Maya's Journey: A Story of Two Great-Grandmothers

From Essie and Martha to Maya—three girls, two journeys, one unforgettable story.

When young Maya sets out to tell a family story, she uncovers the courage, laughter, and dreams of her great-grandmothers—and discovers the powerful story she was always meant to tell.

Maya loves to make up stories—big, bright, and full of imagination. But when her teacher asks for a true family story, Maya is stumped. What story could she tell?

Her parents introduce her to two remarkable women from their past: Great-Grandma Essie, who crossed an ocean alone to escape danger in Romania, and Great-Grandma Martha, who rode across the American South in a Jim Crow train car to seek fairness and freedom. As Maya listens to their journeys, full of bravery, laughter, and hope, she discovers a powerful truth: her family’s story is also her own.

Inspired by real events, Maya's Journey: A Story of Two Great-Grandmothers is a moving celebration of intergenerational connection, blended families, and the many ways to be Jewish—and American.