Marika

by Andrea Cheng

As a young girl in Budapest in the 1930s, Marika dreams of growing up to be a scientist or maybe an explorer. An older brother who never tells her anything, a beloved rag doll, an embarrassing mother, school, friends--Marika's life revolves around ordinary things until her father decides to build a wall in their home, creating separate living quarters for himself. Why can't they live together, like her friend Zsofi's family?
Then, when Marika is fifteen, the Germans occupy Budapest, and war surrounds her. Her ordinary life disintegrates as her friends and family separate. Forced into hiding, Marika begins to understand the fragility and strength of the bonds among family and friends, and gradually she comes to terms with her shattered world.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Young Adult, Historical, World War II, Fiction, Hungary

163 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2002

About the author

Andrea Cheng is a Hungarian-American children's author and illustrator. The child of Hungarian immigrants, she was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio in an extended family with three generations under one roof. Her family spoke Hungarian and English at home. After graduating with a BA in English from Cornell University, she went to Switzerland, where she apprenticed to a bookbinder, attended a school of bookbinding called The Centro del Bel Libro, and learned French. Upon her return, she returned to Cornell to study Chinese and earned an MS in linguistics. Now she teaches English as a Second Language at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. Her children’s books include Grandfather Counts, Marika, The Key Collection, Honeysuckle House, Where the Steps Were, The Bear Makers, and Brushing Mom’s Hair. With her husband, Jim Cheng, she has three children: Nicholas, Jane, and Ann.

Reviews

[Rachael Westbrook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to a group of fifth grade students. They loved it!!!

[Cora · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many novels available portraying accounts of Jewish survivors of World War II and the holocaust. Some are very graphic and detailed. This particular account is age appropriate for the younger reader who might just be learning about the holocaust. It is relatable to younger readers. Marika's parents are seperated (or possibly divorced?) due to infidelities of her father. That situation is a scenario many children are experiencing. What follows however, is something we wish for no other generation to ever have to endure.
This book was beautifully written. I would recommend it to any and everyone.

[Bonnie Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is well-written, but suspect that it would take a very mature YA to engage with it. About two-thirds of the book takes place when Marika is between six and twelve years old and is told from her age perspective. It is well-written, but the tension in those pages largely comes from the weight of history. I may be underestimating, but my guess is that among the majority of the YA cohort, youngers would be mystified while olders would likely be impatient with sticking with the child's view for so long.

The horrors of the Holocaust and WWII are referred to, not graphically described, but the narrative conveys the terrors of even those fortunate enough to escape the worst. The cover description is somewhat misleading. Marika is not "the heroine" in the conventional sense - which adds to the realism as she is, after all, a child. The Horn Book quote on the jacket of my edition describes it better*: "the story of an interesting young life obscenely interrupted by Hitler's war."

The brief epilogue is heart-wrenching.

*However, the generic "war" is not quite adequate - would have been better to add reference to the Holocaust.

[Allison Turkish · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uneven. The beginning of the book had a lot of humor and told a story. Then the book started jumping around in time and that made the story so much worse. The weirdest jump was chronological but went from 1940 to 1944. Why skip over so many years? Why is the 1944 part so short?

It would have helped to have some context about the war as it took place in Hungary.

Also, I'm not sure what age this book is geared toward. There are descriptions towards the end of the book of atrocities toward Jews but part of the story involves a father being unfaithful to his wife and yet continuing to be married to the mother of the main character.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is almost a feel-good story set in WWII. There isn't a lot of description or explanation for kids who haven't learned what happened. They also keep saying WWI, when it would have been referred to as The Great War at the time. A good story, but could definitely use a touch-up.

[Abbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young Jewish girl raised Catholic in Budapest recounts her experiences age 12-16. Although fiction, the time and capacity are a slightly less jarring introduction to the holocaust, made accessible for younger readers.

[Alondra]

When reading Marika you'll find out this girl is very inspirational. This girl has big dreams but with the war going on she has faced many events to survive. I would recommeded all six graders to read this book because of its full of determation.

[Sofia Ariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book gave me chills.

[Arshiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, but not my favorite

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blatant infidelity and lack of committment to one's troubled spouse added additional trauma during war-time. This was suspenseful and attention holding, but I would not recommend this for children.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read books about WWII & the holocaust so that we don’t forget.

[Izrael Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely is slow at first and dumps things at the end but it a good and entertaining, couldn't put it down!

[Abby Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my opinion I thought the book was really boring, so I only read half of it maybe more but if it had some action or something it would be much better.

[Bella Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5

[Hana Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was different than most Holocaust books I've read. It was not as dark as most. Personally i think it was a bit choppy and could have flowed a bit better.

[Lydia S.]

Extremely good!

[Albeny Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This harrowing tale had me biting my nails throughout the entire book. In the duration of this story, we watch Marika Schnurmacher grow up, not only from a child into a teenager, but from innocent and uninformed to alert and sharp-witted. In the beginning of the story we watch Marika help Apa to change their birth certificates so that "Jew" would not appearing anywhere on them. Later, we see Marika get baptized. Then, we witness Marika helping Apa write brand new papers. All of this happens as news of the Nazis, and the Nazis themselves, grow closer to Budapest. When Budapest is invaded, Marika and her mother end up in a rabbinical school, and her brother sent away to labor camp. Apa rescues Marika, but eventually sends her away with one of his bestfriend's fiancé, Ilonka. Markia has to make up a new story about her past and has a close encounter with being caught, only to discover her father missing. We follow Marika as she faces hunger, thrist, fear, and finally, joy.

[Doodles Bookstagram · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a well written true story taking place in WWII. If you like reading about different people's experiences with WWII, then I highly recommend this book.

[Carole Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marika is set in Budapest, Hungary during WWII. The book focuses around Marika (a young girl) and her family, who all happen to be Jews. The story is told in young Marika's viewpoint. Her parents are fully aware that the war and the Germans will be coming their way soon, so they have Marika and her brother, Andras, learn as much as they can; they even spend a lot of money to forge papers that "prove" their Catholic ancestry.


Before I began reading, many people have told me that this book is a lot like The Diary of Anne Frank and they weren't entirely wrong, but I found that this book was very different. For one Anne and Marika were completely different and their experiences were different. Marika was pretty much clueless the whole time, while Anne had to live in fear the entire time. Both are good stories who shared many similarities and differences.

Marika was a simple and quick read, but it was a pretty good read overall. I hate to say it was cute, because of the cruel times that it was set in. I say its cute because I love how Andrea Cheng used an innocent child's viewpoint and I really felt that Marika herself wrote it. I loved the innocence that Marika had and how her family tried to keep the truth from her for so long, because they didn't want her to grow up in fear.

Like I stated earlier, it was short read and I wished that some points had been expanded upon...especially the last couple of chapters. I felt that those experiences (if it was a real diary) would have been more detailed. However, I'm glad that it was a short, but bittersweet book.

All-in-all, I liked this book and I'll probably read it again in the future. I wished some points would have been expanded, but hey it was short and had a simple plot and I liked it. If you're looking for a small but good book you should check this out and if you're into the 1940s I think you would like this. Out of five stars, I grant this 4 stars.


Favorite Character(s): Andras (Marika's brother), Zsofi (Marika's best friend), and Marika...of course

Not-so Favorite Character(s): Umm....the German SS? I don't know really...there wasn't really any characters that I disliked.

Quote(s) That Stuck With Me: "I would be an explorer, a scientist, a writer. Did Andras really think that a man named Hitler in Germany would stop me?".

