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Don't Tell the Nazis
Traitors Among Us
World War II may be over. But two sisters are far from safe.
Inspired by true events, this is the latest gripping and powerful novel from the acclaimed author of Making Bombs for Hitler.
Sisters Krystia and Maria have been through the worst -- or so they think. World War II ravaged their native Ukraine, but they both survived, and are now reunited in a displaced persons camp.
Then another girl accuses the sisters of being Hitler Girls -- people who collaborated with the Nazis. Nothing could be further from the truth; during the horrors of the war, both sisters resisted the Nazis and everything they stood for. But the Soviets, who are now in charge, don't listen to the sisters' protests. Krystia and Maria are taken away and interrogated for crimes they never committed.
Caught in a dangerous trap, the sisters must look to each other for strength and perseverance. Can they convince their captors that they're innocent -- or escape to safety before it's too late?
Inspired by true events, this is the latest gripping and powerful novel from the acclaimed author of Making Bombs for Hitler.
Sisters Krystia and Maria have been through the worst -- or so they think. World War II ravaged their native Ukraine, but they both survived, and are now reunited in a displaced persons camp.
Then another girl accuses the sisters of being Hitler Girls -- people who collaborated with the Nazis. Nothing could be further from the truth; during the horrors of the war, both sisters resisted the Nazis and everything they stood for. But the Soviets, who are now in charge, don't listen to the sisters' protests. Krystia and Maria are taken away and interrogated for crimes they never committed.
Caught in a dangerous trap, the sisters must look to each other for strength and perseverance. Can they convince their captors that they're innocent -- or escape to safety before it's too late?
288 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2021
76 people are currently reading
1234 people want to read
About the author
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
33 books894 followersMarsha Skrypuch is an internationally bestselling children’s author whose books span a century of wars from a kid’s view, concentrating on those stories that have been erased by oppressive regimes. Her best-known book is Making Bombs for Hitler. Her most recent is the Kidnapped from Ukraine trilogy. She has received death threats and honors for her writing. Marsha lives in Brantford, Ontario, Canada and you can visit her online at calla.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
January 14, 2021
Originally from Ukraine, Maria and her older sister Krystia have made it through separate ordeals during World War II and are now back together again. They cannot believe their luck: Hitler is dead, and the war has ended.
And yet, they are not as safe as they thought. As the sisters settle into their shared bunk with other exhausted refugees in the Displaced Persons camp, a familiar girl steps through the door, claiming to be Bianka, a Polish forced laborer who worked on a farm with Maria during the war.
Maria is outraged. This girl is not Bianka, but Sophie Huber, an enthusiastic member of the League of German Girls. She's a Hitler Girl.
Before Maria can turn her in, Sophie claims that Krystia and Maria are Nazis, and the Soviet soldiers don't seem to be terribly particular about whom they're taking. The girls are taken away, now in a danger they never imagined. Will they be able to prove their innocence?
And yet, they are not as safe as they thought. As the sisters settle into their shared bunk with other exhausted refugees in the Displaced Persons camp, a familiar girl steps through the door, claiming to be Bianka, a Polish forced laborer who worked on a farm with Maria during the war.
Maria is outraged. This girl is not Bianka, but Sophie Huber, an enthusiastic member of the League of German Girls. She's a Hitler Girl.
Before Maria can turn her in, Sophie claims that Krystia and Maria are Nazis, and the Soviet soldiers don't seem to be terribly particular about whom they're taking. The girls are taken away, now in a danger they never imagined. Will they be able to prove their innocence?
December 4, 2021
I appreciate the connection to the author's own family history. She does a great job of delving into the murky time immediately after the Second World War when many civilians were caught in dangerous situations even after the bombs stopped falling. I hadn't heard about the 'silent' camps but I'm not surprised that they existed. My own parents were in that eastern after-war zone . . . as Germans . . . and they both ended up in labour camps in the Soviet Union.
