Out of Hiding: A Holocaust Survivor's Journey to America, by Ruth Gruener (Scholastic, 2020, $6.99 PB, 208pp, 11 years and up, grades 4-7) Review by Skye Anderson
A Hidden Childhood
Ruth Gruener, nee Luncia Gamzer, was born in Ukraine but moved to Poland with her parents when Hitler came to power. As a 9-year-old Jewish girl, she was hidden by family friends when it became too dangerous to live in their Nazi-imposed ghetto - and she was separated from her parents, only to be reunited with them much later.
This is the story of a hidden childhood and of the little girl who survived, along with her parents - both, miraculously. It is also the rarely written account of being in one displaced persons (DP) camp after another after 1945 until finally, permission was granted to emigrate to the United States.
It is also the story of their rough sea voyage to Boston in 1949 and then on to New York City, living with relatives for months and learning about America while navigating highschool.
Again, Ruth makes friends only to have to move on.
A Common yet Uncommon Account of a War, Survival and the Aftermath
Books abound about Holocaust survivors and thank goodness. However, many of them read like reports: "I did this and then I did that and then . . . . " Author Gruener writes as a young girl which creates a compelling story. Short chapters and fairly large print help make Out of Hiding a fast read.
This reviewer read faster and faster until the war ended, then got bogged down as events moved too fast and became report-like, with less depth. We also noticed the front cover is in color with the exception of the background (Boston Harbor) and pictures the harbor from a ship with the 'camera' behind the girl. We can easily depict a series of questions about Ruth's life for classroom discussions.
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