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Within a Shadow
To Save a Life follows two young Jewish immigrants who have fled the violence of Eastern Europe, one escaping an arranged marriage and the other a past that haunts him. Where did the idea for this book come from?
Years ago, I visited the Orchard Street Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and marveled at how the immigrants who’d lived in those apartments managed to hatch grand dreams in matchbox-sized rooms. More recently, the public outpouring of xenophobia and bigotry toward immigrants reminded me of that visit, and I decided to write about the early 1900s, when my grandparents came to America. As I believe that shame is the most potent motivator, I wondered what would happen if two immigrants carried secrets that prevented them from living full lives in their new country–and I had my premise.
How much and what type of research went into putting this book together?
I relied on diaries, contemporary newspaper articles and photographs, books published a decade or two after the early 1900s, and modern secondary sources about life on the Lower East Side. I also found books explaining the background of popular music, the Yiddish theater, or the garment workers’ union, aspects of my story. As a novelist, if I can see my characters, no matter where they go and what they do, I’ve done enough research; if they seem to move and speak within a shadow, that tells me I don’t know what I’m talking about and have to read more.
How did you decide on the title of this novel?
I took it from a famous Talmudic verse that says–I’m paraphrasing–that if you save a life, it’s as if you saved the world. Two secondary characters quote this verse, from different perspectives, but the title also figures metaphorically. My main characters seek emotional or spiritual rescue, and they try to understand what that means for them.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
Right now, I’m working on a Holocaust novel, a literary thriller based on a true story, in which three men try to stop a train headed to Auschwitz–with a lantern, pliers, and one pistol among them.
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In 1909, Malka Kaminsky steals her dowry to flee Russia and an arranged marriage, arriving in New York hungry for freedom. Drawn into the hustle of the Golden Land, Malka joins a sweatshop strike and is nearly beaten by thugs, but a stranger and fellow Russian Jew, Yaakov Rogovin, rescues her. Malka doesn’t thank him, refusing to acknowledge her debt, but when chance brings Yaakov to her Sabbath table, they laugh and trade warm glances—only to deny their mutual attraction. After all, they carry deep scars from Russia, where admitting to desires always led to heartache. But as they strive to become entrepreneurs—Yaakov as a musician, Malka as a dressmaker—they hope that independence will show them how to live unafraid, despite the past. And they will need that lesson soon, because when Malka’s fiancé arrives, determined to reclaim her, she seeks Yaakov’s help, neither of them aware what fighting for their dreams will cost.
To Save a Life
To Save a Life is a historical novel set in early 1900s New York, chronicling the intersecting journeys of Malka Kaminsky and Yaakov Rogovin—two young Jewish immigrants who have fled trauma, violence, and constraint in Eastern Europe. Malka escapes an arranged marriage in Grodno, stealing her dowry in the process, while Yaakov leaves Valozyn, carrying the weight of a haunted past. As they struggle to carve out lives of meaning and agency in the Lower East Side’s chaotic tenements and sweatshops, they find themselves drawn together in a tentative alliance that flirts with hope, love, and the idea of starting anew in a land that promises much but delivers on its own terms.
This book left me both emotionally shaken and deeply moved. Zuckerman’s writing is textured and rich, never rushing, always letting the weight of the moment hang in the air. His depiction of early 20th-century immigrant life doesn’t glamorize struggle—it holds it close, like a bruise you can’t ignore. The scenes of factory labor and violent crackdowns on striking workers burned bright with tension. And yet, it’s the quieter moments—Malka rolling noodles, Yaakov pressing coats while humming a tune—that linger. They feel relatable. I also loved how layered the characters are. Malka’s shame, rage, and tenderness are all tightly wound; Yaakov hides behind music and wit, but you can sense his wounds pulsing underneath. They’re both survivors, just barely hanging on, and their tentative trust feels earned, not forced.
At times, the novel slows a little more than I’d like, especially in some of the reflective passages. But even then, there’s something refreshing about the patience of Zuckerman’s prose. He lets his characters breathe. I found myself unexpectedly teary during the scenes where Malka reflects on the home she fled. There’s a raw honesty to those passages that hit hard. And the subtle Jewish references—Mishnah, Shabbos, old-world customs clashing with American hustle—ground the story with authenticity without weighing it down.
This novel isn’t just for lovers of historical fiction. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt like a stranger in their own skin or tried to build a new life out of broken pieces. Readers who cherish character-driven stories, especially those rooted in immigrant narratives and quiet acts of rebellion, will find a lot to hold on to here. To Save a Life is tender, brutal, and hopeful in equal measure—a heartfelt reminder that surviving is one thing, but daring to live is something else entirely.
Pages: 286 | ASIN : B0F2X1RB6F
LITERARY TITAN 