Whispers in Hiding

by Sharon E. McKay

When faced with the prospect of deportation to a ghetto or concentration camp, many Jews tried to find ways to hide. Whether in the attic of a neighbour's house, in a cave on a hilltop, or within the stacks of hay in a barn, those in hiding often had to change their identity and conceal their Jewish roots. Hiding meant going hungry for weeks or months, being left in the cold, and living in constant fear of being discovered. But due to the kindness of strangers or the quick thinking of the children in these stories, they lived to tell their tales.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Holocaust

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Sharon E. McKay was born in 1954 in Montreal, Quebec, and earned a B.A. from York University in 1978. She lives in Prince Edward Island.


Series:
* Our Canadian Girl: Penelope
* Charlie Wilcox

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2009): War Brothers - Winner

Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award: Fiction
◊ 2002 – Charlie Wilcox – Winner

Reviews

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real life stories of bravery, hope and survival of Jewish people during Nazi occupied Europe. The last 2 stories hit me right through the heart. Bless all the survivors. In a troubling world today in 2023 we are still seeing war with Jewish people. When will hatred end!

[Lorraine Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want children junior grade level and older to have a clear picture in their minds of what it was like to be a Jewish child during WWII, this is the book that will do it for you. True stories from real survivors, collected by Kathy Kacer and Sharon E. McKay and retold here, highlight the fears, courage, determination, and sometimes luck that enabled these children to survive when so many millions did not. Each story is different — the ages, the family unit, the circumstances, the cities and the countries — yet each is one of success. Whether it is a mother, father, and daughter being protected in a small village in Italy, a baby escaping in his mother's arms, two brothers, not even teen-agers yet, scrounging in the forest and living in caves, or an 18-year-old woman running missions for the AJS (the Armée Juifs Secret — Underground Jewish Army), all needed strength and resourcefulness to blend in, seek aid, or bluff their way past soldiers, collaborators, and police.

There are 11 such stories to make your heart pump with adrenaline as the heroes, and they were heroes, faced dangers we can only imagine, stories that represent survivors who made their way eventually to Canada to start new lives. Each begins with a picture of the child and his/her family, and each has a postscript to tell what became of them in the new world. The last two are told through letters and diary entries, and so are told in their own voices. There is a map after the introduction which shows the locations mentioned in the stories, and a glossary at the end. The stories are well-told, straightforward and without embellishment. Why would they need to embellish, when the truth is a stark reality that strikes straight to the heart? The final postscript says:

Now that you have heard our stories, you are a witness too.
—Judy Cohen, holocaust survivor

The authors have written other books including Whispers from the Ghetto, and Whispers from the Camps (2009), among others. These are excellent stories for pre-teens or older, and can be shared in the classroom or at home. Older children should be able to read them for themselves but may have questions and wish to discuss them afterwards.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amy, our librarian, recommended it to me to complement our guest speaker Eva Olssen who is coming out March 7th.

I found it to be a good read and an excellent reminder that war and persecution happens at an individual level. Perhaps because of the intended audience, I was disappointed with the depth of the stories, but enjoyed the look at what these children faced as a result of being Jewish. I will use some of the stories with my class.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book from Kathy Kacer. It was very interesting to ready the amazing stories of what people did to survive during such a difficult time.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars