The year is 1897, and gifted violinist Reuven Bloom is fifteen years old. Life for the Jews in Russia is very hard. First Reuven s best friend is captured to serve in the Tsar s army, and then his parents and older sister are murdered. Reuven s dreams of music must be set aside. Now he has only one goal: escape. With his baby sister strapped to his back, Reuven sets off toward an unknown freedom. His journey takes him first across Russia, and then ultimately to America. Readers will remember Reuven as the revolutionary who helped Sashie and her family flee from Russia in The Night Journey. In Broken Song, Reuven s own powerful story unfolds.