Pieces of the Past: The Holocaust Diary of Rose Rabinowitz

Dear Canada

by Carol Matas

A young Jewish girl recounts her experiences during a horrifying time in recent history.

As Rose begins her diary, she is in her third home since coming to Winnipeg. Traumatized by her experiences in the Holocaust, she struggles to connect with others, and above all, to trust again.

When her new guardian, Saul, tries to get Rose to deal with what happened to her during the war, she begins writing in her diary about how she survived the murder of the Jews in Poland by going into hiding.

Memories of herself and her mother being taken in by those willing to risk sheltering Jews, moving from place to place, being constantly on the run to escape capture, begin to flood her diary pages. Recalling those harrowing days, including when they stumbled on a resistance cell deep in the forest and lived underground in filthy conditions, begins to take its toll on Rose.

As she delves deeper into her past, she is haunted by the most terrifying memory of all. Will she find the courage to bear witness to her mother's ultimate sacrifice?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Holocaust, Canada, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, World War II

192 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2013

Reviews

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew this would be good when I noted that Carol Matas was the author. One always has to look to the title page to find the author on these books, so it's like a hidden treasure when you see a favourite author there. This is an outstanding book in the series and really adds to the collection and children's Holocaust stories in general by its topic and the way it's presented. From a Canadian pov the book concerns a fictional Polish Jewish orphan who has emigrated to Manitoba, Canada and her diary entries always start with a little bit about what life is like for her now in the new country. The majority of the book, though, is about her writing down her memories, with the help of other Polish orphans at a monthly meeting place, as she remembers what happened to her during the war. Being only five at the start of Poland's Nazi invasion her story becomes clearer the older she becomes in her retelling. At one point a cousin finds her through a letter, who has settled in the new state of Israel and through this and the local news Matas also brings to the table the beginning of the settling of Israel and the immediate fighting between Israel and Palestine from day one that continues to this very day. This book is most suitable for the upper ages of the Dear Canada's age range of 8-12 as Matas does not pull any punches in her writing; she never does. While keeping the information age appropriate she does impart the horrors and terrors that occurred during this bloody, hateful period in world history. Rose's diary in the end becomes a record of the death of each member of her immediate family and also contains a strong religious flavour. As usual I greatly enjoy the end matter in this series which starts with an epilogue that briefly wraps up the lives of the fictional characters. This is followed by an in depth historical note about the events surrounding the time period in which the story takes place and finally ends with photographs from the era. There are some stunning pictures of the Polish Ghetto and Resistance Fighters here. The book also mentions several times a fact that is not publicized enough in my opinion, in fact I only learned of it some years ago myself, that Canada and the other Allied countries refused Jewish immigration during the war years and even after the war it took much too long, in my opinion, for Canada to open up it's Immigration to the Jews. This story concerns the 1947 immigration policy which allowed 1,000 European Jewish children into Canada on the assumption the Canadian Jewish Congress took full responsibility for them. A must read.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dear Canada series is a wonderful addition to Canadian history accessible to young people. I have given many in the series to my grandaughter. Pieces of the Past is about a young Jewish girl who has lost all her family in the Holocaust and has been brought to Canada as an orphan. Her diary alternates her story of trying to belong in her new home and her remembrances of her family and what happened to them. It is entirely appropriate for a young teenage audience and is heart-breakingly real for even adults. The Dear Canada series never pulls punches. Canada's flaws are on view as well as her fine points. Looking forward to reading more books in this wonderful series.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was missing something, but it was engaging and impactful.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Pieces of the Past" written by Carol Matas is a war diary of a young girl named Rose struggling through all her horrific memories of the Holocaust. When Rose begins her diary she is in her third home since coming to Winnipeg. She is so traumatized by her recent experiences it is extremely difficult for her to trust anyone let alone connect. However she manages to face her fears and write everything down in her journal and also manages to make some friends. I thought this book had an incredible amount of detail which I loved, but it also made me very sad at some points in the book,especially when Rose's mother sacrificed herself for her daughter or when Rose's brother,Abe,saved a bunch of people,but then died finishing the act of kindness. It was so hard to put the book down everyday because the book has a great amount of suspense which is a must have for me. It is definitely a must read.

