Father and I were laughing when I spotted three men across the street in front of Haase’s Book Shop. The one holding a can and brush had just finished painting something in big white letters across the window: Juden sind hier unerwünscht—Jews are not wanted here…
It’s 1933 in Berlin and for thirteen-year-old Amelie Meyer life is changing in ways she never imagined.
Her new teacher is picking on Jewish students, her friends are starting to shun her for not joining their Aryan youth group and her father is getting remarried. As tensions mount at home and school, Amelie embarks on a perilous journey—with nothing less than her whole future at stake.
Assessment:
Plot: This story leans successfully on classic storytelling beats – a secret heritage from a dead mother, an evil stepmother, and beloved adults and helpful strangers along the journey. The reader learns along with the protagonist about the danger her Jewish heritage puts her in, making everything feel organic even for readers previously unfamiliar with the history.
Prose/Style: The prose is at the correct reading level for the intended audience, and the smattering of a few French and German words adds character. The dialogue feels natural and bright, and the difference in tone between children talking together and children talking to adults works well in building the relationships.
Originality: The author uses the classic tropes of a European adventure of discovery to gently introduce her readers to the history of persecution of Jews in the early days of Hitler’s Germany, exploring real fears but leaving the solution, at least for the individual, achievable in the realm of personal challenge.
Character Development/Execution: The preteen protagonist is smart, headstrong, artistic, careful of her little sister, and motivated to learn for herself and solve her own problems, making her an excellent and appealing role model. Appearances by real-life figures artist Jeanne Mammen and author Gertrude Stein add a bit of extra delight for adult readers.
Blurb: This YA novel set in the early days of Hitler’s Germany delivers a satisfying coming-of-age adventure for its clever young protagonist within a gently curated context of historical realism.
Date Submitted: April 26, 2021
