Stones on a Grave

Secrets #4

by Kathy Kacer

Sara has never been out of the tiny town of Hope, Ontario, where she has been in an orphanage all her life. After a fire destroys the orphanage, clues about her parentage—a medical certificate and a Star of David—lead her to Germany. Despite her fears—she doesn’t speak the language, she knows no one in Germany, and she’s never been on an airplane—Sara arrives in Germany determined to explore her newly discovered Jewish heritage and solve the mystery of her parentage. What she encounters is a country still dealing with the aftermath of the Holocaust. With the help of a handsome, English-speaking German boy, she discovers the sad facts of her mother’s brief existence and faces the horrible truth about her father. Ultimately, the knowledge she gains opens up her world and leads her to a deeper understanding of herself.

   Part of the SECRETS—a series of seven linked novels that can be read in any order.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery, Canada, Fiction, Historical, Holocaust

218 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 29, 2015

About the author

Kathy Kacer was born in Toronto and has lived there all her life (with the exception of three years in New Brunswick). She has a Master’s degree in Psychology and worked for many years with troubled teens and their families. She stopped working full time in 1995 to pursue her dream of becoming a children’s author. That dream came true with the publication of her first book, The Secret of Gabi’s Dresser, in 1999. She has been writing ever since.

Her parents were both survivors of the Holocaust. Her mother survived the war in hiding; her father was a survivor of the concentration camps. Their stories of survival were an inspiration to Kathy as she was growing up. As an adult, she was determined to write their stories and pass them on to young readers. She went on to write more than twenty books, all focused on the Holocaust. These books include The Night Spies, The Diary of Laura’s Twin, To Hope and Back, Hiding Edith, the Whispers series, and The Magician of Auschwitz. Many of her books have won awards in Canada, the United States, and Israel. Her books have been sold in over twenty countries around the world.

In addition to writing, Kathy teaches at the University of Toronto (Continuing Studies). She also speaks to children in schools and libraries around the world about the importance of understanding the Holocaust and keeping its memory alive. In addition, she lectures in universities and colleges on the topic of teaching sensitive material to young children.

She is married and has two children, Gabi and Jake. Both children share her family’s love of stories.

Reviews

[Short Reviews · Rating 1 out of 5]

Took me days to start this, and when I did, I wish I didn't bother.

Hated the heroine, found the book to be cliche. Her dad is a nazi... who raped her mum, who a was ins concentration camp. Yes, I spoiled the story. But this book was so boring, it doesn't even matter!

I'm not sure which book sucked more, Shattered Glass starring that other idiot Toni, or this book starring Sara the Jewish girl who only realised black people being insulted was a problem only after SHE was insulted for being A Jew.

Meh, they're both tied for winning the stupidest girl award! Congratulations.

[Selene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderfully written book about the Holocaust. This could definitely be included into a high school reading list. I l loved that the main character was raised in Canada. That small piece makes it more easily relatable to students living in Canada.
Both "surprises" were easy guesses unfortunately which is why I only gave it four stars instead of five.
This book is one of seven interconnected novels. I would like to read the other six.

[LibraryCin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is part of a series where each book focuses on a different girl. The seven girls that are the focus were all orphans in the early 1960s when the orphanage they lived in burnt down. They are old enough that they are sent away with just a bit of information about who they are.

In this one, 18-year old Sara is given enough information to discover that she came from Germany, and her mother was Jewish. She has a bit more information including a couple of place names and the name of a doctor who helped her get to Canada. With some money she’s made working a part-time job, and a little bit given to her from the headmistress of the orphanage, Sara heads to Germany to try to find out more about her past and, hopefully, her parents.

I liked this. I’ve enjoyed all the books I’ve read in the series so far. This one spent more time in Ontario before Sara leaves for Germany than the other books did before the other girls left. I particularly liked a couple of the secondary characters who helped Sara in Germany. The info about the Holocaust is kept fairly simple, though. I would have liked a little bit more there, but it is meant for a younger audience.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's June 1964 and Sara Barry, 18, has been living at the Benevolent Home for Necessitous Girls ever since she was a baby. But now, after a fire completely destroys the building, it is time for Sara to strike out on her own. Before she does that, Mrs. Hazelton, the home's matron, decides it is time for Sara to discover who she is. All she has to give Sara is a certificate from the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, a doctor's note written in a foreign language and a small Star of David on a chain.

It seems that Sara's mother, whose name was Karen Frankel, had been in Auschwitz, had actually survived until the camp was liberated, but then succumbed to TB in a DP or displaced persons camp shortly afterwards. Sara was born in Germany soon after the war ended, and sent to the home in Canada. Her Jewish background is a complete surprise to her.

Now, armed with the $138.00 gift from Mrs. Hazelton and her own savings from her waitress job, Sara decides to go to Germany and try to find the doctor who signed the certificate that sent her to Canada. Perhaps he has some information about her mother and father.

Arriving in Germany, Sara immediately heads to Föhrenwald, site of the former DP camp and easily locates Dr. Gunther Pearlman, the doctor who had certified her healthy to travel, even though she actually had TB as well. But as soon as the doctor sees the papers she has with her, he turns on her and tells Sara to get out and go back to Canada, he has no information that would help her. Dr. Pearlman does make a one night reservation at a small inn run by an older lady named Frau Klein, and asks his helper, Peter, a boy around the same age as Sara, to escort her there.

Dr. Pearlman may want Sara to leave the next day, but Sara has other plans and with Peter's help, and Frau Klein's kindness, she decides to stay for the rest of the week. Luckily, Peter speaks perfect English (as does Dr. Pearlman), so he can translate for her. Sara quickly discovers that Föhrenwald is still home to many Jewish survivors and their children, including Frau Klein, the doctor and Peter's parents.

But uncovering information about her parents isn't easy in the country that just wants to forget about what had happened there. Yet, perseverance does pay off and while all the loose ends are neatly tied up by the end of the novel, some of what Sara discovers is difficult for her to accept, and I have to admit, I wasn't expecting the ending to twist the way it did.

I found this is a very interesting example of a post-war historical fiction novel. By setting it in the 1960s, Kathy Kacer shows the reader a world that wants to forget what happened, others who, like Sara, really don't know about what happened under Hitler's tyranny, even as racial prejudice is still openly practiced. Mrs. Hazelton didn't keep Sara's Jewish identity secret because she didn't like Jews, but because she wanted to protect her from any lingering anti-Semetism. And Luke, Sara's loser boyfriend in Canada, proves the point, with his hatred of Jews and blacks, seen in the way he goes after Sara's friend Malou.

Stone on a Grave is an emotional, insightful novel about a young woman trying to discover who she really is. It was named a 2016 Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner in the Teen Reader category and I am happy to say that I will be interviewing Kathy Kacer as part of the Sydney Taylor Blog Tour February 11, 2016 on my blog Randomly Reading. You can find a complete list of winners and the blog tour schedule HERE

Be sure to read the Author's Note for more information about the aftermath of the Holocaust.

In the Benevolent Home, Sara was one of a group of girls Mrs. Hazelton considered to be her "special seven." Like Sara, each girl is given whatever information Mrs. Hazelton has about who they really are, plus $138.00 she had put aside for them to start them on their way. Sara's story is part of a seven book YA series called Secrets that follows each girl on their journey towards self-discovery. Each novel is written by a different author, providing a variety of stories and insights.

This book is recommended for readers age 12+
This book was purchased for my personal library

This review was originally posted on The Children's War

[Claire Tsekhman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a constant page-turner. I finished it in less than two days. this book talks about some difficult topics such as the Holocaust. Once the Benevolent Home For Girls is burned down, the children are set to live a new life. The little ones were sent to live with a new family. But, the oldest seven are each given an envelope containing mysteries of their past in hope of finding relatives or parents. This specific book in the Secrets seires focuses on Sara's life after the orphanage burns down. She is the oldest of the seven. Her life is a mystery as she sets of to Germany to find out, what happend to her mother, why she was born and other secrets of her life.

[Lisa Bernstein · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a good read. It was a compelling story about a young girl facing her origins in some of the worst aspects of the Holocaust. However, the entire story is so contrived! Everything fits together too neatly, coincidences work out just so conveniently. If it weren't so contrived, it could have been a much better book.

[Sarah Lillian Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good. Fine. The only thing that bugged me was I felt Sarah was really selfish. I didn’t think it was okay for her to expect answers from a time that was traumatic for the people she was asking questions. Maybe survivors from the Holocaust didn’t want to talk about it. I get that she was young and probably didn’t understand but she could see how she was making people uncomfortable at the very least. When she did notice she acted confused at first but quickly switched to feeling entitled to answers.. Trigger warning for animal death. It felt unnecessary to have since the book is based on the aftermath of the Holocaust, but maybe the author was using the animal death as storytelling device for Sarah and the reader. I can see the benefit to introduce young readers to death and real historical events in such a way.

Seriously, it was fine! A little dark, of course, but it was cute that the book started in a very small town in Ontario, Canada that no one knows exist other than people from Ontario and surrounding area. That was cool. I did like Sarah as a character too, other than the times she was shortsighted and seemed selfish as explained above.

Another audiobook that I picked up on a total whim from the library. I’m making more of an effort to read books that are actually on my TBR list! I enjoyed it fine!

[Sathurja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't think I would read another book about the Holocaust, but for some reason, I did.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was really sad, but super good at the same time. i would recommend if you like sad books or World War 2 books.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical fiction, done well, is a favorite of mine so I am excited about this series of books. Orca's Secrets series follows seven girls, The Seven, all very different but with a shared past growing up together in an orphanage. On the cusp of becoming adults the orphanage burns and they are each released into the world to discover their roots.

