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Promise Me Eternity: An Immigrant Young Woman's Quest for Safety and Belonging
Broken by rejection, abuse, and fear, 17-year-old Jewish immigrant, Alexei Zagoradniy, after discovering she's pregnant, escapes her abusive husband to protect her child. Terrified of the unknown ahead, Alexei journeys across Texas seeking refuge far from the dangers of her past. Betrayed once, she is unwilling to trust again. However, a soft-spoken Mexican man, with a secret of his own, tries to persuade her to open her heart one more time.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 1, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
June 24, 2026
The story follows Alexie Zagoradniy who is a 17-year old Jewish immigrant who moves from the Soviet Union to the US with big dreams. She experiences domestic violence and at times isolation in this story. After she discovers she is pregnant she escapes her abusive husband to protect her unborn child. She has to start from scratch living in a town and country she isn’t from while learning a foreign language. She meets a soft-spoken, kind man who has a secret of his own. Will Alexie be able to trust again?
Alexie always knew that the life her mother, sister and other women in her country lived was not for her. She longed for something more and was willing to do what she needed to achieve that. We watch Alexie go through all the things that could go wrong with moving to a new place. The one thing that stood out was that Alexie was strong, and even in the moments that should have broken her she pushed through. In this story, the author did a great job with showing how easily immigrants can be taken advantage of. Alexie came with no knowledge of the US because her religion didn’t allow her to do certain things as a woman that could have prepared her to navigate a new country. She had to learn things in the moment and sometimes the lessons weren’t always pleasant. This story was heart breaking and beautiful at the same time.
I rarely give out 5 out of 5 stars but this book earned that from me. It was well written and it sucked you in from the beginning. Willis is a good story teller which is important when you write something that has such hard topics. Alexie was likeable but also relatable. As a history nerd, I love when authors do their research on history facts. It helps ground the story and adds to it. This story is a reminder that reality sometimes will be drastically different from our dreams, but those experiences help us grow and be better versions of ourselves. If you like stories that have lessons weaved through them, and love watching characters grow into who they are meant to be through love and healing, then this is for you.
Alexie always knew that the life her mother, sister and other women in her country lived was not for her. She longed for something more and was willing to do what she needed to achieve that. We watch Alexie go through all the things that could go wrong with moving to a new place. The one thing that stood out was that Alexie was strong, and even in the moments that should have broken her she pushed through. In this story, the author did a great job with showing how easily immigrants can be taken advantage of. Alexie came with no knowledge of the US because her religion didn’t allow her to do certain things as a woman that could have prepared her to navigate a new country. She had to learn things in the moment and sometimes the lessons weren’t always pleasant. This story was heart breaking and beautiful at the same time.
I rarely give out 5 out of 5 stars but this book earned that from me. It was well written and it sucked you in from the beginning. Willis is a good story teller which is important when you write something that has such hard topics. Alexie was likeable but also relatable. As a history nerd, I love when authors do their research on history facts. It helps ground the story and adds to it. This story is a reminder that reality sometimes will be drastically different from our dreams, but those experiences help us grow and be better versions of ourselves. If you like stories that have lessons weaved through them, and love watching characters grow into who they are meant to be through love and healing, then this is for you.
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review