The novel is well-researched, well-paced and heart-wrenching . . . something I've come to expect every time I read a Skrypuch novel. Love that these times are getting such awesome attention.
The novel is well-researched, well-paced and heart-wrenching . . . something I've come to expect every time I read a Skrypuch novel. Love that these times are getting such awesome attention.
September 4, 2021
Many thanks to EdelweissPlus and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.
I think that this will be a very popular book in my library. My kids all love historical fiction and they especially like to read WWII books. The others by Skrypuch are popular and always checked out. They have connected stories, but for the most part, they were distant connections and it never felt like you had to read one before the other. This one seemed a bit different. Maybe it's because of the timeline (this is after the war is over and the sisters are sent to a refugee camp), or because one of the characters was clearly a large part of an earlier story, but this one would have been EASIER to read if you had already read the others. If this is your first in the narrative, you can still understand and enjoy it, but it won't be as smooth as if you had all the background stories.
Maria and Krystia have finally made it to the end of the war and feel safe in the American refugee camp. Until a group of Soviet soldiers appear one night and take what seems like a random group of survivors with them. This group is taken to the Soviet zone and sent to an interrogation house. From there, they don't know where they will be taken, but they fear it would to Siberia or somewhere worse. Maria and Krystia are determined to save themselves and their companions, but they aren't sure how they are going to outwit their captors.
This is a good book for middle grade readers who might not be ready for heavier historical fiction about the time period. Also, the author's note at the end was very informative. Verdict: this is a strong first purchase for collections serving students in grades 5-8.
I think that this will be a very popular book in my library. My kids all love historical fiction and they especially like to read WWII books. The others by Skrypuch are popular and always checked out. They have connected stories, but for the most part, they were distant connections and it never felt like you had to read one before the other. This one seemed a bit different. Maybe it's because of the timeline (this is after the war is over and the sisters are sent to a refugee camp), or because one of the characters was clearly a large part of an earlier story, but this one would have been EASIER to read if you had already read the others. If this is your first in the narrative, you can still understand and enjoy it, but it won't be as smooth as if you had all the background stories.
Maria and Krystia have finally made it to the end of the war and feel safe in the American refugee camp. Until a group of Soviet soldiers appear one night and take what seems like a random group of survivors with them. This group is taken to the Soviet zone and sent to an interrogation house. From there, they don't know where they will be taken, but they fear it would to Siberia or somewhere worse. Maria and Krystia are determined to save themselves and their companions, but they aren't sure how they are going to outwit their captors.
This is a good book for middle grade readers who might not be ready for heavier historical fiction about the time period. Also, the author's note at the end was very informative. Verdict: this is a strong first purchase for collections serving students in grades 5-8.
September 30, 2025
I really enjoyed this book and how the sisters looked out for each other 😊if you like historical fiction then give it a read 😁
August 11, 2021
Traitors Among Us is the third book in the story of Krystia and Maria Fediuk, two Ukrainian sisters who had been separated when the Nazis occupied their country beginning in 1942. Maria, who was then 11-years-old, had decided to leave their home in Viteretz to work in the German Reich and hopefully be able to send money home to her sister Krystia, then 12-years-old and mother.
Now, it is June 1945, the war is over and the reunited sisters, Krystia, now 16, and Maria, now 14, have just arrived, exhausted, at an American refugee camp in Karlsfeld, Germany and are feeling somewhat safe and hopeful for the first time in years. The girls are hoping to be able to travel to Toronto, Canada to live with their mother's sister Auntie Stefa and her husband Uncle George.
But Krystia and Maria's initial feelings of safety are short lived when Sophie Huber arrives in their barracks using the name of Maria's friend Blanka Holata, who had done slave labor with Maria on the Huber farm. Sophie was a Hitler girl, and rather a staunch, cold-hearted believer in Hitler and his Reich. And, yes, when Russian soldiers show up at their barracks, kidnaping anyone they believe had betrayed the Soviet Union during the war, Sophie can't denounce Krystia and Maria as Nazi collaborators quickly enough in an attempt to save herself. An attempt that doesn't work - the Soviets know who she is and suspect her of being a Werewolf, part of an underground network of Hitler youth working to bring the Nazis back to power.
