Wings Like a Dove

Eide (The Memoir of Johnny Devine) delivers a powerful tale of a Jewish immigrant dealing with prejudice. In the midst of the Depression, 20-year-old Anna Leibowicz—single, pregnant after having been raped, and recently kicked out of her home—leaves New York for Chicago in search of her long-missing father. On her way through rural Indiana, she meets chef Thomas Chandler and group of young apprentices. Anna is a fine cook herself, and she offers to teach them in exchange for room and board. Anna, a Jewish immigrant, soon becomes a target for the members of the community eager to maintain “American” values. As nationalism roils the community, Thomas is also harassed in an attempt to drive him out of town because one of his apprentices is black and due to his connections to the Catholic Sisters of Mercy. After devout Thomas discovers Anna is pregnant, he feels disgust toward her and she sets off on her own again, but God leads them back together as they struggle to survive racial hatred. Anna’s nuanced inner life and the stakes of her trip make this stand out from similar inspirational fare. This harrowing, enthralling tale will appeal to fans of Linda Byler. (Jan.)