When Anna comes to America from Russia, all she has to remind her of her homeland

Author / Illustrator: Patricia Polacco
Format: Paperback
Published: Simon & Schuster, 1988

When Anna comes to America from Russia, all she has to remind her of her homeland is a dress and babushka. When Anna outgrows the dress, her mother decides that she will use it and other articles of clothing that her family had discarded, to make a quilt. All of the ladies from the neighborhood help make the quilt, cutting and stitching until a tapestry of history emerges. Anna's great-granddaughter follows the quilt as it is passed down from generation to generation. At different times, the quilt is used as a tablecloth, a picnic blanket, and a wedding chuppa. It is involved in Jewish rituals and lifecycle events. This deeply moving story illustrates the enduring connection that many Americans maintain to their homeland for generations after immigration.