Krystia and Maria find themselves in the back of a truck with a man, Elias, and his son Finn, a woman named Olga and her baby Piotr, as well as Sophie. Along the way, they learn that Elias and Finn are Volksdeutsche or ethnic Germans who originally lived in the Ukraine but were moved from their home by the Nazis in order to Germanize Poland early in their occupation of that country. Olga has British papers, but was arrested became her father had joined the White Army during the Russian Revolution, to fight the communist takeover, but Olga's husband had fought with the Nazis to defeat the Soviets (be sure to read the author's notes at the end for more historical information).
Eventually, the truck arrives at an interrogation house in Soviet occupied Germany. And it doesn't take long for the Soviets to begin their interrogations, torture, and even stage a fake execution of Maria to get Krystia to sign a fake confession. When she continues to refuse to sign their confession, the Soviet soldiers finally let Maria go but tell her to report to the train station where she will be taken to a Soviet labor camp. Maria is taken in by Birgit, who lives in the basement of a bombed building. Birgit has been bringing food to the Soviets at the interrogation house hoping to eventually be able to rescue her grandson, Mychailo, being held prisoner there, too. With two prisoners released (Elias is also free, but not Finn), and four still being held and tortured, can a rescue attempt possible be successful in such a heavily guarded, locked and barb wired building?
Traitors Among Us is a fascinating story and a great conclusion the the trilogy about Krystia and Maria. As she always does, Skrypuch brings a lot of history into her narrative that unravels so seamlessly while, at the same time, she weaves together a story that is readable, believable and so realistic. My only complaint is the same as Ms. Yingling's - it all ended to abruptly and I wanted to know more. But isn't that often a problem when great stories end?
There are some graphic depictions in this novel, but only to the extent to give readers a real sense of what was happening at the time, yet not to such an extent that middle graders would be freaked out by it. I did like that in the middle of trying to save their lives and escape, Maria feels resentment at being treated like a helpless younger sister, and Krystia's constant need to protect her. Sibling resentments added an almost normal touch to their otherwise treacherous situation. I also loved how Maria used her sewing skills to make two pairs of underpants out of a Nazi flag - sort of like poetic justice.
Just as the second book in this trilogy, Trapped in Hitler's Web, worked as a stand alone novel, thanks to Skrypuch's including just enough background information from the first book, Don't Tell the Nazis, Traitors Among Us also works as a stand alone novel, with just enough information from books 1 and 2, though I recommend reading all of them. They are just that good. I started Traitors Among Us one evening and sat up until about 3:30 AM reading to the end, because I couldn't put it down and needed to know what Krystia and Maria's fate was going to be.
Traitors Among Us will be available September 7th, 2021, giving readers just enough time to read books 1 and 2 before then, if they haven't already.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an eARC received from Edelweiss+
Now, it is June 1945, the war is over and the reunited sisters, Krystia, now 16, and Maria, now 14, have just arrived, exhausted, at an American refugee camp in Karlsfeld, Germany and are feeling somewhat safe and hopeful for the first time in years. The girls are hoping to be able to travel to Toronto, Canada to live with their mother's sister Auntie Stefa and her husband Uncle George.
But Krystia and Maria's initial feelings of safety are short lived when Sophie Huber arrives in their barracks using the name of Maria's friend Blanka Holata, who had done slave labor with Maria on the Huber farm. Sophie was a Hitler girl, and rather a staunch, cold-hearted believer in Hitler and his Reich. And, yes, when Russian soldiers show up at their barracks, kidnaping anyone they believe had betrayed the Soviet Union during the war, Sophie can't denounce Krystia and Maria as Nazi collaborators quickly enough in an attempt to save herself. An attempt that doesn't work - the Soviets know who she is and suspect her of being a Werewolf, part of an underground network of Hitler youth working to bring the Nazis back to power.
