Petal in the Wind I

May 1899: Luska, "almost eight", knows why her mama and papa worry about pogroms, vicious attacks on shtetls that dot the Russian countryside. But her parents' teaching and whispered fears can't prepare her for the reality. By luck she's away when Cossacks attack, destroying her village and everyone in it. Left orphaned and alone, she wanders into a city, where Rabbi Hershel Zedek and his wife Naomi take her in.

The grand Zedek home provides refuge but no relief from Luska's nightmares, which disrupt the family. After she clashes with the couple's eight-year-old son, the Rabbi makes it clear Luska's stay must be temporary. Blinded by grief, she seeks comfort from Naomi, unaware of the matriarch's intent to deny her a chance for a real family. When she uncovers the tragic secret behind Naomi's duplicity, Luska must overcome her disappointment and sorrow. Otherwise, she'll drift through life like a petal in the wind....