​Jewish Community of the Palouse Sisterhood Book Group

 JCP Book Group Blog 

About The Dybbuks by Spokane, Washington author, Sue McClelland available for free download on December 17 & 18, 2017 for Hanukkah
"Immigration has never been easy-moving to a new country, learning a new language, and adapting to new cultural norms can be the most difficult thing a person ever does. Immigrating is not easy today nor has it been easy in the past. About the Dybbuks, a collection of short stories by Sue Lindenberg McClelland, addresses these issues from a personal/family point of view.
       Sue's grandparents and extended family, those who survived the pogroms, immigrated to the Hill District in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from Riga, Latvia in the early 1900s . The Hill District was full of Jewish, Irish, and Italian immigrants. Most were poor, and all were attempting to keep their native language and culture while at the same time needing to learn English, understand the new culture, survive, and prosper.
       The book is sensitive and well written. The author, a retired therapist, understands human nature and the problems we create for ourselves. For the uninformed, including me, there is a helpful glossary of Yiddish terms in the back of the book. This was a peek into many of our ancestors' experiences. It is also a reminder of the challenges immigrants face today.
      -Pamela Pollack-Fremd, San Diego Jewish World Book Review www.SDJewishWorld.com/2017/05/09/about-the-dybbuks-tells-problems-of-immigrants/