Tell No One Who You Are: The Hidden Childhood of Regine Miller

by Walter Buchignani, Regine Miller

During the days of Nazi terror in Europe, many Jewish children were taken from their families and hidden. Régine Miller was one such child, who left her mother, father, and brother when she was 10 years old. Utterly alone as she is shunted from place to place, told to tell no one she is Jewish, she hears that her mother and brother have been taken by the SS, the German secret police. Only her desperate hope that her father will return sustains her. At war’s end she must learn to live with the terrible truth of “the final solution,” the Nazi’s extermination camps.

The people who sheltered Régine cover a wide spectrum of human types, ranging from callous to kind, fearful to defiant, exploitive to caring. This is a story of a brave girl and an equally brave woman to tell the story so many years later.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Holocaust, History, World War II, Memoir, Biography Memoir

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

WALTER BUCHIGNANI was born in Montreal, Quebec. He graduated from Concordia with a B.A. in Journalism and Political Science. He has worked at the Montreal Gazette since 1987, first as a reporter, then feature writer, and now as a copy editor. Buchignani now writes regularly about Formula One auto racing, one of his favorite pastimes.

Reviews

[Walter Buchignani]

This is not a review but a thank-you to those who took the time to write one. I wrote this book almost 20 years ago now, and it's heartening to see it is still being discussed.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting look at the life of a young Jewish girl who's family is destroyed as she is placed in hiding with several Christian families during WWII after the Nazis occupied Belgium. She struggled to keep her secret even from the families she stayed with in order to protect everyone. She held out hope of being reunited with her father, mother, and brother years after the war was over. The descriptions of what she went through as she was moved from one family to another make this a very engaging true story. Good for everyone to read and especially those interested in WWII and its impact on Jews.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this in one night, staying up way too late because I had to know what happened. This is the story of Regine Miller, who was 10 when the Germans took over Belgium. She survived the war by being hidden by several families. Her story of hiding was not as terrifying as some I've read. She was treated with either indifference or love by the families she stayed with and she did not have to go into deep hiding. However, by the war's end, most of her family had perished.

Particularly moving for me were the small vignettes within the book. Her father had brought his sewing machine (he was a leather worker) to a man who promised to give it back after the war. When Regine went to retrieve it, he told her he didn't know anything about a sewing machine and slammed the door on her face. In contrast, a neighbor had come to the Miller's home after it had been ransacked by the Germans and her family taken away. She filled up a cardboard box with the family photos she found and a few trinkets and saved them for several years to give to any family members who survived.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always an eye opening experience to read the story's of Holocaust survivors. Everyone should read it because it deserves to be read. In our lives today it is hard to imagine these tales of bravery being true.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another terrible, touching book about an awful time in our world's history. We must never forget.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I really don't have the right to rate this because really, it's just a woman remembering what happened to her during the Holocaust as a Jew. But I am anyway. Why? Because I think everyone should know what all those people went (and are still going) through. I've never read about the perspective of a child before and it was a welcome change because I had no idea what happened to the children during the Holocaust. Sure, some (possibly most) went to concentration camps but what about the rest? That's where this book comes in.

This was such a quick read. I read it in about 2 hours while I was watching amovie and I never was bored. The mystery of who everyone was and what would happen to Regine kept me deeply immersed.

Also, before I forget, thank you to my aunt for recommending this to me! It was so nice to pick up a historical book again after all the fantasy I've been reading.

So back to the book. It really was a quick read but it's so well put together. There are pictures in the middle and there are some statistics at the end that really helped me understand the magnitude of what went on during that time period.

I also really liked how it ended. It's not like they could control how her story ends like in fiction but I liked that it wasn't a happily ever after. It painted a realistic picture of what so many families went through.

The Final Verdict:
If you're looking for a quick but meaningful historical book, this is it. I was immersed in this girl's story and definitely came to know a lot more about the Holocaust.
5 stars

[Cara Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regine Miller lived in Brussels, Belgium before the German invasion. Her happy life with her brother and parents soon is sent spinning. World War II escalates and her family sends her away to live with various families. Hiding her identity, she travels from home to home, worried about not only losing her family, but also losing her identity as a Jew. How does Regine survive to tell her story, and how does the rest of her family fare? Walter Buchignani tells her story in an engaging, exciting, and touching way. Recommended for use in middle/junior high schools.

[Patricia Gausnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a lot of books about Jewish people surviving the holocaust. This is a pretty good true biography about a Jewish girl in Belgium. She survived by being hidden in various homes by an organization that saved many Jewish children in that way. One of the best parts is that I was able to download it onto my Kindle free from the Oregon State Library's Library2Go.

