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These are the further adventures of Hodel, the second oldest daughter of the dairyman Tevye from “Fiddler on the Roof.” Audiences last saw her bid a tearful farewell to her father (and sing a melancholy song) on a railway platform, leaving to join her beloved Perchik in Siberia.
There are a number of problems for her to overcome as she travels across Russia, and only with the aid from a compassionate government official does she finally reach her intended destination: a prison camp where Perchik is serving a sentence for his political speeches directed at the proletariat.
As the story progresses, there are numerous flashbacks for both Hodel and Perchik. We read nearly the entire “Fiddler” plot but also learn much of Perchik’s history as well. Even though this is fun, these memories are placed haphazardly in the text and don’t always fit with the real-time plot from which they spring.
We readers are then introduced to a handful of colorful characters, also prisoners, as Hodel and Perchik begin their life together. Over time, of course, things change, people mature, and secrets are brought to light. Tensions mount, bringing greater intrigue into everyone’s lives, and the story climaxes in surprising fashion.
The details of life in an early 20th-century Siberian prison camp are explored and presented in very readable prose. The character voices, however, are not very distinguishable; they all sound pretty much the same. The pace of the tale seems rushed, almost as though a later draft ended up as the final publication, which I found a little disappointing.
“Fiddler on the Roof” tells some of the stories of Tevye’s daughters (written by Sholem Aleichem) against the backdrop of Tsarist Russia. Although there are certainly sad portions, it is primarily a saga of faith, dedication, and family. In contrast to that, this book is a narrative of heartbreak and intense human suffering against the backdrop of (mostly) happier flashbacks. I have been a fan of Fiddler and Aleichem for many years, and this effort simply does not work for me as a worthwhile sequel.
Rated: Moderate. There were three instances of strong language and a few instances of milder language, in addition to some sexual references. The foul language, subtle sexual subtext, and the descriptive violence were very unexpected, considering the original source.
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