by Anna Solomon
First published 2011
Minna Losk leaves Odessa at sixteen with dreams of wealth and comfort in America. She expects a young husband and a fine house. Instead, she finds Max, a man twice her age who follows strict Orthodox traditions. He lives in a single room built of sod on the empty plains of South Dakota. His two teenage sons share the cramped space. The land stretches endlessly in all directions. The work never stops and often proves dangerous. Minna discovers something worse than the harsh conditions. She feels drawn to her older stepson in ways that frighten her. Winter approaches with bitter cold and isolation. The family faces tests that push them beyond what they thought possible. Minna must find strength she never knew she possessed. She confronts both her growing despair and her forbidden desires.
Genres: romance, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adult-fiction, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, forbidden-love
Setting: America, Odessa, South Dakota
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
336 pages · Paperback · Penguin Publishing Group
Content warnings: sexual-content