To Save a Life

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Two young Jewish émigrés from Russia fight for their destiny in 1909 New York.

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.

by Larry Zuckerman • 290 pages • Reader’s Guide • Look Inside!

Available for pre-order. Ships October 2025.

Two young Jewish émigrés from Russia fight for their destiny in 1909 New York.

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.

by Larry Zuckerman • 290 pages • Reader’s Guide • Look Inside!

Available for pre-order. Ships October 2025.

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“ Beautifully written, and brimming with scenic details of 1900s New York, this is a historical novel readers will relish.”
— Jennifer Rosner, author of The Yellow Bird Sings and Once We Were Home
“Zuckerman writes with empathy, insight, and delightful flashes of wry humor, creating characters that seem to breathe beyond the page. I love it.”
— Robyn Cadwallader, author of The Anchoress and The Fire and the Rose