Stones on a Grave follows Sara to Germany to explore her Jewish ancestry and discover details about her mother's experience in a concentration camp.

The writing was good, if a bit uninspired, which likely comes from seven authors coordinating their efforts. The real strengths are: the shared history of The Seven, a great picture of the early 1960's from many perspectives, and the fact that ALL the books will be released together in late September. No waiting for the next title to come out!

[Kari (BookandCoffeeLover) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review (via LibraryThing)

This book is one (of 7) interconnected novels that can be read separately or together.
Set in the 1960s, Sara travels to Germany to find answers about her past and where she came from. She knows little of WWII and this book serves as a good introduction to the war, Germany, and the Jewish people.
Stones on a Grave was an emotional, griping read that kept you quickly turning the page, showcasing the best and worst of humanity.

[Rory Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a really good story line and had a lot of good factors, but the writing annoyed me after a while. I didn't like how the sentences were a little cheesy, and had too many exclamation marks that weren't necessary. The characters were a little boring after a while too, and also a little cheesy as well, but overall I enjoyed the book.

[Shona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the premises but the style was more simplistic than I was hoping for. It's definitely targeted at a younger end of the young adult audience. The resolution is also a bit abrupt and ambiguous, I'm assuming that's intentional.

[Jessalyn King · Rating 5 out of 5]

The one failing in these so far, is that many of the girls have found a love interest in the first boy their age that they meet on their journey. I think it's cute, but also far fetched. I like the history lessons though.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book Stones on a Grave was written by Kathy Kacer. It was published in the United States by Orca Books Publishers in 2015 and has a total of 213 pages. This book had a good storyline and the author had written this book for a younger audience, which gave it a more simplistic style.

In 1964, a fire broke out in the orphanage and Sara was forced to leave and find out more about her Jewish heritage and mystery of her parentage. Despite her inability to speak German, she travels to Germany in search of her mother and meets an English-speaking German boy who is willing to help her. She faced many challenges when trying to get information from the Jewish people, but she showed determination and perseverance. She soon finds out that her mother has passed away and learned about her mother’s experience in concentration camps during the Holocaust.

When the author wrote about the mom’s experience in the concentration camp, it was written in a way that the younger audience would be able to understand. Even though the characters are fiction, it still has historical elements and facts that are true. I believe that the book’s key themes are courage and perseverance, and coming of age. I would agree with these themes. Sara didn’t know how to speak German, which was a liability for her, and wasn’t afraid to go around and ask for information, which showed her courageousness. Also, throughout the book, there were many times where Sara felt like giving up, but she persevered and constantly reminded herself why she was doing this. Additionally, when she was in the orphanage, she was always told what to do, but when the fire broke out it was definitely a wake-up call for her to get on with her life. Once she got to experience life outside of the orphanage, she realized that there were so many things to learn about the world.

I approve of this book because it’s informative and has a good story plot to it. Not only does it teach us about the holocaust, but also the aftermath of it. However, in my opinion, it was predictable and the characters didn’t have much of a personality. My favourite part of the book would be near the end where Sara finally finds this sense of peace within her. She accepts the fact that the past doesn’t define who she is and that in order to move on, you need to remember where you came from. I can connect to her in this portion because I always felt like I had this burden on my shoulders from my past. I’d drag it around everywhere I went, but finally, I accepted it and was able to move on and grow. I would recommend this book for those who want an easy read.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This book was okay. I didn't love it, but hey, it's not terrible.

PROS:
-I really like the premise of the seven girls going their separate ways and each of them having a book dedicated to their adventures. It's kind of like the MCU but in book form. Though, that might be more about the series as a whole than the book itself.

-Frau Klein was a great character! I loved her sweet, grandma-y energy.

-The plot wasn't the worst thing in the world. It was a bit slow at times (something I'll talk about later) but it was interesting.


CONS:
-I didn't really like the MC, Sara. I found her to be a bit bland and I couldn't find it in myself to cheer for her.

-The romance. This was probably one of my least favourite aspects. It wasn't too intrusive and the story didn't completely revolve around it, so props for that, but like...
Was it really necessary?

-Jake. This kind of falls under the romance, but whatever. Jake was Sara's abusive boyfriend. I feel like she should've been more affected by him. It feels like after she leaves Canada, he just stops existing. I'm no expert, but I think it might've been more realistic if she was a bit more reluctant to get into a relationship literally a week after meeting the guy. She was very quick to trust him. Also, he would frequently bully one of Sara's friends and just be a generally jerky, racist guy, and Sara never stood up to him until he was mean to her.

