Misha Alexandrov

by Jan Karol Tanaka

Overview

Ten-year-old Misha Alexandrov sails to Alta-California's north coast in 1827 as an uninvited member of the Russian American Company. Even before he steps foot into the Russian colony of Fort Ross, his heart is captivated by the beauty of the coast and a longing to call it home. He is soon aware of an urgency to prove his worth as a working member of the colony. As an orphan of a Russian father and an Aleut mother, he must also overcome the perception that he brings with him a bag of bad luck. Testing at the hands of a tyrannical foreman forces him to develop the mental strength to stand up to the waves of prejudice and self-doubt that threaten to pull him from the shore he comes to love. Ultimately, the orphan discovers that it is neither the mixed blood that flows through his veins nor the cultures he admires that will define him, but the land itself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780692544846
Publisher:	River's End Books
Publication date:	01/18/2016
Series:	Distant Shores of Home , #1
Pages:	152
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

Editorial Reviews

"A beautiful and absorbing story, rich in history, that readers will have a hard time putting down." - Diana Wallis Taylor, award winning author

"The writing is fluid and engaging, allowing the reader to appreciate the history of Fort Ross, while the characters are fully realized and the book well plotted. The use of metaphor relays the book's strong message, making this story one to be used for discussion among readers." - Review from BookLife Prize for Fiction

"The story brings to life the California coast of the 1800s through the lens of a clever and brave young protagonist. Misha isn't perfect, but he has great heart and determination. I think children will readily relate to his struggles while subtly learning about a chapter in California history. The setting is vividly rendered, and the characters are well developed and feel real. When Misha ultimately overcomes his challenges and gets what he wants, readers will cheer. Highly recommended." Ann Creel award winning author of The Magic of Ordinary Days

From the Publisher

2017-10-19
A young boy in 1827 struggles to keep his new home in this debut children's book. After losing his Russian father and Aleut mother in the same year, Misha Alexandrov must travel from Archangel, Alaska, to the Ross Fortress in Northern California. He is accompanying Dimitri Makarova, his father's best friend, who is starting work as a carpenter in the settlement. But Misha's stay in his new home is almost instantly beset by a run of bad luck, and Stepan Tarasov, the construction foreman, becomes convinced that the boy is a jinx. Tarasov insists that Misha must prove his worth to the settlement or else he will be sent back to Alaska and an uncertain future. Misha has found a community with Chilan, a Kashaya Native American boy who is his first friend, and Kanoa, the Hawaiian man who rooms with Misha and Dimitri. Misha does not want to return to Alaska, but there are few opportunities for a young boy to prove himself. He must take whatever work he can get, endear himself to his fellow settlers, and avoid the wrath of Tarasov if he wants to stay in his new surroundings. Tanaka's story sheds light on a little-known component of California colonization and the multicultural settlement at the real Fort Ross in what is now Sonoma County. Though the novel uses the classic children's-literature trope of an orphan, it works hard to emphasize the importance of families of choice and underscores the many ways that a boy can find mentors and guardians. The book's main flaw is its pacing, as it seems to be in a rush to find completion, which comes at the cost of a fuller sense of the cast. Scenes that could be expanded and that would show Misha's growth as a character to greater effect, such as the initial mistrust felt by the local villagers toward the boy, are rushed through in a handful of pages. The story is at its best when focusing on characterization, such as explaining Dimitri's reasons for taking in Misha or fleshing out Kanoa. A solid, heartwarming tale about an orphan's travails.

Kirkus Reviews