The Return

by Sonia Levitin

Book Overview

Fifteen-year-old Desta belongs to a small, isolated mountain community of Ethiopian Jews. She and her brother and sister leave their aunt and uncle and set out on the long and dangerous trip to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689313098
• ISBN13: 9780689313097
• Release Date: April 1987
• Publisher: Atheneum Books
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

The Return. Amanda Matson MSJA August 2, 2002

The Return by Sonia Levitin was a very good book. It was a little bit hard to get into, but if you continued to read then you would find that it got more interesting. It is about a girl named Desta who lives in a small village on top of a mountain in Ethiopia. She is a Jew, and in her country that is not a good thing because they are often blamed for things, beaten, or killed. She lives with her Aunt and Uncle (because her parents are dead) her older brother Joas, and her younger sister Almaz. Desta and her family live a quiet life, until one day when word of a dream that Weizero Channa (an old wise woman from another village) travels to their village. In her dream a "ram" leads his "sheep" to Jerusalem. They believe it, but would not go because of all the dangers they would face traveling because they are Jews. Joas, however, does want to leave and starts saving his money so that he can make the trip. When he talks to Desta of the trip she says there is no real reason why they should go and does not want to have anything to do with it. Her sign that they should indeed leave soon comes. There is word from another village that men are coming to take the boys and force them to join the army. It is decided that they have to go now to save themselves from bad things or even death. With a group from another village (Kess, Weizero Channa, Dan, who is supposed to marry Desta, and a few others) they start on their hard journey to their freedom, in Jerusalem. To make it through this journey, they need all the strength and faith they have to make it through all of the hardships. The story is very inspirational. I liked it so much I could not put it down. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read or has much faith in his or her religion because this story can teach you how your faith can help you through the worst of times.

'The Return' an excellent book!

Over the summer, I was required to read 'The Return' for school. I am not at all a person who really likes to read. I did not want to read this book at first, but once I picked it up, I could not put it down. This book was about a young girl Desta, who was forced to make changes that would effect her for the rest of her life. She was hated by many people because of her religion which led to one of the biggest decisions of her life, should she stay or should she leave. That decision changed her life forever, in good ways and in bad. Throughout the entire story there was action and suspense which led to some of the major themes in this story. Three of the major themes were bravery, love, and faith. The book was based on Desta's faith in her religion, her love for her family, and her bravery which helped her through the hardest parts of her journey. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody. I enjoyed reading it very much because I admired Desta. I admired how she was so brave and daring when she had to be, I admired how she would do anything for her family, and I admired her determination to be free. I think not only teenagers, but adults as well, would enjoy reading this book very much. It is an excellent book!

The Ethiopian Jews- Deanndra

The book entitled "The Return" written by Sonia Levitin tells the story of the plight of the Ethiopian Jews. The story is filled with so much tragedy and drama that when you start to read you will find it hard to put the book down. The Author Sonia Levitin, told the story of the Ethiopian Jews and the difficult time they had trying to practice their faith in Ethiopia, and their final journey out of Ethopia to Isreal. The story is made real to the reader, as the author tells the story of a Jewish family and their struggles. They were mistreated because of the way they practiced their religion. The family in this story experienced many difficulties. The main character is Desta. She lives with her older brother Joas, and her younger sister Almaz. Their parents died and they were left with there aunt and uncle who became there legal gaurdians. They took care of them and they gave them a place to live. They lived in a tiny village with other Ethiopean Jews seperated from the rest of the community. They practiced their religion differently from the others and refused to change their ways. They were tortured and presented as outcasts. They were even given the name Falasha which meant-Stranger. One day, Joas the oldest son decided that the best thing to do would be to leave Ethiopia and go to Isreal where they would be free to practice their religion. At first Desta's aunt and uncle refused to let them go because they thought it would be to dangerous. Then they realized that they couldn't let the children grow up in a country where they were not accepted,so they let them go...The story of the Ethiopian Jews was very interesting and I really enjoyed the book. I liked the fact that Desta was so brave and was willing to sacrifice everything to help her sister, and she did not give up ... I would recommend this book to my friends.

Beautiful and Touching Book

I read this book and was so touched that I was crying when I finished. It made me apprecaite so deeply what I actaully own and the privelege of living where I live where there is no religous discrimanation. I admit the the beginnning of the book is a litle boring but as you read on it will be like you are traveling ot Jerusalem yourself. An excellent book and I highly recommend it.

You will learn to appreciate the life you have.

I have just finished reading the book, "The Return". I thought that it was an excellent book for young adults to read. Because now a days people dont't realize how lucky we all are to live in a country where we can be free, live our own lives, and walk down the streets with our heads held high. And we should all be thankful that we don't have to be forced and kept in a land with no freedom, like Desta and her family. What amazed me was that a fifteen year old girl, had the strength, and the courage to escape from a land like Ethiopia, and travel that long and dangerous journey. Facing so many hard times, and knowing that she might never make it, but she kept on going. Knowing that every step she took she was getting closer and closer to The Promise Land. Desta should be very proud of herself for a goal that she has acheived, by making it to the land of freedom. While reading this book I noticed that there were many twists and turns, because one page you thought they were going to die, and the next page you thought they were going to make it. You never knew at any time what was actually going to happen, and I think that's good, because it keeps the reader interested. It was a very educational, interesting, suspenseful, and well written book. And I strongly encourage people to read it, because you will never take your life you have, for granted, ever again.