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a young girl named Rose who is living first hand through the holocaust which is difficult for most led alone being Jewish. The book flips from war time to her current day. She starts the diary at her 3rd home since arriving in Canada as a orphan. She is given a diary to write her experiences in. Then the other bit of the book is about her and her family trying to survive and avoid being sent away. Soon after her brother has left to fight Father Is killed so it leaves her mother and her to try to escape the country and her challenges along the way. I liked how much detail there was but when they would flip from the war time to current day for her it was a bit confusing. Overall I would recommend this book.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars & 2/10 hearts. I was very much looking forwards to this book, but I was sadly disappointed. It felt very short, compared to the other Dear Canada books. I didn’t identify with the characters and cared for very few of them. The few I did like didn’t show up enough for me to get to really like them. The story was also disjointed and confusing, and not what I expected. There was furthermore a few scenes I didn’t like—a male + female resistance group washing themselves in a river together and a swear word. And the whole “Is God alive? Does He care?” question was never resolved. This is definitely not a book I’ll read again, but I intend to try the author again because I have read other Dear Canada books she has written and liked them.

[Young Adult Historical Vault · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not sure I'd say this book was enjoyable to read--it's dark--but it's satisfying and good all the same. It handles some remarkably adult issues with depth and grace for the age group without being too childish or too overwhelming. And I loved how it handled the issues surrounding the Holocaust without being a concentration camp narrative--not that those aren't important and good, but adding more voices and stories can only help. Wonderful addition to the Dear Canada series.

For my full review including spoilers, check out Young Adult Historical Vault. https://yahistoricalvault.com/2017/02...

[Elizabeth Coates · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like the Dear Canada series. As an individual book, this one doesn't stand out as exceptional, but it's consistent with the quality of the series. If I was a 12 year old I would have devoured this book. A great way to get kids interested in Canadian history. I also thought that it introduced a painful and violent topic - the Holocaust - in an age-appropriate manner for ages 10-12.

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite part was when Rose got to live with Susan. The worst part was when Roses mother was attacked. My favourite character was Rose because she was nice and stood up to the bullies. The worst character was the person who started the war.

[Valerie Cotnoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

" 'Rozia', I heard a voice say, 'now that you are here and were saved, you can be better. Don't be like them. The bullies. Never be like them.' "

"In some odd way I feel as if I have saved them from the void, from the blackness that took away everything. They are here, now, written in black and white, remembered, real."

I read two and a half Dear Canadas during Christmas break, excited to read something short after finishing a few long books this fall. That said, they were better than I expected--each better than the one read previous. What surprised me about this one was the content. Seeing the word Holocaust in the subtitle, I assumed Rozia had been in a concentration camp at one point, and as we slowly discovered her past, I kept waiting for that moment she'd be taken. But that wasn't what this perspective was about at all. It was about running away--constantly running away from the Germans. It was about the Warsaw Ghetto, hiding in the woods and in caves, watching family member after family member disappearing before her eyes. And within the narrative was the struggle to adjust to a normal school girl's life in Winnipeg. I really enjoyed going back and forth in each diary entry between the past and the present, slowly dreading what her past would reveal. I was saddened that, as a Jew, without Jesus, there was no purpose or hope amidst her suffering--only her desire to do good and be good in honor of her family.

While this author's writing style was not particularly strong, her plot and characters were very captivating. I learned a lot in this book and it left me with that bittersweet feeling in my heart that only some books can give.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Dear Canada like I have enjoyed all the others I have read. This book however I learned more from so far then all the others but “To Stand on my Own”
This novel I learned about the under ground railroad similar but not as sophisticated as the Civil War one. However I had not heard of this in underground system being used to move Jews around safely that were not in the resistance. I found this fascinating! I have not read anything yet about orphans coming to Manitoba & look forward to reading some of the other novels mentioned at the end of the book to learn more.

[Laurianne Patry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of the book: The Holocaust of Rose Robinowitz

Pieces of the past...

The book “The Holocaust of Rose Robinowitz” is written by Rose Robinowitz herself. It is an autobiography of her and her family during the Second World War. This book is a copy of the diary she wrote in 1948 when she was 13 years old. It talks about the war, religion, her family and love.

The book is about a really young jewish girl and her experience during the Holocaust. We learn what happened during the holocaust to Rose and her family and what happened to her in the present since she lives in her third home, in Winnipeg. At the beginning of the story, her new guardian named Saul gives a gift to Rose. It is a diary so she can write what happened to her during the war. Saul knows that Rose had a hard time during the war and that she is traumatised so he wants to find a way to make her feel better.

During the war, we learn of what happened to her and her family in the ghetto, we learn her escape of the ghetto with her mother, moving from place to place with her mother to survive and the death of her entire family. In 1948, we understand that Rose is still haunted by her terrible memories. She hates god and she is asking herself why did god killed million of Jews. She has a bad relationship with Saul’s girl because she is bullying her friend Susan and it reminds her about how Germans were treating jews. At the end of the story, Rose has to move to Susan’s house because Saul’s wife is pregnant and they have no more room for her so Terry, Saul’s girl, is very happy about this. There are many meetings with jewish kids who survived the war. It will help Rose to know more about what happened to her family and to make her feel in her place.

