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The Ribbon Leaf
Would you risk your life to help a friend? In Nazi Germany, friendship between an Aryan German girl and a Jewish German girl is strictly verboten, and an act of kindness might mean death. Sabine and Edie have been best friends since Kindergarten. Then Kristallnacht hits in 1938, shattering Jewish shop windows, synagogues, and their friendship. The girls, who once dreamed of stardom together, now take different paths -- Edie escapes to Canada, and Sabine remains to experience life in her Nazi-controlled southern German town, eventually rescuing and supporting Edie's beloved Papa who poses as Sabine's grandfather. Even though the girls are separated, the yellow ribbon that once decorated their identical dresses binds the girls' families in ways that contradict Nazi ideology. Throughout the seven long years of WWII, Sabine confronts how far courage can take her, while Edie finds her own strength to deal with leaving her father behind, integrating into a new country, and coming to terms with her sexual orientation. Each girl comes of age, experiencing first loves, loss, and joy. Without knowing how the other is doing across the ocean, they keep hope alive that their bond of friendship remains.
160 pages, Paperback
Published July 6, 2022
5 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Lori Weber
16 books9 followersI was born and raised in Montreal, in a neighbourhood called Park
Extension. This was a great place for a writer to grow up because there
were lots of colourful characters around, lots of street life, and lots of
different ethnicities to be curious about. The predominant ethnic group at
the time (the 60s) was Greek. I grew up hearing as much Greek as
French and English, and I learned to love the food and customs of my
Greek friends. It was, however, early training in being more of an
observer than a participant. When I was 13 my parents bought a house in
Ville St-Laurent, a suburb of Montreal. Perhaps because of my Park Ex
days, I found myself hanging out mostly with a group of Armenian friends
the first few years. I was just comfortable being different– and having to
decode foreign languages. This gave me an interest in languages, so I
went on to learn German (my father’s heritage), as well as Spanish in
later life, which means I speak four languages, although none but English
well enough to write in.
At cegep (which exists only in Quebec and is a transitional stage of
higher education between high school and university), I started to write
stories in my Creative Writing classes. There, I met a teacher, Fran, who
became a mentor and really encouraged me to develop this passion.
That’s when I first started to feel that I could be a writer and actually
publish. I began going to readings and writing workshops whenever I
could, to immerse myself in writing culture.
I studied English literature at university, but part-time, because I worked
and supported myself from the age of 19 on. I lived in many different
parts of Montreal, including downtown, Verdun, the Plateau, and did
many different office jobs, such as documentation clerk in a shipping
company and assistant editor for a Public Relations newspaper at McGill.
Throughout all this time, I continued to write stories and had a few
published, along with some poems, in small press magazines.
At the age of 29, Bachelor’s Degree, in hand, I moved with my partner to
Nova Scotia and did a Master’s Degree in English. I got my MA and
became a Ma all within weeks of each other, which was a neat
experience.
The next move was across the water to Newfoundland, a place I had
never been to. The ferry crossing was wild, with ripping wind and high
waves which I feared would sweep my six-week old daughter overboard if
I went outside. We stayed in St. John’s for two fantastic years.
Newfoundland is everything and more than people say it is – charming,
special, wet, and wonderful.
We returned to Quebec and I pursued a degree in teaching English,
which led to my current job as an English teacher at John Abbott College
in Montreal, where I have been teaching for 11 years. Seven years in, I
decided that if I were ever going to get back to writing in a more serious
way, I had to lessen my teaching load, so I began teaching part-time and
writing more. This led to my first book, Klepto. I have continued to
combine teaching and writing ever since. Both are labour-intensive and
the two together equal more than one full-time job, but I’m so happy to be
able to earn a living and continue writing books.
Extension. This was a great place for a writer to grow up because there
were lots of colourful characters around, lots of street life, and lots of
different ethnicities to be curious about. The predominant ethnic group at
the time (the 60s) was Greek. I grew up hearing as much Greek as
French and English, and I learned to love the food and customs of my
Greek friends. It was, however, early training in being more of an
observer than a participant. When I was 13 my parents bought a house in
Ville St-Laurent, a suburb of Montreal. Perhaps because of my Park Ex
days, I found myself hanging out mostly with a group of Armenian friends
the first few years. I was just comfortable being different– and having to
decode foreign languages. This gave me an interest in languages, so I
went on to learn German (my father’s heritage), as well as Spanish in
later life, which means I speak four languages, although none but English
well enough to write in.