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marika, a young Hungarian girl is only six when WWII begins. For her, it is far away and she can not imagine it ever invading her homeland. Yet, she is still only a child and her concerns are not of politics but of seeing her friends, playing and having fun. Her worries are simple in comparison to what awaits for her. She is forced to grow up too fast. She has been baptized Maria, and attends Catholic mass. She and her family try to cover their Jewish name Schnurmacher. It is written everywhere, it can not be hidden unless they change their documents from Jewish to Catholic. Life gets worse when her brother, Andreas, her mother and friends are drafted to a German work camp. Marika is saved when her father bribes a Nazi, and Marika is freed...for now. Marika's main internal conflict is the wall which separates' her mother and father's apartment.
While reading this book I made a text-to-text connection. Marika and The Devil in Vienna are both about two young girls who are forced into hiding and to grow up to fast. They are both young and have one best friend who they love dearly. Both girls can hardly believe what is in store for them, how their life will change and what they will leave behind. They must struggle to survive each day in fear of the unknown.
I would most definitely give this book 4 stars. It was suspenseful and I was really able to get to know the characters. After reading Marika you become aware of what the Jew's went through in the 1940's. At that time six million people were killed simply because they were Jewish. Hitler and his Nazis had no mercy, they killed children too, in a room full of gas. The Jews worked til their deaths. The German's thought that torturing and killing the Jews would be the answer to all of their problems and they would have a perfect world but instead they had a bloody one. If you liked this review you may consider reading more books about the Holocaust.

[Telka · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Marika is about a girl named Marika who grows up living through the Holocost and she has very hard times. Just like any other girl, Marika dreams of being a book writer and can't wait until Adam, the boy at school, finally walkes hand in hand with her. Marika also has dissapointments too; Like the wall that's build to separate her mother's room from her father's room. Marika thinks that's bad. Then things start to change. When the Nazis start invading Hungary, Marika will do anything to keep her family together and safe...
I decided to give this book a text to world connection. That is because people in places around the world can connect to how Marika is feeling. Countrys like Iraq and Afghanistan are getting bombed right now and are probably getting searched too. I'm sure there are people like Marika who are trying to keep their family safe, but it's not always that easy.
I decided to rate this book 5 stars, because the auther's words made me feel like I was Marika in a hard time like this book takes place in. Also, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to learn about History or the Holocost.

[Jesus · Rating 2 out of 5]

El libro se trata de una nina, Marika que tiene problemas con su familia y sociedad. Ella estaba en el tiempo de guerra mundial dos y su experiencia con la discriminación por siendo Judío. Su familia tiene una fortuna y su padre es dueño de una compañía, pero tiene relaciones con la esposa de su socio. Marika le gusta estudiar, y su padre le apoya y toda vía quiere estar acerca con ella mientas se aloja de su madre por siendo muy creída. Cuando los Nazis se mete en poder, Marika y su familia tiene que enfrentar los leyes. La madre y Marika's hermanó van en campos diferentes. Marika se esconde con una familia y su padre se esconde con su hermano. Después que los Rusos llegan, Marika se junta con su familia, pero encuentra que su vida esta mal.
Yo senté que leo cuento fue muy lento en el principio y no vía un punto en que lo que decía. Empezó bien pero luego perdió lo interesante. Pensé que Eva ver mas problemas por siendo Judío, pero solo vía pedazos y parte en el fin. Fue mas como una drama de familia y conflictos dentro ellos mismos que cualquier cosa. Fue triste en el fin porque la familia nu es tan junta, y solo vía problemas sin resuelto.

[Erin Forson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrea Cheng is the daughter of a Hungarian refugee who moved to the United States after World War II. This novel is based on the experiences of her mother during the War. When I first began the novel, I did not like Marika. She was a spoiled rich kid, in my opinion, whose father gave her everything she wanted and more. She disrespected her parents, her nannies, her tutors, and anyone who didn't have the riches that she had. Or so it seemed. As I read the novel, however, I began to realize that Marika had a reason for her anger, and it wasn't that she was a snob at all. When the NAZI party begin to move closer to Hungary where she lives, the last of Marika's belligerence fades away in the face of losing everyone and everything she loves...including perhaps her own life. If you enjoyed The Diary of Anne Frank you will likely really enjoy Marika. Although it is not in diary form, it is told by Marika in her own childish voice. There are no gaps from day to day, and the story is easy to follow. And because it is based on a true story, it gives yet another real perspective of what every Jew in countries occupied by the NAZI party faced.

[Jenevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of a girl growing up in Budapest during WWII. A girl with a Jewish last name and a broken family. Her father is always thinking ahead, having her and her brother learn French and German, practicing the Catholic religion, taking Latin at school. But when the war comes, none of that matters because of their last name. They must wear the stars and move from their home. They are separated. They are shown kindness and evil and their lives are changed.

