Monique Polak, award-winning author of What World Is Left
"A wonderful, tantalizing and tender tale about how, despite our differences, we all long for the same things: friendship, connection and a sense of purpose."
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, award-winning author of Making Bombs for Hitler
"An endearing story about the power of acceptance."
Leanne Lieberman, author of The Most Dangerous Thing
"In this heart-warming novel about a secret friendship, Debby Waldman tells a story bound up in America's history of depression-era hobos. As Miriam grapples with keeping her friend's secret or doing the right thing, Waldman adeptly brings history alive, painting an engaging portrait of minorities in a small town and showing that cultural differences can bring people together."
Kirkus Review
"A warmhearted holiday tale successfully portrays an underrepresented corner of American Judaism."
CM Magazine
"All will enjoy this gentle novel, which furthers goodwill and understanding. Highly Recommended. "
School Library Connection
"Filled to the brim with literary devices like foreshadowing, imagery, and similes, this title will be a welcome addition to any elementary school teacher's language arts block…It also lends itself to a discussion of diversity and tolerance. Recommended"
Booklist
"Waldman's gentle story speaks to the difficulties of being an ethnic or religious minority, as well as the travails of being underemployed during the Great Depression."
Resource Links
"The book is a nice read that includes a sort of comparison of lifestyles: rural versus urban, Northern United States versus Southern United States, and immigrant verses native-born. It also gives readers a nice peek into Jewish culture and traditions, from the Yiddish monikers for grandma and grandpa to the holidays of Purim and Passover to foods like Hamantaschen. The story provides the opportunity to teach children about secrets: knowing when it's ok to keep a secret and knowing when they need to tell a trusted adult."
IndiePicks Magazine
"Waldman's warm, loving depiction of a Russian Jewish family during the Depression is a cozy read that will be treasured by young readers, many of whom will relate to the fish-out-of-water element of her story."
Jewish Book Council
"Miriam's Secret is a fast-paced story that hooks the reader right from the start. It's the perfect friendship tale for ages 8 to 12."