panoramic in scope away is the epic and intimate story of young lillian leyb a dangerous innocent an accidental heroine when her family is destroyed in a russian pogrom lillian comes to america alone determined to make her way in a new land when word comes that her daughter sophie might still be alive lillian embarks on an odyssey that takes her from the world of the yiddish theater on new yorks lower east side to seattles jazz district and up to alaska along the fabled telegraph trail toward siberia all of the qualities readers love in amy blooms workher humor and wit her elegant and irreverent language her unflinching understanding of passion and the human heartcome together in the embrace of this brilliant novel which is at once heartbreaking romantic and completely unforgettable