Krystia and Maria find themselves in the back of a truck with a man, Elias, and his son Finn, a woman named Olga and her baby Piotr, as well as Sophie. Along the way, they learn that Elias and Finn are Volksdeutsche or ethnic Germans who originally lived in the Ukraine but were moved from their home by the Nazis in order to Germanize Poland early in their occupation of that country. Olga has British papers, but was arrested became her father had joined the White Army during the Russian Revolution, to fight the communist takeover, but Olga's husband had fought with the Nazis to defeat the Soviets (be sure to read the author's notes at the end for more historical information).
Eventually, the truck arrives at an interrogation house in Soviet occupied Germany. And it doesn't take long for the Soviets to begin their interrogations, torture, and even stage a fake execution of Maria to get Krystia to sign a fake confession. When she continues to refuse to sign their confession, the Soviet soldiers finally let Maria go but tell her to report to the train station where she will be taken to a Soviet labor camp. Maria is taken in by Birgit, who lives in the basement of a bombed building. Birgit has been bringing food to the Soviets at the interrogation house hoping to eventually be able to rescue her grandson, Mychailo, being held prisoner there, too. With two prisoners released (Elias is also free, but not Finn), and four still being held and tortured, can a rescue attempt possible be successful in such a heavily guarded, locked and barb wired building?
Traitors Among Us is a fascinating story and a great conclusion the the trilogy about Krystia and Maria. As she always does, Skrypuch brings a lot of history into her narrative that unravels so seamlessly while, at the same time, she weaves together a story that is readable, believable and so realistic. My only complaint is the same as Ms. Yingling's - it all ended to abruptly and I wanted to know more. But isn't that often a problem when great stories end?
There are some graphic depictions in this novel, but only to the extent to give readers a real sense of what was happening at the time, yet not to such an extent that middle graders would be freaked out by it. I did like that in the middle of trying to save their lives and escape, Maria feels resentment at being treated like a helpless younger sister, and Krystia's constant need to protect her. Sibling resentments added an almost normal touch to their otherwise treacherous situation. I also loved how Maria used her sewing skills to make two pairs of underpants out of a Nazi flag - sort of like poetic justice.
Just as the second book in this trilogy, Trapped in Hitler's Web, worked as a stand alone novel, thanks to Skrypuch's including just enough background information from the first book, Don't Tell the Nazis, Traitors Among Us also works as a stand alone novel, with just enough information from books 1 and 2, though I recommend reading all of them. They are just that good. I started Traitors Among Us one evening and sat up until about 3:30 AM reading to the end, because I couldn't put it down and needed to know what Krystia and Maria's fate was going to be.
Traitors Among Us will be available September 7th, 2021, giving readers just enough time to read books 1 and 2 before then, if they haven't already.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was an eARC received from Edelweiss+
December 8, 2021
This was my favorite book by Marsha Skrypuch. I love the adventure and story plot.
March 13, 2024
This was a really good book. I learned some things about what happened after WW II that I had never heard before. People should never have to endure what they did back then and yet we are seeing it over and over again.
May 21, 2022
Given what is happening in Ukraine today, this book is very timely. It shows a time in Ukraine at the end of WWII where those who survived the war and hoping for peace are faced with a tyranny nearly as bad as Nazi Germany in the Soviet occupiers who want to stamp out freedom in Ukraine.
May 10, 2022
I'd rate this book four-and-a-quarter star rating. It was a very exciting book about friendship, family, compassion, and history. In this book, two sisters, Maria and Kryistia, are in an American refugee camp at the end of World War II. But when they are accused of being criminals by the Soviets, they are forcibly taken and tortured into telling about what they did during the war. There is only one option: Escape. But will they be able to do it, and survive? I reccomend this book to people around age eight or nine and up, because it is a pretty long book, and it may be kinda scary if you're younger. I also reccomend this book to people who enjoy history and WWII entertainment.