At cegep (which exists only in Quebec and is a transitional stage of
higher education between high school and university), I started to write
stories in my Creative Writing classes. There, I met a teacher, Fran, who
became a mentor and really encouraged me to develop this passion.
That’s when I first started to feel that I could be a writer and actually
publish. I began going to readings and writing workshops whenever I
could, to immerse myself in writing culture.
I studied English literature at university, but part-time, because I worked
and supported myself from the age of 19 on. I lived in many different
parts of Montreal, including downtown, Verdun, the Plateau, and did
many different office jobs, such as documentation clerk in a shipping
company and assistant editor for a Public Relations newspaper at McGill.
Throughout all this time, I continued to write stories and had a few
published, along with some poems, in small press magazines.
At the age of 29, Bachelor’s Degree, in hand, I moved with my partner to
Nova Scotia and did a Master’s Degree in English. I got my MA and
became a Ma all within weeks of each other, which was a neat
experience.
The next move was across the water to Newfoundland, a place I had
never been to. The ferry crossing was wild, with ripping wind and high
waves which I feared would sweep my six-week old daughter overboard if
I went outside. We stayed in St. John’s for two fantastic years.
Newfoundland is everything and more than people say it is – charming,
special, wet, and wonderful.
We returned to Quebec and I pursued a degree in teaching English,
which led to my current job as an English teacher at John Abbott College
in Montreal, where I have been teaching for 11 years. Seven years in, I
decided that if I were ever going to get back to writing in a more serious
way, I had to lessen my teaching load, so I began teaching part-time and
writing more. This led to my first book, Klepto. I have continued to
combine teaching and writing ever since. Both are labour-intensive and
the two together equal more than one full-time job, but I’m so happy to be
able to earn a living and continue writing books.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 30, 2022
I was gifted this book as it is one of the finalists for the Red Maple (Forest of Reading) Award - and I can definitely see why! A beautiful story about friendship, love and sacrifice during the Second World War. I became really invested in the two main characters and really wish the author would have continued their story past where it ended.
October 16, 2022
A story about the bonds of friendship and the bonds of family, The Ribbon Leaf will engage you, enlighten you, and tug at your heart. The story focuses on Edie and Sabine, two teenage girls who are the best of friends in pre-WWII Germany. Their lives are upended when the Nazis rise to power as Edie is Jewish and flees with her mother, aunt, and uncle to Montreal just before war breaks out. Edie leaves behind her father and best friend Sabine. Sabine misses not only her dear friend, but also Edie’s entire family and the way life used to be before neighbour was pitted against neighbour. By chance, Sabine discovers the hiding place of Edie’s father and carries out a plan to keep him safe from the fate awaiting him in Nazi Germany. Full of suspense and memorable characters, The Ribbon Leaf spans the war years as they unfold in Germany and Canada, and explores what Edie and Sabine have each lost and gained through those turbulent times.
October 13, 2022
Separated by war but connected by memory, hope and love, two best friends adjust to life during WW2. Edie and Sabine tell their stories, each on one side of the Atlantic in a heart-warming story of how nothing can stop friendship. I absolutely adored the characters and how their coming-of-age stories weaved into the details of Canada and Germany at war. A must read for any young adult.
November 15, 2022
At first, I thought this would be one more WW2 novel, but I was happily surprised when Edie and her mother escaped and made it to Canada. The alternating voices of Edie and Sabine allowed the story of two girls to be told as their experiences of the war were vastly different.
Bravery comes in different ways, and both girls demonstrated this characteristic numerous times. It is interesting to have it reinforced that surviving during a conflict looks differently from what we may have thought. So many WW2 books focus on the mistreatment handed out by the Nazis. While this book does not shy away from this topic it also shows how the war was experienced by the regular German people. It opens the reader's eyes to the situation that forced people to endure things they would never have thought they would have to experience.
