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"By introducing a protagonist with no perceived connection to Judaism, Kacer skillfully develops the reach and complexity of the Holocaust while offering the reader plausible situations which examine questions that are difficult to ask. Kacer’s innate sense of balance and goodness inform her story in a way that allows the reader enough room to either consider or reconsider attitudes and opinions, or perhaps discover a whole new dimension of experience."
Association of Jewish Libraries
"The depiction of Jewish life in Germany after World War II, an uncommon setting, makes this a worthwhile addition to collection serving teen readers...Kacer does a good job at showing the shame and embarrassment of some Germans, and she skillfully describes some of the more horrific aspects of the Holocaust in an age appropriate way. Sara is a likeable character and readers will be satisfied with her story."
Jewish Book Council
"A moving story with a likeable protagonist."
CM Magazine
"A deeply moving story about the innate human longing to know where one comes from and about the power of love and forgiveness to overcome any darkness. The plot flows smoothly, and characters are well developed, given the brevity of the novel. This title would make a beneficial addition to a high school curriculum as a supplementary resource to teachings about World War II. Highly Recommended."
Kirkus Reviews
2015-06-23
Secrets can hide painful truths, as a young woman learns in this novel set in 1964. After the Ontario orphanage she lives in burns down, 18-year-old Sara is left with questions: where to go? What to do? More questions develop when the matron reveals the details of Sara's birth. She isn't Canadian but German—and Jewish. Her mother was liberated from a concentration camp but died shortly after giving birth. Armed only with the name of the doctor who falsified her medical records so she could leave Germany and her mother's Star of David necklace, Sara sets off for Germany to find answers. But in a country still recovering from its actions during the Holocaust, no one wants to talk. Only Peter, a friendly boy who speaks English, and Frau Klein, everyone's substitute Jewish grandmother, will help Sara find the shocking truth about her past. And once she looks to the past, she can see her future. Sara occasionally feels too young for her age, even given the time period and her small-town upbringing. Nevertheless, the story offers an unusual glimpse into a Germany just one generation past the Holocaust and only beginning to deal with its repercussions.Part of the interconnected Secrets series, the novel is a quick, easy read about a little-known period. (Historical fiction. 12-16)