-The mystery. It wasn't terrible. It was kind of predictable, and a bit slow. It took me a long time to get through the book.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
This book was decent. It wasn't bad, but it doesn't really bring anything new to the genre. I don't regret reading it, but I don't think I'll read it again.

[Dove · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a phenomenal read! I really liked it! The Holocaust is a super interesting topic that I love reading about, and I feel like everyone should read about it because it is essential to learn about history and the mistakes that happened so that we don't repeat history and make the same mistakes. I feel like the past has a huge impact on who we are today, so it isn't good to run away from it, but instead embrace what happened by doing your part and educating yourself on it. I liked this book because it was an interesting story, but it was also simple. It educated us about the holocaust and the impact it had on families and individuals, but it also had that fictional story vibe that kept you hooked. I feel like this would be a great read for middle schoolers to introduce them to the topic of the holocaust, but it's also written in a super easy to understand manner and the feelings aren't over complicated, making it good for middle schoolers. I wish that this book were longer, there was more details, and they thickened the plot a little. I just feel like it was too simple for my age, and it was a cute book but I will definitely forget about it because it didn't have anything major to make me remember it. I liked how the title plays into the story and it all makes sense later, but I feel like a lot of the surprises were predictable. Like with her appearances, and her father, I definitely saw it coming. I still enjoyed it, it had good themes of learning about your roots, about taking one step back in order to take 2 steps forward, etc.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several of Kathy Kacer's books now, and I do realize they are for a youth audience. This story was completely plausible in post-war society; seeking a family you didn't know existed. But the main character Sara's ignorance got on my nerves. I realize she hasn't had a more worldly upbringing, but there were lots of times in her journey where common sense should have prevailed. She had the smarts to leave a terrible relationship, but why travel to Germany with NO idea how to look for what she was searching. She went to the Hope library to find out where to go in Germany, but when she got there and couldn't find information, she never thought to check out a records hall or library there, but tried a door to door canvas in a country where she didn't know the language or the culture and customs. She frustrated me to no end in her impulsive behaviour. I'm please that she had Peter to help her on her explorations. The most enduring character in the book was John Wayne, the old dog. I'd love to get my hands on one of the cinnamon cakes though!!

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not that the book is bad, but it is most definitely the weakest book in the Secrets series and so by comparison I feel like anything more than 2 stars is unearned.
Sarah is very bland and the mystery was easy to guess. The condensed time frame (most of the other books go on for several weeks or months whereas this is a single week) doesn't help matters - not enough time to get emotionally invested.
At times it feels like the author is relying on cheap tricks to get an emotional response. As someone who gets very attached to fictional dogs, JohnWayne's death felt kinda manipulative. Likewise with the hints at off-screen trauma.

As an aside, having a series by seven different authors is such a clever idea. Because even though I didn't think much of the writing in this book, it doesn't really reflect in the other six books.

[Mortisha Cassavetes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of the Secrets series and I hope to get the other books soon. I really enjoyed this book and all the characters. This story follows Sara, an 18 year old, living in an orphanage in the small town Hope, Ontario. One night the orphanage burned down and the older girls needed to find their own way. Sara was given an envelope which contained the information about her Mother and that is when her adventure from Hope begins. I do not want to go into the story more as to not spoil it but this was a wonderful book and I highly recommend it. I will be on the lookout for the other books in the series.

[Maxine Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm in the process of trying to read books that I bought years ago but then never got around to reading at the time because I'm a bit of a book dragon at times.

I ended up settling on 2 stars for my rating of this book mainly because a) I thought the premise could have been interesting if it was executed better, and b) I purchased this book when I was younger and realize that I am no longer the target demographic for this novel.

With that being said, this book reads very much on the younger side of young adult fiction to the point where it leaned more towards middle grade if it wasn't for some of the content it contained.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story--the author has created a consistently feisty and likeable character who braves lots of unknowns to discover her secret. Although some parts of the plot seem awfully contrived, others flow naturally and show us a little known part of history.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Innocence unravelled; then tangled. The tangle wraps itself around her soul, killing her with the truth of holocaust consequences in WW2. Sara is fragile-- yet strong. Many would be squelched by events such as these, but Sara will survive...

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay i actually forgot i read this book which says a lot about it. It was short, i think barely 200 pages, but SO. BORING. the story didn’t actually “start” until the middle, the writing wasn’t that good, and…yeah.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favs of the Secrets, with a well fleshed out character.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suitable for reluctant readers, an interesting mystery with a connection to WW II.

[Mandiann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but sweet with a positive message.

[reilly c · Rating 2 out of 5]

Truly an interesting story, the ending was quite abrupt, but Sara was an amazing character along with Peter.

[Corey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was definitely a quick read. It was powerful to go on the journey with Sara to find answers about her past and what it could mean for her future! Would definitely recommend it.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is almost completely unbelievable and everything worked out way too perfectly.