Based loosely on the story of the author's mother and from a child's perspective. The story really starts when Marika is about 6yrs old and continues by touching on major points in her life through the German occupation and release by the Russians when she is about 14yrs old. Rather than one continuous story, it's highlights of her memories which gives it a poignancy of it's own. This is the child telling us her story as she remembers it. Tidbits of the war but that seems so far away to her and the separation of her parents is a much bigger trauma in her young life. Simply but beautifully told.

[Books Kids Like · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marika grows up in Budapest during the 1930s. In 1934, when Marika is six, she dreams of becoming a scientist or an explorer. Her world consists of an older brother, Andras, a beloved rag doll, a mother who embarrasses her, school and her friends. Her greatest concern is the wall that her father built that divides their house into two apartments. She doesn’t understand why Apa doesn’t want to live with mother, brother Andras, and herself. The family is Jewish, but they live like Catholics because it’s not wise to live as a Jew in Budapest. As Marika gets older, the effects of the war become more apparent. Then in 1944, the Nazis invade Hungary. Andras goes to a slave labor camp. Marika and her mother are taken to a detention center. A week later, Apa takes Marika from the center and takes her to Ilonka’s house where Marika poses as the woman’s Catholic niece. Then, Apa goes missing. Her family is gone, and her world is shattered.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book recommendation to me from a high school girl! :) This book seemed to be an irregular account of life for a Jewish family during the Nazi occupation. Unlike many other books I have read discussing this time period, this book was from the perspective of a girl whose family had always been afraid something like this might happen and so had gone through painstaking efforts to be recognized as Catholic instead. Because of the family's growing fear, the main character, a youngish teen named Marika, does the typical teen thing of dismissing her parents' ideas, fears, etc.. and tries to be an ostrich about everything until things can't be ignored anymore. I read the entire book before I realized it was based on a true story. Given that fact, I was even more surprised at how the author made it a point to describe the family's faults and not glorify certain members (or so it seemed). My only criticism is that it seemed short.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, there is a child's perception of the reality of the terror of the Holocaust. Spoiled and living in Hungary with her older brother and well-to-do parents, Marika wants for nothing. Throwing little temper tantrums when she doesn't get her way, finally, her parents practice tough love in telling her why she should not be self-centered when all around her people are losing everything, including their lives.

Wealthy enough to commission fake passports that look real, Marika's father knows that one day they will be necessary.

As the story progresses, Marika does indeed grow up and needs to be responsible for her neurotic mother who cannot handle stress. When they are herded to a place where they do not know if they will return, it is time for Marika to face the bright light of adulthood.

[Colton Miller]

Marika is a non-fiction book taking place during the Holocaust. The thesis is Genocide affects everyone and their families. This book was written to inform us of the effects of the Holocaust. I feel that this book is very sad and depressing at the end, but joyful in the beginning. The author got her point across very clearly. The Holocaust caused her father to do some bad things for his family that tore them apart. It was very suspenseful throughout the book. I knew about the Holocaust beforehand, but after reading this book I know more about how it tore families and relationships apart. I enjoyed this book a lot. It has suspense and strong character development. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the Holocaust or suspense.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great perspective from a girl living during the reign of the tyrant and Nazi ruler, Adolf Hitler. Marika is a strong and courageous young girl, who finds herself halving to grow up way too fast. Not only is she dealing with the extreme measures the invading soldiers are taking in her country, she has to endure her own families internal struggles. Her mother's depression over the fact that her father is having an affair, her dad building up a wall within their home to try and disguise his immoral behavior, and a brother, who at times believes she is too young to understand life.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

2004- This story, based on the author's mother's experiences as a young Jewish girl growing up in Hungary was an absorbing read. We follow Marika through ten years of her life, from her parents' separation to the rise of Hitler. Marika's transformation through some very tough years makes you feel as if you can relate to her. This book is more character-development driven than plot-driven, but I still found interesting, probably because of the feelings I developed for the young Marika.