March 3, 2025
I loved this book! I was so excited to see the story of krystia and maria be caried on in their 3rd book of being together. I loved see what truly happens after the war and how even after everything they've been through they still have even more to get through. This story was a fun quick read and I enjoyed it!
September 30, 2021
I did not realize that this was the 3rd book in a series about sisters Krystia & Maria Fediuk until after I have finished it. It reads as a stand alone. I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one sitting; I simply could not put it down.
Krystia & Maria have survived WWII, but are now orphans. They have made it to a camp in the American Zone and are waiting to hear back from their aunt in Canada so they can go live with her. Then the Soviet soldiers come and take them to the Soviet Zone to be interrogated as traitors. The soviets also took a father & son, a young mother and her toddler, and Sophie, a girl from their past. They must all work together to try to escape and get back to the American Zone.
I believe this Historical Fiction Survival story would be enjoyed by students as young as 5th grade.
Krystia & Maria have survived WWII, but are now orphans. They have made it to a camp in the American Zone and are waiting to hear back from their aunt in Canada so they can go live with her. Then the Soviet soldiers come and take them to the Soviet Zone to be interrogated as traitors. The soviets also took a father & son, a young mother and her toddler, and Sophie, a girl from their past. They must all work together to try to escape and get back to the American Zone.
I believe this Historical Fiction Survival story would be enjoyed by students as young as 5th grade.
January 6, 2022
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch is one of Canada’s most prolific authors of historical fiction for children and young adults. The last book in her second WWII trilogy is another exceptional read. While most anglophone WWII books focus on the Nazi atrocities, Skrypuch shows her readers that Eastern Europe was trapped between two antagonistic regimes. Like all or her books, “Traitors” is meticulously researched and historically accurate. I highly recommend it!
July 17, 2022
I wish Marsha Skrypuch had been around when I was a youngster learning about the history of the world. I am always invested in her characters and this one is no different. It is part of her WW2 series and a sequel to her books, Don't Tell the Nazis & Trapped in Hitler's Web.
Two Ukrainian sisters, Krystia and Maria, have managed to survive the war, and wait in a refugee camp in the American zone. Then some Red Army soldiers arrive and take them and a few other of their roommates back to a house in the Russian zone. They are to be interrogated for their activities during the war.
Right from the get go this book is hair raising. A young mother and her baby are shot by soldiers when they try to escape. The group are subject to horrifying conditions. Then they are tortured to force them to sign false confessions.
A few of them are released and helped by Brigid, who cooks for the Red Army. They manage to incapacitate the soldiers at the house with drug laced linzer cookies, and rescue the remaining captives.
A note by the author at the end of the book reveals more information about the people this book is based on, and more about the actual death camps created by the Russians after the war.
Two Ukrainian sisters, Krystia and Maria, have managed to survive the war, and wait in a refugee camp in the American zone. Then some Red Army soldiers arrive and take them and a few other of their roommates back to a house in the Russian zone. They are to be interrogated for their activities during the war.
Right from the get go this book is hair raising. A young mother and her baby are shot by soldiers when they try to escape. The group are subject to horrifying conditions. Then they are tortured to force them to sign false confessions.
A few of them are released and helped by Brigid, who cooks for the Red Army. They manage to incapacitate the soldiers at the house with drug laced linzer cookies, and rescue the remaining captives.
A note by the author at the end of the book reveals more information about the people this book is based on, and more about the actual death camps created by the Russians after the war.
March 6, 2022
I love this book! I thought it was so cool to see the life back then through characters Maria and Krystia. They went through a lot of scary moments, and I loved the suspense that was in this book. Overall I think it’s great and everybody should read it!
