A truly radical book; radical in subject and form. For tragic reasons, it feels immediate; yet it's a fluid, fast-paced, and engaging read. Meticulously researched and elegantly constructed, this work is unforgettable. On June 7th, 1907, a ship packed with Russian Jews sets sail not for Jerusalem or New York, but for Texas. David Jochelmann, Rachel Cockerell's great-grandfather, persuades the passengers to embark on this journey, marking the start of the Galveston Movement, a forgotten chapter in history where 10,000 Jews fled to Texas before WWI. The movement's charismatic leader, Israel Zangwill, famous for his novels, searches desperately for a safe haven as anti-Semitic violence erupts in Eastern Europe. He reluctantly chooses Galveston, fearing the Jewish community will be absorbed into the American melting pot, but sees no other hope. Using exclusively source material, Cockerell weaves together letters, diaries, memoirs, newspaper articles, and interviews to vividly recount the experiences of those involved. The narrative follows Zangwill and the Jochelmann family through two world wars, as their lives intersect with notable figures of the twentieth century, exploring themes of belonging and the legacies of the past.