[CaelaK_E2]

This book shows a common theme of resilience. Regine Miller was forced to hide and leave for other families to hide from the Nazis. She had to deal with heartbreaking situations such as opening the door one day to see a man, and the man just says; "Your brother and mother are no more." All she could do was watch as her family slips away and she couldn't do anything about it. She could only stay in the attic, or keep acting like another person. She has the most perseverance I have ever seen in a person.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book from perspective of hidden children during WWII in Belgium. Story begins in Anderlecht; moves to Boitsfort (Watermael-Boitsfort); Uccle, and then out to Liège (Andoumont). The background and side notes of interest were well researched, however, I wished background could have been provided regarding the outcomes for Mme Andrè; Mme Charles; Mr et Mme Bernard.

Also, living now in Brussels, I found the street names provided for Anderlecht helpful in better understanding where events took place. The same general information for Watermael-Boitsfort and Uccle would have been a nice addition.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing story of God's protection over a little girl who didn't even know Him. Passed from family to family, Regine was forced to hide her true identity and lived in fear until the end of the war.
(The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the writing was a bit elementary- but it's geared toward the youth...)

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

a biographical account of a Jewish girl from Belgium who had to go into hiding away from her parents during WWII . I;ve read several accounts from survivors of the concentration camps- what they endured!- but hadn't read one from a child's perspective of having to hide with strangers.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A true story of a young jewish girl that was part of the underground in Europe who hid these children in plain site as part of a "Spending The Summer in The Country" program. I thought it was well done and would be a good teen book for kids to read.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

My copy of the book was signed by both the author and the subject, who came to speak to my grade six English class.

[Marguerite Czajka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting true story of a Jewish girl who had to leave her family and keep her identity a secret during WWII. It's a quick read and suitable for any age.

[Becky Weinlaeder remiger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different perspective than I have seen before. It was a good read, not quite as emotion inducing as some, which was fine.

[Mariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book was a very quick read. I"m not saying that it wasn't interesting but actually that it was so interesting that it only took me about 5 total hours to read it:) I loved how she could so vividly remember things in her childhood that could be written in this book. But, one thing that makes me soooo sad about this book is that, because she was jewish and had to hid for so many years, then lost all her family, she decided that there was no God and she wouldn't believe in him if he was there. I think it is so sad that she had to think this...

[Judith Praag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walter Buchignani, as young as he must have been when he started interviewing Régine Miller did a good job telling her story in such a way that it's accessible for children. For readers who personally know the "hidden children" of WWII, but who have been reluctant to ask questions, learning about Miller's situation may help them start a conversation.

[Elisa Ferravante]

Tell no one who you are is a very interesting book to read. It talks about a Jewish little girl that has to live throw the war world 2. Her brother got taken away by the Germans so she gets send to live away from her family, but a lot of risks are found there. Bad news keep on coming to her and her destination is never clear. Will she be able to survive? Will she ever see her family again?

[Harmony · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked reading a different perspective from a hidden child point of view. I would have liked to give it more stars but I felt like a large part was just a listing of what happened and didn't evoke as much emotion as Night or Diary of Anne Frank.

[William Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I keep putting off reading the horrible book for book group I picked this one up. Aimed at a teenage audience it still was a very interesting read about a young Jewish girl trying to survive in Nazi occupied Belguim

[Djdee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ver well done.

[Tiffintastic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! Go Regine!

[Joleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always intrigued by historical books. This was a wonderful quick read about a young Jewish girl in Poland during WWII. Sad, but a good story. If you like true stories, you may like this.

[Annelore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book!

[Sboysen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, easy, fast read!

[Daphne · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very good book!

[L Bulloch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book in my Dutch grandmother's library. She lived through WW2 in the Netherlands and told us stories about her family hiding "Uncle Bill," a Jew, under the floorboards in their home. Her book collection has plenty of WW2 titles, but this one is exceptional in its simplicity.

It tells a true story without overwhelming you with details, encouraging you to absorb everything and retain mental space for contemplation.

It's a memoir written to recount a Jewish child's experience through WW2 in Nazi-occupied Belgium, and had me thinking deeply about identity, resistance, family, political movements, trauma, and resilience.

It's written simply, and I would recommend it for young readers through to centenarians. Young readers especially would be able to understand and relate to the experiences of Regine Miller, which will help them learn about this devastating and inspiring period in human history that we should never forget.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating new aspect to the Holocaust that I had heard about but never in much depth. This covers the true story of Regine Miller as she hid herself and tried not to be caught as a youth. Fela, the woman who helped arrange Regine's lodgings with each family was a serious hero- I bet her story would be fascinating to read as well. I was actually shocked about them paying one of the caretakers. I mean I guess it makes sense some people would want recompense but it still blows my mind. I think it was interesting to note that Regine didn't want to be adopted, even by the couple that were sweet to her. I hadn't really considered it from her POV but rather thought she'd be thrilled to have a steady home. It was a quick read and I enjoyed learning more about this tumultuous time in history.

[Anna Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as it put everything in a realistic way and how the author references back to dates from the past. I liked the way the author described everything that happened and how she was feeling. I also liked how the author did not over explain everything as I have seen in other books which is also why I think you should read it. Also it was easy to get through as it was always changing and personally did not get boring which is why I would recommenced this if you enjoy adventure and historic books.