughter, her whole past has been left behind on order to start a new life which hurts her deeply.