May 25, 2021
Scholastic books generously provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The key to not repeating history is to ensure that all people including children have a clear understanding of what happened during World War II. What’s interesting about this particular World War II era novel, is that we see the situation from the perspective of displaced Ukrainians. In Traitors Among Us, the war has ended and Maria and Krystia have found themselves in an American Displaced Persons Camp. They are unsure where they will end up but know they have to stick together in order to be sent to their Aunt and Uncle in North America. Rather than being safe, they are accused of being spies and whisked off to a Soviet Camp and thrown in jail.
Traitors Among Us is a harrowing tale of the often overlooked war refugees that were stuck in Soviet areas. Often beaten and tortured, hundreds of people had no escape from the Soviets who considered anyone not supporting the Red Army to be the enemy. The two sisters find allies and plot a daring escape from the Soviets but are hampered by not knowing anyone and having to trust strangers for their survival.
For me, this was surprising aspect of World War II that I never knew about. Refugees who were just trying to survive and return to their war torn countries were subject to horrible treatment by the Soviets, which included brutality or being shipping off to labor camps and gulags. Children weren’t immune and we see the struggle for survival in a post war civilization through the eyes of two girls who have lost everything and everyone they love. The relationship between the sisters is compelling, however, their backstory isn't fleshed out enough. For instance we know they were separated from their family but we don't get much detail about what their lives were like before the war.
It’s definitely helpful to have some knowledge of World War II before reading this novel as it starts off post war in an American Displacement Camp which was infinitely different from the Soviet camps. Eventually the American military halted the process of letting Soviets take refugees and the author provides more context in the end notes. Traitors Among Us is a must read for children who wish to learn more about the people who were focused on putting their lives back together post WWII.
The key to not repeating history is to ensure that all people including children have a clear understanding of what happened during World War II. What’s interesting about this particular World War II era novel, is that we see the situation from the perspective of displaced Ukrainians. In Traitors Among Us, the war has ended and Maria and Krystia have found themselves in an American Displaced Persons Camp. They are unsure where they will end up but know they have to stick together in order to be sent to their Aunt and Uncle in North America. Rather than being safe, they are accused of being spies and whisked off to a Soviet Camp and thrown in jail.
Traitors Among Us is a harrowing tale of the often overlooked war refugees that were stuck in Soviet areas. Often beaten and tortured, hundreds of people had no escape from the Soviets who considered anyone not supporting the Red Army to be the enemy. The two sisters find allies and plot a daring escape from the Soviets but are hampered by not knowing anyone and having to trust strangers for their survival.
For me, this was surprising aspect of World War II that I never knew about. Refugees who were just trying to survive and return to their war torn countries were subject to horrible treatment by the Soviets, which included brutality or being shipping off to labor camps and gulags. Children weren’t immune and we see the struggle for survival in a post war civilization through the eyes of two girls who have lost everything and everyone they love. The relationship between the sisters is compelling, however, their backstory isn't fleshed out enough. For instance we know they were separated from their family but we don't get much detail about what their lives were like before the war.
It’s definitely helpful to have some knowledge of World War II before reading this novel as it starts off post war in an American Displacement Camp which was infinitely different from the Soviet camps. Eventually the American military halted the process of letting Soviets take refugees and the author provides more context in the end notes. Traitors Among Us is a must read for children who wish to learn more about the people who were focused on putting their lives back together post WWII.
November 29, 2021
A riveting read full of heart-thumping danger and suspense, and the realistic heartwarming relationship of two sisters.
After Krystia and Maria survived horrors of World War II in their homeland of Ukraine, they’re now falsely accused of crimes, locked in an interrogation house in the Soviet Zone of Germany, and desperate to reach freedom in the American Zone and beyond.
Highly recommended.
After Krystia and Maria survived horrors of World War II in their homeland of Ukraine, they’re now falsely accused of crimes, locked in an interrogation house in the Soviet Zone of Germany, and desperate to reach freedom in the American Zone and beyond.
Highly recommended.