Makes one thankful for where and how we live.
Bravery comes in different ways, and both girls demonstrated this characteristic numerous times. It is interesting to have it reinforced that surviving during a conflict looks differently from what we may have thought. So many WW2 books focus on the mistreatment handed out by the Nazis. While this book does not shy away from this topic it also shows how the war was experienced by the regular German people. It opens the reader's eyes to the situation that forced people to endure things they would never have thought they would have to experience.
Makes one thankful for where and how we live.
December 12, 2022
The Ribbon Leaf is a beautiful wartime story about friendship and courage. The book is laid out chronologically from the beginning of WWII and goes back and forth between the voices of the two girls and both sides of the ocean.
Edie, living in Canada, is not be in the thick of wartime Europe, but she is faced with many challenges as well as the fear of not knowing her father’s fate. Her coming of age and discovery of her sexual orientation against the backdrop of wartime Montreal unfolds beautifully with a colourful cast of supporting characters. I loved the spirited neighbourhood girl, Annette, who Edie admires while her family disapproves.
Back in Germany, Sabine is struggling under the Nazi regime, as war takes an increasing toll on their lives. She is forced to join the BDM or German Maidens Group. This seems to be the female parallel to Hitler Youth, with a stated aim to teach young women German housekeeping skills. Her friendship and budding romance with Werner and their complicit bravery add gripping elements to the story.
With its linear unfolding of events, and attention to the details of everyday life, this novel would be an excellent read for students of WWII history.
Edie, living in Canada, is not be in the thick of wartime Europe, but she is faced with many challenges as well as the fear of not knowing her father’s fate. Her coming of age and discovery of her sexual orientation against the backdrop of wartime Montreal unfolds beautifully with a colourful cast of supporting characters. I loved the spirited neighbourhood girl, Annette, who Edie admires while her family disapproves.
Back in Germany, Sabine is struggling under the Nazi regime, as war takes an increasing toll on their lives. She is forced to join the BDM or German Maidens Group. This seems to be the female parallel to Hitler Youth, with a stated aim to teach young women German housekeeping skills. Her friendship and budding romance with Werner and their complicit bravery add gripping elements to the story.
With its linear unfolding of events, and attention to the details of everyday life, this novel would be an excellent read for students of WWII history.
October 17, 2022
Lori Weber's "The Ribbon Leaf" is about the personal experiences and perspectives of two young friends (one Jewish and one Gentile) during World War II. It looks at their everyday lives during the span of the war years from two sides of the Atlantic Ocean and shows the effects of war on these girls as they come of age. The story is about displacement, struggle, sacrifice, resistance, survival, family, and friendship. Each chapter is divided by year (1938 - 1945) and the book's framework is further divided by Sabine's and Edie's narrations, in turn. Weber's book is courageous as it tackles all of this in a very readable and thoughtful way.
November 29, 2022
Set during World War II, this story follows the enduring friendship of an Aryan German girl Sabine, and her Jewish friend Edie. On November 9, 1938, when German Jews were terrorized by Nazis during the Kristallnacht, the long-time friends were led down different paths. While Edie and her mom escape to Canada without her father, Sabine risks her life in Germany to keep him safe. For seven years Sabine faces the ravages of war and Edie the challenges of a broken home, and a questioning of her own sexual orientation. A compelling and heartwarming read from cover to cover.
January 22, 2023
Great book …. Ending was disappointing and confusing.
November 27, 2023
A beautiful, well written story. I loved this book.
June 19, 2023
Honestly, at first I didn’t think I was going to like this book, i was reading it in red maple, a few friends had said they didn’t like it and it definitely wasn’t a book i would ever pick up if not for red maple but…. I loved it! It was actually really interesting to me and I read it pretty quickly considering it’s length, so, don’t judge a book by it’s cover or what others say about it! Don’t knock it before you try it!!!
December 28, 2025
One of my favorite books! This book tells such a great story from both perspectives, and is written so well that you really get a feel of what they felt! Would definitely recommend, as I was sooooo obsessed!
July 21, 2025
the most i remember was that i read this for red maple one year and it was entertaining, i was just more interested in sabine’s pov
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews