Joan Micklin Silver's debut feature film, Hester Street (1975), depicts the immigrant experience through the eyes of Gitl (played by Carol Kane),a young, Orthodox Jewish woman who arrives in New York City from Eastern Europe at the end of the 19th century. Reunited with her already- assimilating husband, she finds that they now have little in common. Hester Street achieved critical and commercial success, receiving a nomination from the Writers Guild of America, and a Best Actress nomination for Kane at the 1976 Academy Awards.
Julia Wagner's ground-breaking book is the first to focus exclusively on Micklin Silver's work, analysing Hester Street's vivid portrayal of Jewish identity, immigration and cultural adaptation. Wagner examines how the low-budget, black-and-white, female-led independent production with Yiddish dialogue defied movie-industry expectations and became a surprise international box office hit. Through close analysis of Hester Street, Wagner highlights its significance as a milestone in the history of women film-makers, in Jewish cinema and, ultimately, as a much-loved film classic.