June 7, 2021
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch states in the author’s note that Traitors Among Us “is a tribute to those who went from Hitler’s frying pan into Stalin’s fire.” The succinct analogy applies to her earlier trilogy that began with Making Bombs For Hitler as well as this threesome that chronicles the wartime lives of sisters Krystia and Maria. Freedom fighting for the girls has taken many forms as they struggled not only to survive, but to help as many as they could along their long road to a new life in Canada with Mama’s sister. Skrypuch’s own family ties to the wartime experiences of those living in Ukraine add a poignancy to her works that is not present in similar WWII historical fiction which transforms them from solid choices for readers of the genre to excellent ones. Readers will be caught up in the exciting stories of her characters as they fight against two evil regimes in a variety of ways and their knowledge of the history of this time will grow tremendously. Highly recommended for grades 5 and up, and with the sensitive coverage of the gruesome aspects of this war, could even be a part of collections geared to 4th grade as well. Thanks for the dARC, Edelweiss.
September 23, 2022
The third instalment (yet can be read as a stand-alone like all her books) in a series that shows the little known yet all too common Ukrainian experience of suffering at the hands of the Soviets and then the Nazis - who invaded and enslaved Slavs during the Second World War - and then the Soviets again, as they captured them back and punished them as traitors after the war.
Told in alternating first person each chapter from both sisters, Maria and Krystia have finally reunited after the war, but they quickly learn their plight is not over as the Soviets capture them from their American camp and take them to an interrogation house in the Soviet occupied zone.
Thoroughly researched, yet fully immersive and a page turner as always, Traitors Among Us is yet another important Middle Grade book for anyone who has connections to or is looking to understand the Ukrainian experience during and after the war and their relationship with Russia.
Told in alternating first person each chapter from both sisters, Maria and Krystia have finally reunited after the war, but they quickly learn their plight is not over as the Soviets capture them from their American camp and take them to an interrogation house in the Soviet occupied zone.
Thoroughly researched, yet fully immersive and a page turner as always, Traitors Among Us is yet another important Middle Grade book for anyone who has connections to or is looking to understand the Ukrainian experience during and after the war and their relationship with Russia.
November 15, 2021
As a descendant of Volksdeutsche heritage,(with roots from the Dutch like Elias and Finn) I am indebted to this author for authenticity in her portrayal of truth. I’ve been determined to read this with my grandchildren and pray earnestly that these occurrences will never duplicate themselves. Kudos for an account well written.
June 30, 2021
Sisters Krystia and Maria believe the worst is over at last. Reunited after harrowing ordeals during WWII, this story begins with them housed in a refugee camp, daring to hope they are finally safe. But more horrors await as they are falsely accused of being Nazi collaborators and imprisoned in a Soviet interrogation facility. There, they will face starvation, torture and even the threat of death as their captors try to force confessions from them.
Through it all, each girl draws on strengths from her upbringing and past experiences in the struggle to resist, survive and find a way to freedom. Another remarkable and compelling story, the latest in Marsha Skrypuch's exceptional historical novels.
Through it all, each girl draws on strengths from her upbringing and past experiences in the struggle to resist, survive and find a way to freedom. Another remarkable and compelling story, the latest in Marsha Skrypuch's exceptional historical novels.
September 22, 2022
Again this author is amazing!! I feel like I have taken a college level course with an amazing storyteller professor on Ukraine during WW2 and right after.
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October 11, 2022Soooo awesome
Couldn't put it down until I finished it.
Couldn't put it down until I finished it.
November 21, 2023
"This book is a tribute to those who survived Hitler's frying pan but ended up in Stalin's fire."
I didn't realize until I was a few chapters in that this is a companion/follow-up to Trapped in Hitler's Web--and this time we get POVs from both sisters.
Maria and Krystia have been through a lot. They escaped the Nazis and made it to a refugee camp...only to find themselves once again in danger while in the hands of the Soviets. Though intended for middle grade readers, Skrypuch doesn't try to sugarcoat the atrocities of the Soviets after the war. The sisters endure much more in this story than in the previous, and there are many heart-in-your-throat moments.