I recommend this book to all the people who likes to learn about history. What I like the most about this book is that it doesn’t only talk about what happened in the past, we learn how she is feeling after the war and her recovering. Her story is very touching and I almost cried when I red it. We learn how Nazis were bad with jews and we are almost able empathize with Rose. It is for these reasons that I recommend this book to everyone.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was impressed that Dear Canada would cover the topic of the Holocaust from this point of view, for the sheer fact that it's a children's series. It was touched on before (on a side note, I liked that they crossed this over with Turned Away, no matter how it's barely a mention), but not like this. They didn't spare the details, and portrayed the horror that was the Holocaust. Matas didn't shy away from describing the death, racism, disease and even made an allusion to rape. I would never have expected all of that (the last one in particular) to make it into a Dear Canada book.

On top of that, Matas wrote her main character with PTSD. It's not obvious and not stated outright, but with her descriptions, it's obvious in the first few pages that Rose suffers from a degree of it.

It was bold and way more than I ever expected it to be. I've never teared up at one of these books before, but this one had me holding back tears for the last twenty or so pages.

[Shanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pieces of the Past is another book from the Dear Canada series, which is written about a young girl named Rozia (Rose) Rabinowitz, who has survived the Holocaust. She was sent to Canada after the Holocaust, where a Mr. Boxer has given her a diary in which to write her memories in. With this, she remembers her family and friends who were lost during this time and those who survived with her.
This book also features a mention and a connection to the book Turned Away (Dear Canada series). Both books were written by Carol Matas and the mention of Devorah Bernstein brings back her story to readers who have read this other book.

[Joanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

So basically Rose got adopted. She is working with a doctor to help her get over the past. The story is told in the present for the first few pages, then the story is told in the past about how her family died and all that.

I picked this book up because my mom was at the library with me, and as usual she asked me to picked a non-fictional book or a french book. So I picked this book because it was non-fiction and it is history.

I finished this book because my mom made me.

I suggest this book to Lauren because I known that she doesn't read this kind of stuff.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m really sorry Rose lost her family, but I’m glad she got a new one. Her scary flashbacks reminded me of “Once Upon a Time”.

[Colette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended for readers who enjoy WWII fiction, the diary format is familiar and well done. Rose is taken in by a foster family after the war, yet can't get over her survivor's guilt while she grieves for her family. Parallel storylines of bullying illustrates how easily society can slide in the horrors of war.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this YA book in French, prepping myself for French courses and tests and I really enjoyed it. As I understand, it is part of a series of journals for young adults. It is a thorough work, combining journal entries from 1943/44 with the present day 1948 of a young Jewish girl who loses her entire family during WWII and is relocated to Canada.

[Thano · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book. It is about a Jewish girl named Rose who writes about her time in the war. Her brother leaves to fight and her dad is killed. She is trying not to get shipped away. Rose and her mother try to run away from the country to Canada. Many challenges and obstacles get in the way. I thought it was confusing and hard to read. I would not recommend this book.

[Shanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Pieces of the Past" is a new favourite of mine from the Dear Canada series, as I have learned so much more about the Holocaust from it.
The author, Carol Matas, was able to maintain the Diary writing format, while adding its on unique twist compared to those in the rest of the series. This was cleverly done by including 'memories' from the young Rose Rabinowitz.

[Clara Garcia]

I Love History! Especially if its about the holocaust.Its Sad but it somehow came to a good ending! Although (SPOILER) .............Her mother died horribly
(END OF SPOILER)

The story is inspirational and fun to read! READING MARATHON!!!

[Reading Rediscovered · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great retelling of a Jewish Holocaust survivor tale. Good transition between the memory and present day. I did not realize so many Jewish children came to Winnipeg after the war so this made the survivors feel closer to home.

[Paige Mcleod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the style of historical books. This book is sad but well written. The book goes back and forth between her memories of the Holocaust and her new home in Canada. I love the detail of the book and would read more if there was more to the book. Over all its a need to read book.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written juvenile novel about the Holocaust. There are enough details and facts to project the horror, but not enough detail to scar a young mind. There is enough here that if a child wanted more information, there are resources listed for them to further research.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is unrealistic for Rose to remember as much as she did, especially from when she was a toddler. No mention in the historical note of the other groups of people who were targeted by the Nazis.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet, this book pulls at the heart strings but is an excellent starter book for children about the horrors of the holocaust.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Sad as most Holocaust books are but I think it would have been better in real time rather than flashbacks.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really good book, although i wish her life was a little more positive in the present time.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that this is a story about the Holocaust that isn't set in a concentration camp - it was really interesting to see a different aspect of the experience.

[Cecily Carstairs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet but a bit confusing