Viva, Rose!

March 27, 2017
Set in 1915, Krawitz’s first novel combines the world of a storied revolutionary with that of Russian Jewish immigrants who settled in the west. Thirteen-year-old Rose Solomon is enraged to discover, via a newspaper photo, that her older brother, Abraham, has not left their Texas home to be a cowboy, but rather to be “a low-life bandit in a cowboy hat,” alongside outlaw Pancho Villa. Rose is herself tempted to run from her traditional, conservative family, but when she ventures off to mail her brother a piece of her mind, she is kidnapped by Villa’s men. Her eyes are opened wide living with revolutionaries at Villa’s bandido camp, where she learns to ride a horse, the truth about her brother, and the complexities of the Mexican Revolution. Readers will enjoy Rose’s fiery personality and equally brash narration in this engaging historical adventure. Yiddish and Spanish glossaries and an author’s note detailing how her story sticks to and diverges from actual events (Rose and Abe are based on Krawitz’s own relatives) are included. Ages 10–up.

March 1, 2017
Mexico, Texas, Pancho Villa, and Russian Jewish immigrants share a story.Rose is 13 and living in El Paso, Texas, in 1915 when she sees a newspaper photograph of Pancho Villa. This is not unexpected for the times; the surprise is that her brother Abraham is in the picture. Rose's family has immigrated from Czarist Russia, but unlike so many other Jews, they settled in the West. Abraham had told his family that he wanted to be a cowboy. Instead, Rose sees that he has "gone off to be a low-life bandit in a cowboy hat." Rose's parents are strict with her, but, nonetheless, she tries to get a letter to Abe and is kidnapped by Villa's men, ending up in his camp. There, the red-haired young white girl encounters Villa, his very spoiled and lonely daughter, the journalist John Reed, and, finally, her brother. The two celebrate a very unusual but spiritual Passover Seder. Krawitz has based her tale on family stories and infuses it with details of Villa's hideout and the lives of Jews in an atypical setting. Rose is a determined character who gains a more mature understanding of her family and faith, her fellow townspeople, and Villa through her adventures. Politics and prejudice against Mexicans makes this coming-of-age tale stand out from its ilk. (author's note, further notes, Spanish glossary, Yiddish glossary, additional terms) (Historical fiction. 9-12)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-Rose and her family are Russian Jewish immigrants living in El Paso, TX, in the early 1900s. Rose discovers that one of her older brothers, Abraham, has lied to their parents concerning his whereabouts and has joined Pancho Villa's army. While trying to have a letter delivered to Abe telling him to give up his outlaw ways and come home, Rose is kidnapped by some of Villa's soldiers and taken to their camp. There she becomes the playmate/servant of a young and very spoiled girl named Dorotea. Rose finds her brother and tries to convince him to leave with her. The book is filled with danger and suspense. It also contains a lot of history about Pancho Villa and how he fought for the poor of Mexico. The characters of Rose and Dorotea are the most well developed; Rose is quite mature for a 13-year-old. Her first-person narrative is delivered in a straightforward voice with very little emotion, which often doesn't do justice to the harrowing events in the story. VERDICT A fine supplementary purchase. Hand to fans of historical fiction.-Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2017
Grades 4-7 Rose is spittin' mad when she discovers her brother Abe is a liar. He's supposed to be working as a cowboy, but there he is on the front of the newspaper with Pancho Villa's gang of rebels. Aghast, she dashes off a letter demanding that he come home; however, before she can post it, she gets caught in a scuffle that results in her kidnapping by Villa's men. At their camp, 13-year-old Rose is made the companion of Villa's spoiled niece. Hoping that her brother (or an opportunity to escape) will appear, Rose bides her time. Rose's experience among the revolutionaries is eye-opening, helping her to understand Villa's cause rather than view the rebels as murderous outlaws. She also sees parallels between the injustices facing Mexicans and those her parents escaped as Jews living in Russia. The tense atmosphere and exciting setting will ensnare readers' imaginations, while Rose's personal growth will strike a chord with those straddling the complex divide between child- and adulthood. An author's note provides historical context and information on the Mexican Revolution.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2017
Fourteen-year-old Rose, a member of a traditional Russian Jewish family living in 1915 El Paso, has already been told more than one version of her older brother Abraham's whereabouts, but after she spots him in a newspaper photo of the notorious gang of Mexican outlaw Pancho Villa, she tries to send him a message to convince him to come home. In the process, she witnesses an interaction she shouldn't and is kidnapped to keep her quiet. Rose keeps trying to escape, but in between attempts, her time at Pancho Villa's camp brings new perspectives about his citizen army and its mission. The prose is sometimes flowery, and the plucky-girl-chasing-excitement trope is nothing new, but this novel complicates that trope somewhat and places it within a combination of cultures not often seen in historical fiction. (At an improvised Seder involving tortillas, Rose draws connections between the Passover story and those enslaved Mexican people. ) Appended notes give information about the Mexican Revolution and also identify the liberties Krawitz has taken in this story, which was inspired by her own relatives. Spanish and Yiddish glossaries are appended. shoshana flax

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)