Maybe the best yet from Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch.
I didn't realize until I was a few chapters in that this is a companion/follow-up to Trapped in Hitler's Web--and this time we get POVs from both sisters.
Maria and Krystia have been through a lot. They escaped the Nazis and made it to a refugee camp...only to find themselves once again in danger while in the hands of the Soviets. Though intended for middle grade readers, Skrypuch doesn't try to sugarcoat the atrocities of the Soviets after the war. The sisters endure much more in this story than in the previous, and there are many heart-in-your-throat moments.
Maybe the best yet from Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch.
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November 1, 2024Do you think you could survive an imprisonment camp during WWII? This book is called Traitors Among Us by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch. This book talks about what two sisters went through during WWII and how they survived.
The main characters are Krystia and Maria (The two sisters) and they had to endure all kinds of torture during WWII. They got put into an American Refugee camp in Karlsfeid, Germany with Sophie, Elias, Finn, Olga, and and her baby boy, Pitor. Olga and Pitor got shot by trying to escape, everyone was driven to an Interrogation House in Dresden, Germany, everyone got put into a big, stone cell, the captors interviewed them in the mansion.
This book would appeal to history lovers and people who wonder what WWII was like. The author did an amazing job with the different plot points and the detailing in the story. One thing the author could improve on is using clearer words for the reader to better understand.
I loved this book so much and I 100% recommend this book to other readers, especially to people who want to learn what others went through during WWII. Reading this book could help people understand what it means be tortured for days and how you can learn to survive it with people that you love.
The main characters are Krystia and Maria (The two sisters) and they had to endure all kinds of torture during WWII. They got put into an American Refugee camp in Karlsfeid, Germany with Sophie, Elias, Finn, Olga, and and her baby boy, Pitor. Olga and Pitor got shot by trying to escape, everyone was driven to an Interrogation House in Dresden, Germany, everyone got put into a big, stone cell, the captors interviewed them in the mansion.
This book would appeal to history lovers and people who wonder what WWII was like. The author did an amazing job with the different plot points and the detailing in the story. One thing the author could improve on is using clearer words for the reader to better understand.
I loved this book so much and I 100% recommend this book to other readers, especially to people who want to learn what others went through during WWII. Reading this book could help people understand what it means be tortured for days and how you can learn to survive it with people that you love.
March 21, 2022
I loved this book it was thrilling and i couldnt put it down. Marsha really knows how to capture the reader and make them really intrested in the story. Before you read this book though you have to read the first one, Trapped In Hitlers Web, which is the beggining of Maria and Krystia's story. I really enjoyed this book and i reccomend it for anyone who wants a good heartmarming story, with adventure and thrills.
April 4, 2022
This book is a tribute to those who survived Hitler’s frying pan but ended up in Stalin’s fire.
Two Ukrainian sisters who think they've escaped the worst of WW2, have been captured by the Soviets and sent to prison cells to be questioned about their involvement in the war. "Living under the Nazis’ terror was a great way to prepare for Soviet torture." They're strong, brave and smart - certainly a "mighty girl" good read for young readers.
Two Ukrainian sisters who think they've escaped the worst of WW2, have been captured by the Soviets and sent to prison cells to be questioned about their involvement in the war. "Living under the Nazis’ terror was a great way to prepare for Soviet torture." They're strong, brave and smart - certainly a "mighty girl" good read for young readers.
February 2, 2022
264 pgs. This is a well-written, engaging book. However, it features 14 and up characters, and the content is more mature than kids in elementary would be reading. I would recommend it to MS.
January 9, 2023
It was wonderful! Had suspense and had a lesson about never leaving family behind! Had wondeful chapter. Will keep you internated
January 6, 2024
Read in one sitting. Loved it.
Read
March 12, 2024❤️
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