Burning Lights

Rating:
Summary: Primitive and uninspiring, just does not sound authentic
Review: I am sorry to say that this was such a bad book, I really was expecting something much better. Bella wrote about her childhood in Vitebsk (Belarus) in a fake "children" style, i.e. using language you see in a homework essay of a ten year old. It was supposed to be cute. But it just did not sound right for me. Second, there are almost no country-specific details at all. Bella does not care about Belarusian culture or the fact that it was under Russian occupation at that point. So, over all, the best thing about this book is Marc Chagall's little graphics. They are so nice and so Belarusian and really convey the feeling of nostalgy for Vitebsk, where I've been on a few occasions. It may be very interesting and educational for a Western reader who does not know anything at all about life in Belarus, (then under the Russian empirial rule), but personally I expected much more.

Rating:
Summary: Touching
Review: This book was penetrating and witty, giving a portrait of pre-war Vitebsk that makes the reader feel transported back to that time and location. Sweet without being cloying, the memoir bursts from the pages as if Bella were in front of you, holding a conversation with you.

Rating:
Summary: enchanting child's-eye memoir of Russian Jewish life
Review: With illustrations by her husband Marc, Bella Chagall's memoir comes from the poignant brush strokes of childhood, focusing on Jewish holidays and family life. If you are curious about the life your immigrant forebears left behind, this will satisfy. I highly recommend it.