Louder Than Words

Starred review from April 1, 2020

Gr 4-7-The third installment in "Heroes Quartet," a series that follows the real-life stories of unsung heroes who risked their lives to save Jewish families during World War II. Dina Sternik is too old for a babysitter. Yet when Mama goes to work after their father's death, she and her two younger sisters must adjust to life with a housekeeper named Nina. Nina isn't Jewish, but she is thoughtful and kind, and even asks Dina to help her learn about Jewish customs. Life slowly returns to normal. But one day, everything changes. The Nazis invade their Ukrainian town and the family soon learns the pain and humiliation of anti-Semitism. Nina can't believe what is happening, but she makes a promise to stay and help. Before long, tragedy strikes, and Nina's sacrifice is put to the test. How much will she risk in order to keep the Sternik family safe? This is a moving and heart-breaking story that gently introduces young readers to both the horrors and heroes of the Holocaust. Using the real-life story of Nina Pukas, given the title Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum based in Jerusalem, Kacer simultaneously honors Nina's legacy and shares what life might have been like for a young Jewish girl and her family during a time of discrimination and war. VERDICT This unique perspective on the Holocaust provides a powerful story that focuses on the importance of understanding and love.-Rebecca Redinger, Lincoln Park Branch, Chicago Public Library

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February 15, 2020
A Christian family housekeeper puts herself at risk when she becomes the main caretaker for three Jewish sisters in World War II Ukraine. Twelve-year-old Eldina "Dina" Sternik is a Jewish girl living in Proskurov, in Soviet Ukraine, when the Nazis take over in 1941. Dina's first-person narrative brings readers directly through the loss of freedoms experienced by Ukrainian Jews, as the park, school, and market become off-limits and Jews must wear yellow Stars of David on their clothing whenever they go out. After a fire leaves them homeless, Nina, their Christian housekeeper, registers the children as her own so that the Sternik family may receive alternative housing and not be identified by their true religion. The contrast between Nina's treatment of the Sterniks and the hostility shown by Dina's estranged uncle's Christian wife speaks volumes of the importance of the righteous individual. Nina treats them as the family that she never had and cares for the children for several years once their mother is imprisoned in the Jewish ghetto. Reminiscent of Lois Lowry's Number the Stars (1989), this is Kacer's third novel in the Heroes Quartet series and is based on the true story of Nina Pukas, named one of the Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. An accessible and absorbing portrait of empathy, character, and moral courage, relevant for modern times. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 9-12)

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