Ruthie is just a young girl living in New York City, trying to achieve the American dream until those dreams are put on the line after a car accident that leaves her very injured. The story follows Ruthie's journey to recovery, forgiveness, hope, and love. I loved this book so so much for not only the thought provoking bits and life lessons, but for the melting pots of cultures that were conveyed. Because this is largely based off of the author's own experience, it has a personal touch that couldn't have been added otherwise. First of all, the life lessons and thought provoking bits. I loved Ruthie and I think anyone could sympathize with her hopefulness and kindness. I also loved how her recovery process was used in such a way that Ruthie had to grow up fast and learned so many life lessons like forgiveness, following your dreams, etc. The one complaint I would have is that I felt that sometimes, because Ruthie was bedridden, the story dragged a little. I also loved the other main component I took away from the book, which is that America is a melting pot. One of her friends was Indian, another was fluent in French and English and was from Belgium, their apartment neighbor was from Mexico, and Ruthie's extended family (all Cuban) were featured heavily. I also loved how whenever these cultures were brought up, they were always very warm and celebrated their culture (her parents dancing, their culture of food, her friend's mother making pastries, etc.) and I felt like I learned something about each of the cultures. Ultimately, this book showed one girl's story of recovery while learning about forgiveness and hope, and was able to celebrate cultures from all over the world without making the book all about culture/religion. The book shows that you should always follow your dreams because in America, it's a melting pot- anyone can achieve anything.
Lucky Broken Girl
By Ruth Behar
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 4 - 8 | Grades 3 - 8 | W | 4.2 | 49919 |
In this unforgettable multicultural coming-of-age narrative—based on the author’s childhood in the 1960s—a young Cuban-Jewish immigrant girl is adjusting to her new life in New York City when her American dream is suddenly derailed. Ruthie’s plight will intrigue readers, and her powerful story of strength and resilience, full of color, light, and poignancy, will stay with them for a long time.
Ruthie Mizrahi and her family recently emigrated from Castro’s Cuba to New York City. Just when she’s finally beginning to gain confidence in her mastery of English—and enjoying her reign as her neighborhood’s hopscotch queen—a horrific car accident leaves her in a body cast and confined her to her bed for a long recovery. As Ruthie’s world shrinks because of her inability to move, her powers of observation and her heart grow larger and she comes to understand how fragile life is, how vulnerable we all are as human beings, and how friends, neighbors, and the power of the arts can sweeten even the worst of times.
Book Reviews (27)
it's cool
this book is ok
OMG! I LOVE this book so much it is my favorite book of all time!
Ruth is an immigrant from Cuba. She and her family are starting a new life in New York and everything is going well. But that changes one day when she gets into a car accident. She breaks her leg and has to stay in a body cast. She then has to learn how to walk again. I really liked this book. I give it 4 stars.
Have you ever had a car accident before? Are you from the other country? Well this book's character has a horrible car accident and she injured here whole left or right leg. ( I don't remember) If you are interested in this book and her more than 1 year lying on the bed life, try reading this book!
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I personally didn’t like this book too much at the beginning because it is just talking about Ruthie’s normal life, which is not very interesting. Then, Ruthie gets in a car accident and breaks her leg. She goes through a lot, like having to stay on her bed for almost an entire year. She needs her mom to help her go to the bathroom, and she can’t go to school or play outside. By the end, she recovers, and she finds out that everything wasn’t so bad after all. Toward the end of the book, it gets more interesting because we see Ruthie face her fears, which makes her stronger. Finally, we get to see what her new life looks like.
The reason I love this book is that it explores Ruthie's world in a vivid way. When you picture Ruth Behar's point of view as a child, you see color and fun. This autobiography is great and I recommend that you read it.
Ruthie is an ordinary girl who just moved to America. She loves hopscotch and Gogo boots and is determined to stay the neighborhood's hopscotch queen. When her dad gets a blue Oldsmobile, Ruthie is anything but depressed. She eagerly waits for the first ride, and it's a blast! Unfortunately, the car gets into a car crash on the way home, leaving Ruthie in a full body cast. This cast confines her to the bed for months, not able to move. At first, Ruthie mourns her loss and hates life, but gradually, she makes new friends and becomes happier. This book is for anyone who loves a sad but happy book, or enjoys a good adventure. I give this book 5 stars!
I enjoyed reading this book! If you are looking for a meaningful, quick read, I suggest this book. It is the story of a young girl, Ruthie, who has just moved into a small apartment in New York from Cuba. Finally beginning to settle in- making friends, getting into the "smart class", learning English, etc,- her family is caught in a horrible car accident. Ruthie is confined to a full-body cast. The rest is the story of how Ruthie learned to be patient and grateful for what she has, and the healing process of her and her family. :)