Schindler, Wallenberg, Miep Gies: The Holocaust Heroes

Fremon, David K. Schindler, Wallenberg, Miep Gies: The Holocaust Heroes. 2015. 96p. ISBN 978-0-7660-6217-7. Available at 940.53 FRE on the library shelves.

In the darkness that was the Holocaust stood bright lights. While some enthusiastically embraced the Nazis and their persecution of Jews, others vigorously opposed them and did everything they could to save Jews from the terrible fate that awaited them in the death camps.

Many names are familiar to modern readers: Oskar Schindler; Raoul Wallenberg; Miep Gies. But others are not. From farmers to ambassadors, people from all walks of life stood up and opposed the Nazis. Passports were issued by the thousands to neutral countries. Jews were hidden by the hundreds of thousands. Smugglers moved people from one location to another. And always, they ran the risk of getting caught and being executed simply for helping a fellow human being.

This book details the amazing stories and steps that non-Jews took to protect their Jewish relatives, friends, and sometimes complete strangers so they would survive another day. Pair this book with The Hiding Place for a fuller account of one resistance fighter’s quest to save as many Jews as possible.

Forest of Hands and Teeth

Ryan, Carrie. The Forest of Hands and Teeth. 2009. 310p. ISBN 9780385736817. Available as FIC RYA on the library shelves.

Mary has always lived in the shadow of death. Her entire village is surrounded by the forest, where the unconsecrated live. Always hungry, always moaning, they push against the thin fence that protects the very last bastion of humanity against its doom. The village is protected by the Guardians, who enforce the rules and maintain the fence, and it is governed by the Sisterhood, the healers and the spiritual leaders of what’s left of mankind. The village is all there is, the only reality.

But Mary has always wanted more. Her mother told her tales of the ocean, water as far as the eye could see, a place of peace and solitude away from the hungry moans of the dead. With the accidental death of her husband, Mary’s mother turns herself over to the unconsecrated so she can be with him. Mary becomes alone in the world, and even her brother will not vouch for her.

Forced to live with the Sisterhood, Mary is there when Gabry, a strange girl wearing a red vest, is captured and held in secret. Now the certitudes that Mary thought she knew are replaced with doubt. Obviously, others still dwell beyond the fence. Could there be other villages or cities out there? Does the ocean actually exist?

Knowing that Gabry pose a danger to their worldview and isolation, the Sisterhood drop her off in the midst of the unconsecrated. In death, however, Gabry become even more dangerous, a new species of unconsecrated, one that moves quickly and is both stronger and more violent. Suddenly, the fences are breached, and Mary must escape with a few of her friends. But will she finally find the peace she seeks, or are there more dangers ahead in the Forest of Hands and Teeth?

This book is a great horror tale that will create shivers up the reader’s spine. Lovers of zombies will appreciate this different take on a post-apocalypse undead world. The story of the Forest of Hands and Teeth continues in the Dead-Tossed Waves.

I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You

Carter, Ally. I’d Tell You I Love You, But Then I’d Have to Kill You. 2006. 284p. ISBN 9781423100034. Available at FIC CAR on the library shelves.

Hiding in plain sight is the best way for a spy to disappear. And Cammie Morgan has always been very good at being invisible. The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women, the school Cammie attends, is full of teenage girls who go crazy for boys and the latest fashion. It’s a typical private school, aside from the fact that students are trained in lethal combat, chemical warfare, and special operations. Gallagher Academy trains America’s best spies (oh, and one British too).

You would therefore think that it is easy for Cammie to do anything. Sure, she can speak fourteen different languages. Sure, she can kill a man in seven different ways in under three seconds. Sure, she can break through heavy computer security. But when she encounters a normal teenage boy who thinks she’s a normal teenage girl, Cammie’s life takes an unexpected turn. Suddenly, she doesn’t know how to act or even what to do. Cammie is completely lost.

It’s a good thing, then, that the newest student at the school is an expert on boys. Can Cammie manage to keep her love interest and her life separate? This entire situation could turn deadly...

South Caucasus: Then and Now

Uschan, Michael V. The South Caucasus: Then and Now. 2015. 80p. ISBN 978-1-60152-650-2. Available at 947.508 USC on the library shelves.

Squeezed between two giant historical forces, Russian expansionism and Islam, the South Caucasus has been plagued by conflicts, occupation, and poor management for most of its history.

The Republics of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan are located between Russia to the north and Turkey and Iran to the south. Each of these countries have influenced the development of these small states, but nothing more so than the Soviet Union, which controlled these countries for more than seventy years.

