Millions of Pebbles

by Roberta Kagan

  “Me too?”

  “Yes of course you too, Anatole. And I know that you have been through terrible things. You have suffered a lot for someone so young. But you are here now. You have survived because God was with you. And like Moses, God has a plan for you.”

  “Are you sure of this?” Anatole asked.

  “Oh yes, I am very sure,” Eli said as the child moved closer to him. Eli put his arm around the boy, then he continued to tell his story. “Now it just so happened that the daughter of the pharaoh saw little Moses floating in the river. She was barren. That means she could not have children of her own. And she had always wanted a child. So she took off the Hebrew cloth that Moses had been wrapped in and hid the fact that Moses was Jewish. In fact, she raised him as her son. Because she was the pharaoh's daughter, this put Moses in line to become the next ruler of Egypt. Moses grew up as an Egyptian. He was happy in his life. But God had saved him because he had a very important task for Moses. The Jewish people had been suffering, and God heard their prayers, so he’d sent Moses to help the Jewish people break out of bondage. Soon, although the pharaoh's sister tried to hide Moses’ Jewish background, the Egyptians discovered that Moses was not really one of them. They learned that he had been born a Jew,” Eli said, never losing eye contact with the child, as he spoke in his deep and wise voice.

  Anatole’s eyes were trained on Eli with interest.

  “So Moses left his comfortable life with the Egyptians and took his place as one of the Jews. He became a slave and he was tortured. But with God’s help, Moses led the Jewish people out of bondage. He was a great and powerful leader. A very powerful leader indeed.” Eli smiled

  “And I share his name? Moishe,” Anatole said.

  “Moishe. Yes, you do share his name. And a great and powerful name it is. ”

  “Moishe?” Anatole repeated. “And he was a great leader?”

  “One of the greatest leaders of the Jewish people. One of the strongest and most important men ever to live according to the Bible.”

  “I guess I like my real name, Moishe.”

  “I don’t blame you. It’s truly an honor,” Eli said, nodding. “So would you like me to call you Moishe?”

  “Yes, I think I would,” Moishe said, and a single tear ran down his cheek.

  Gretchen stood on the sidelines watching Eli with Moishe. Her hands were clutched in fists against her mouth. How she loved this man and his wisdom; how she loved this lonely, little boy. Her face was wet with tears of joy. She smiled, and her heart swelled. Eli was alive. He was home. And although there would be difficult times raising this troubled child whom she loved, she knew that all would be well because she and Eli would raise him together.

  Coming Soon… Sarah and Solomon

  AUTHORS NOTE

  First and foremost, I want to thank you for reading my novel and for your continued interest in my work. From time to time, I receive emails from my readers that contest the accuracy of my events. When you pick up a novel, you are entering the author’s world where we sometimes take artistic license and ask you to suspend your disbelief. I always try to keep as true to history as possible; however, sometimes there are discrepancies within my novels. This happens sometimes to keep the drama of the story. Thank you for indulging me.

  I always enjoy hearing from my readers. Your feelings about my work are very important to me. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review on Amazon. Word of mouth is an author’s best friend.

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  Many blessings to you,

  Roberta

  Email: roberta@robertakagan.com

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  MORE BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

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  But when Helga has second thoughts, it’s already too late. The papers are signed, and her claim to her child has been revoked. Her daughter belongs to Hitler now. And when Hitler’s delusions of grandeur rapidly accelerate, Germany becomes involved in a two-front war against the heroic West and the fearless Russians.

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  It is 1919 in Siberia. Michal—a young, sheltered girl—has eyes for a man other than her betrothed. For a young girl growing up in a traditional Jewish settlement, an arranged marriage is a fact of life. However, destiny, it seems, has other plans for Michal. When a Cossack pogrom invades her small village, the protected life Michal has grown accustomed to and loves will crumble before her eyes. Everything she knows is gone and she is forced to leave her home and embark on a journey to Berlin with the man she thought she wanted.

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  Book One in the Eidel’s Story series.

  In the Bible, there is a story about King Solomon, who was said to be the wisest man of all time. The story goes like this:

  Two women came to the king for advice. Both of them were claiming to be the mother of a child. The king took the child in his arms and said, “I see that both of you care for this child very much. So, rather than decide which of you is the real mother, I will cut the child in half and give each of you a half.”

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  “Ahh,” said the king to the second woman who refused to cut the baby. “I will give the child to you, because the real mother would sacrifice anything for her child. She would even give her baby away to another woman if it meant sparing the baby from pain.”

  And so, King Solomon gave the child to his rightful mother.

  The year is 1941. The place is the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland.

  The ghetto is riddled with disease and starvation. Children are dying every day.

  Zofia Weiss, a young mother, must find a way to save, Eidel her only child. She negotiates a deal with a man on the black market to smuggle Eidel out in the middle of the night and deliver her to Helen, a Polish woman who is a good friend of Zofia’s. It is the ultimate sacrifice because there is a good chance that Zofia will die without ever seeing her precious child again.

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  Who is the real mother?

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  Book Two in the Eidel’s Story series.

  Hitler has surrendered. The Nazi flags, which once hung throughout the city striking terror in the hearts of Polish citizens, have been torn down. It seems that Warsaw should be rejoicing in its newly found freedom, but Warsaw is not free. Instead, it is occupied by the Soviet Union, held tight in Stalin’s iron grip. Communist soldiers, in uniform, now control the city. Where once people feared the dreaded swastika, now they tremble at the sight of the hammer and sickle. It is a treacherous time. And in the midst of all this danger, Ela Dobinski, a girl with a secret that could change her life, is coming of age.

  New Life, New Land

  Book Three in the
Eidel’s Story series.

  When Jewish Holocaust survivors Eidel and Dovid Levi arrive in the United States, they believe that their struggles are finally over. Both have suffered greatly under the Nazi reign and are ready to leave the past behind. They arrive in this new and different land filled with optimism for their future. However, acclimating into a new way of life can be challenging for immigrants. And, not only are they immigrants but they are Jewish. Although Jews are not being murdered in the United States, as they were under Hitler in Europe, the Levi’s will learn that America is not without anti-Semitism. Still, they go forth, with unfathomable courage. In New Life, New Land, this young couple will face the trials and tribulations of becoming Americans and building a home for themselves and their children that will follow them.

  Another Generation

  Book Four in the Eidel’s Story series.

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  The Smallest Crack

  Book One in a Holocaust Story series.

  1933 Berlin, Germany

  The son of a rebbe, Eli Kaetzel, and his beautiful but timid wife, Rebecca, find themselves in danger as Hitler rises to power. Eli knows that their only chance for survival may lie in the hands of Gretchen, a spirited Aryan girl. However, the forbidden and dangerous friendship between Eli and Gretchen has been a secret until now. Because, for Eli, if it is discovered that he has been keeping company with a woman other than his wife it will bring shame to him and his family. For Gretchen her friendship with a Jew is forbidden by law and could cost her, her life.