The Rachel Trilogy Series by Shelly Sanders

Rachel, a Jew, and Sergei, a Christian, find their worlds torn apart by violence in pre-revolutionary Russia...Rachel is a Jew living in Kishinev, Russia. At fourteen, Rachel knows that she wants more from life than the traditional role of wife and mother. She has dreams of being a writer. But everything is put on hold when a young Christian man is murdered and Rachel is forced to keep the murderer’s identity a secret... moreRachel, a Jew, and Sergei, a Christian, find their worlds torn apart by violence in pre-revolutionary Russia...Rachel is a Jew living in Kishinev, Russia. At fourteen, Rachel knows that she wants more from life than the traditional role of wife and mother. She has dreams of being a writer. But everything is put on hold when a young Christian man is murdered and Rachel is forced to keep the murderer’s identity a secret. Tensions mount as the Christians’ distrust of the Jews is fueled by prejudice and rumour.While Rachel keeps the truth to herself, she watches as lies and anti-Jewish propaganda leap off the pages of the local newspaper, inciting Christians to riot against the Jews. Violence breaks out on Easter Sunday, 1903, and when it finally ends, Rachel finds that the person she loves most is dead and that her home has been destroyed. As she struggles to survive the aftermath of the riots – or pogroms – support comes from someone totally unexpected, when a young Christian named Sergei turns against his father, a police officer complicit in the riots, to help Rachel.With everything against them, the two young people find comfort in the bond that is growing between them, one of the few signs of goodness and hope in a time of chaos and violence. less

Worlds apart, two young people try to make their way:She in Shanghai, ChinaHe in revolutionary RussiaIt is late 1903, and Rachel and her family are leaving Russia to escape the murderous riots against Jews. They travel cross country on the Trans-Siberian Railway to the coast and board a ship for Shanghai. China offers refuge, but life for them there is difficult and strange. Rachel is determined to ensure her family’s survival, but does not want to give up her dreams for her future... moreWorlds apart, two young people try to make their way:She in Shanghai, ChinaHe in revolutionary RussiaIt is late 1903, and Rachel and her family are leaving Russia to escape the murderous riots against Jews. They travel cross country on the Trans-Siberian Railway to the coast and board a ship for Shanghai. China offers refuge, but life for them there is difficult and strange. Rachel is determined to ensure her family’s survival, but does not want to give up her dreams for her future. The opportunity to write for a Jewish newspaper in Shanghai may be the solution she’s been hoping for.Still in Russia, Rachel’s friend Sergei leaves home for a factory job in St. Petersburg to help support his family. The reality of life in the city is a shock, and the factory work dangerous. Sergei soon joins the rebelling workers, but realizes he has traded one source of danger for another.Separated by so much, the two teenagers try to make their way in the turbulent political times of the early 20th century—their only connection the letters they write, and their fierce hope for the future. less

Rachel, a young Jewish woman from a small town in Russia, has made an incredible journey. Forced to leave her homeland because of the anti-Semitic violence that killed her father, she has made her way across land and sea to find refuge in Shanghai, China... moreRachel, a young Jewish woman from a small town in Russia, has made an incredible journey. Forced to leave her homeland because of the anti-Semitic violence that killed her father, she has made her way across land and sea to find refuge in Shanghai, China. Separated from her sweetheart, Sergei—a Christian who stayed behind to make his way in revolutionary Russia—Rachel finally gets to America—to California—where she won’t let anything stop her from achieving her goal of starting a new life—not poverty, not the great California earthquake. She meets and is inspired by women’s vote activists Emma Goldman and Anna Strunsky. When Rachel and Sergei are finally reunited, they realize that they have grown to have different dreams of what it means to be free. This is the final book in the Rachel Trilogy. less