This book discusses the histories of these former Soviet Republics, from their settlement through their short-lived independence from Tsarist Russia to their newfound freedom following the breakup of the Soviet Union. The Political and economic life of South Caucasus is explored, along with social customs and culture. Finally, this region’s future is also considered.

This is a great read to learn more about a region of the world most Americans are unfamiliar with. Other books in this series include Baltic States, Central Asian States, Russian Federation, and Ukraine.

The Hiding Place

ten Boom, Corrie. The Hiding Place. 2006. 271p. ISBN 9780800794057. Available at B TEN on the library shelves and also as a DVD from the DVD collection.

Born and raised in a loving Dutch family, Corrie stayed at home following a heart-breaking romance, and worked for her father, Haarlem’s watchmaker. Following the death of their mother she learned the craft and managed the shop, while her sister Betsie ran the household.

With the onset of World War II, Holland is in a precarious position. The Germans are on the borders, while France and England are already fighting. Though Holland is assured of peace, the Germans invade the next day and the entire country falls five days later. Now occupied, the lives of Jews become precarious. Corrie decides to begin helping them, and what starts as a charitable thought becomes a true underground cells with hundreds of people moving through their residence on their way out of the country or to safe places. Jews, youth, resistance fighters, and allied pilots all benefited from their assistance.

Eventually, her ring is infiltrated and she is caught, along with her father, brother, and sister. What ensues are years of misery at the hands of the Germans culminating to deportation to Ravensbrück concentration camp, the infamous women’s death camp. But with the help of God, Corrie survived the camp and set about redeeming both perpetrators and survivors. An inspiring story, it demonstrates that love and belief in God can indeed conquer all.

A great companion volume to this book is Schindler, Wallenberg, Miep Gies: The Holocaust Heroes.

Saint Anything

Dessen, Sarah. Saint Anything. 2015. 417p. ISBN 9780451474704. Available at FIC DES on the library shelves.

As a junior, Sydney has always felt eclipsed by her brother Peyton, a charismatic individual who has always been the star of his family. But Peyton went down the wrong path, hung with the wrong crowd, and eventually ran someone over while driving intoxicated. Now he’s been convicted to prison, leaving a large absence in the family and a heavy guilt for the victim Sydney seems to be the only one to feel.

Traumatized by this event, Sydney decides to transfer from her private school, where she is known as Peyton’s sister, to the local high school where no one knows her. The first week of school is overwhelming, but Sydney finds refuge in Seaside Pizza, where she meets Layla and her gorgeous brother Mac. The Chathams lead a chaotic life, and Layla is able to easily relate to Sydney since her sister Rosie was busted with drugs.

But ghosts from Peyton’s past are always around the town, and Sydney seems to run into them often. Can she gain acceptance among her new friends or will she forever remain Peyton’s sister? For more Sarah Dessen, take at look at Lock and Key and The Moon and More.

The Ring and the Crown

de la Cruz, Melissa. The Ring and the Crown. Book 1 of the Ring and the Crown series. 2014. 384p. ISBN 9781423157427. Available at FIC DEL on the library shelves.

The combined power of the Franco-British Empire, armed with the magic of the Merlin and his acolytes, has conquered most of the globe. The near monopoly on powerful magic wielded by the Empire has ended, however, when Prussia opened Pandora’s Box, releasing monstrous horrors on the Empire and leading to a peace treaty.

Princess Marie-Victoria is the price of this treaty for the Empire. The only daughter of Queen Eleanor the Second, she has been promised in marriage to Prince Leopold of Prussia, uniting the two Empires together. But when Aelwyn, the bastard daughter of the Merlin returns from Avalon, Marie-Victoria sees her way out. A powerful illusionist, Aelwyn will take her place so that Marie-Victoria can run away with Gill, a soldier in the Queen’s Guard and the love of her life, to America where they will settle and live simply.

Meanwhile, Prince Wolf, the younger son of the King of Prussia, is in America when he meets Ronin, a seemingly rich American girl who will be attending the Royal wedding in London. Hiding his true status, Wolf falls hard for Ronin. And Isabelle, heir to the French throne if her side had not lost the battle 500 years ago, must also go to the Royal wedding. Both Ronin and Isabelle must find a match to revive their family’s fortunes.

But with so much power and adversaries all gathering in one space, a wrong move could lead to the destruction of the Empire. With so much at stake, no one can be trusted.