Description for Sarah Also Known As Hannah
by Lillian Hammer Ross
Illustrations by Helen Cogancherry
As if life weren't difficult enough for a Jewish family in the Ukraine at the turn of the century, 12-year-old Sarah's father dies, leaving his widow alone to raise four children. Knowing no other way to cope, Sarah's mother plans to send her two daughters to her brother in America, but he can pay passage only for one girl and requests 16-year-old Hannah. At almost the last minute, however, Mama decides she needs Hannah's help and income; therefore, Sarah is to go in Hannah's place. Heartsick at leaving her family, troubled to think she's a burden to her mother, and terrified by the trip she faces alone, the 12-year-old recounts her experiences on the long journey and, finally, the tentative reunion with her uncle and aunt on Ellis Island. This is the actual retelling of Lillian Hammer Ross' mother.