The Immigrant by Frederic Petrovsky
More than historical fiction, The Immigrant by Frederic Petrovsky can be defined as a fine bit of motivational philosophizing — and a most satisfying read.
The Immigrant follows an admirable and eclectic list of previous works by Petrovsky: The Clinton Diaries, speculative fiction about former president Bill Clinton, his obsessions and his affair with Monica Lewinsky; a novel about a brain transplant; a book that requires his protagonist to time-travel; another that introduces readers to a five-year-old boy with memories of past lives; and, finally, a year-long journal of Petrovsky’s daily poetic musings.
AN UNUSUAL JOURNEY
This time, the author conjures up Lev, a 17-year-old boy who, as a Jew, must flee his village in the wake of a merciless pogrom. It is post-1917 revolutionary Russia, a hotbed of political unrest and racist hate. “I’m not a boy,” he pleads with his parents when they have arranged for his safe transport out of harm’s way. “I can stay and fight the Cossacks. Dad and I can fight them together.””
He is adamant and passionate, but when he defies his parents and rushes home amid the smoldering remains of their village, his house – with his parents in it – has burned to the ground. Now he has no choice but to flee.
What follows is a stumbling journey of almost comic proportions. He joins a travelling circus with a Sideshow of Amazing Freaks (and a trio of irresistible sex workers). He walks for miles through hostile territory, begging, bartering, persuading. His implacable approach to threats and danger and certain death wins him freedom and the next chapter of his trip every time — which will eventually and incredibly land him in the United States, the Land of Promise for Lev, with nothing but a scrap of paper with the name of a woman on it – which may be a relative.
Or maybe not. And this is all he has to connect with his new home.
A BOLD PROTAGONIST
He has to navigate the mob and gang politics in the dark alleys of downtown Manhattan streets first, once again allying himself with kind-hearted prostitutes. Lev has a soft and understanding heart, but a strong sense of who he is and what he has to do. He is pragmatic and sensible, and he amazes with his maturity, serenity, and get-it-done attitude.
Petrovsky writes with refreshing clarity, uncomplicated but never missing a detail that fixes his readers to time and place. There’s the hot terror and ruin of the Russian pogroms, the heavy musk of the travelling circus and the perfume of his “sweethearts” there, the fetid tenements of lower Manhattan with their stews simmering in sticky hot kitchens.
The author takes his unflappable hero across the ocean and across the country to the dusty desert emptiness of Arizona. It seems there is always someone or something unexpected which catches him up and sends him on his way. He’s beaten and chased, lost and then guided to safety, befriended, betrayed, misunderstood, and, surprisingly, loved.
Through it all, Lev remains true to himself and his mission – an admirable trait.
About Frederic Petrovsky:
Frederic Petrovsky’s first novel, Frank, was published by AOL Time Warner in 2001 and won the imprint’s inaugural Readers’ Choice award. His novels include The Immigrant, Don’t be Cruel, The Clinton Diaries, and Escape from Yesterday. He has also written a book of poetry, If Only for Love. His work has appeared in Midstream, Arrive, and The Ritz-Carlton Magazine. He holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Arizona. Petrovsky is a native of Memphis, TN, and currently lives in Arizona.
Publish Date: October 25, 2022
Genre: Fiction
Author: Frederic Petrovsky
Page Count: 246 pages
Publisher: Koehler Books
ISBN: 978-1646638079
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