Carol Matas Books

Daniel, whose family suffers as the Nazis rise to power in Germany, describes his imprisonment in a concentration camp and his eventual liberation.

Set in the aftermath of World War II, the story follows Ruth, a 15-year-old Buchenwald survivor, who finds purpose in leading a group of children to Palestine. Recruited by Brichah, an underground organization, she navigates perilous secret routes and relies on forged documents, risking her life to provide hope and a future for those in need. The narrative highlights themes of resilience, courage, and the quest for a homeland in the face of adversity.

Semua terbalik-balik. Semua yang kupikir benar ternyata dusta. Kupikir, orangtuaku adalah orang-orang rasional dan menekankan kejujuran di atas segalanya. Mereka memang jujur dalam setiap hal-hal kecil, tapi ternyata bohong tentang hal paling besar: kehidupanku. Seperti tokoh Prospero dari cerita The Tempest yang melakukan sihir demi putrinya. Itulah yang dilakukan Ibu dan Ayah. Tapi, ini berarti seseorang harus dibunuh. Ibu dan ayahku akan jadi pembunuh! Sebagai anak tunggal dari orangtua yang kaya raya, Miranda memiliki segalanya. Kecantikan, kecerdasan, juga sebuah peran penting dalam resital balet di sekolahnya. Lalu, tiba-tiba bencana itu datang.... Miranda harus menghadapi kenyataan dirinya terjangkit penyakit langka yang mematikan. Pandangannya jadi kabur. Dunia hanya menyisakan kegelapan untuknya. Nasibnya pun seolah sudah ditentukan. Namun, itu belum apa-apa. Ada kenyataan lain yang jauh lebih mengerikan bagi Miranda. Saat matanya tak bisa melihat, dia justru mampu dengan jelas mengenali siapa sesungguhnya orangtuanya....

"They won't kill everyone in the ghetto right away," he continues, his voice matter-of-fact. "They still need workers. But not for long. After all, they have us Poles to work for them, don't they?" He paused then, and looked at me. It was frozen like Polish winter. It was cold right through into my bones."You know Miriam," Mr. Kraszenski suggested, "you could be one of us."With her blue eyes and blonde hair, Marisa could be a Polish Christian girl. But living a lie can also be a horrible burden for a young woman to bear.Writing in the same dramatic style as her other outstanding Holocaust stories, Carol Matas has outdone herself with this realistic, poignant story set in World War II Poland and Germany.