Ethel’s Song
Ethel Rosenberg’s Life in Poems
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Published by Calkins Creek (2022-09-13)
Convicted traitor and suspected Soviet spy Ethel Rosenberg shares the story of her beliefs, loves, secrets, betrayals, and injustices in this compelling YA novel in verse.
In 1953, Ethel Rosenberg, a devoted wife and loving mother, faces the electric chair. People say she’s a spy, a Communist, a traitor, a red. How did she get here? In a series of heart-wrenching poems, Ethel tells her story. The child of Jewish immigrants, Ethel Greenglass grows up on New York City’s Lower East Side. She dreams of being an actress and a singer but finds romance and excitement in the arms of the charming Julius Rosenberg. Both are ardent supporters of rights for workers, but are they spies? Who is passing atomic secrets to the Soviets? Why does everyone seem out to get them?
This first book for young readers about Ethel Rosenberg is a fascinating portrait of a commonly misunderstood figure from American history, and vividly relates a story that continues to have relevance today.
In 1953, Ethel Rosenberg, a devoted wife and loving mother, faces the electric chair. People say she’s a spy, a Communist, a traitor, a red. How did she get here? In a series of heart-wrenching poems, Ethel tells her story. The child of Jewish immigrants, Ethel Greenglass grows up on New York City’s Lower East Side. She dreams of being an actress and a singer but finds romance and excitement in the arms of the charming Julius Rosenberg. Both are ardent supporters of rights for workers, but are they spies? Who is passing atomic secrets to the Soviets? Why does everyone seem out to get them?
This first book for young readers about Ethel Rosenberg is a fascinating portrait of a commonly misunderstood figure from American history, and vividly relates a story that continues to have relevance today.
Book Details
Format:
eBook
Price:
10.99 USD / 23.99 CAD
Published: 2022-09-13
ISBN: 9781635926262
Imprint:
Calkins Creek
Page Count: 272
Trim Size: 6 x 9
Grades:
Grades 8-12
Ages:
13-17 years
"A fresh, creative approach to this fascinating and controversial story."'– Steve Sheinkin, award winning author of Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown
"In Ethel's Song, Barbara Krasner courageously tells the little known story of Ethel Rosenberg in verse. This moving and powerful novel, based on interviews and extensive research, should be read aloud to inspire critical thinking about social justice during a dark period in American history." – Susan Goldman Rubin, author of Sing and Shout! The Mighty Voice of Paul Robeson
"Incorporating the suspense of a thriller, the passion, rhythm and syntax of the finest poetry, the complexity of world politics, and the immediacy of current events, Barbara Krasner’s biography of Ethel Rosenberg is a master class in writing the verse novel. By turns heartbreaking and hopeful, Krasner restores the woman behind the hype, highlighting her childhood, her dreams, her love for humanity—and as importantly, for her husband and children. Using villanelles, pantoums, couplets, and all forms at her disposal, Krasner truly honors the Rosenberg legacy." – Rich Michelson, National Jewish Book Award winner
"Ethel Greenglass’ story has often been told with her husband, Julius Rosenberg, at the forefront; now it’s her turn....Even if readers are already aware of how the story ends, this work, which utilizes a variety of forms of poetry and is enhanced with historic photos, will read like a thriller complete with passion, politics, and family betrayal.The subject’s voice, strength, intelligence, and heart ring out on every page." —Kirkus Reviews
