Stolen Girl

November 15, 2018
A 12-year-old Ukrainian girl arrives in Canada after World War II and struggles to make sense of her jumbled memories of battle-scarred Germany.After five years in a displaced persons camp, Nadia Kravchuk arrives in Brantford, Ontario, accompanied by her adoptive mother, Marusia. When Nadia's fellow classmates are convinced by her blonde hair and blue eyes that she is a Nazi, Marusia repeatedly assures Nadia that's not the case. Eventually, Nadia safely relives her trauma in order to solve the puzzle of who she really is--not Nadia Kravchuk nor Gretchen Himmel, the German identity she assumed to survive, but someone else entirely...Larissa, the younger sister of Lida, the protagonist of Skrypuch's Making Bombs for Hitler (2016). The author once again deftly sheds light on lesser-known aspects of the Ukrainian experience during WWII. Via flashbacks and nightmares, she gradually fleshes out Nadia's painful history of abduction from her original family and subsequent placement in a German household. As further explained in the author's note, this was part of the Lebensborn program, an effort to identify and mark blond and blue-eyed Ukrainian children as Aryans and force them to live with Nazi families in order to augment the building of a master race.A gripping exploration of war-induced trauma, identity, and transformation. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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January 1, 2019
Grades 5-8 After the conclusion of WWII in Europe, Nadia and her adoptive parents arrive in Canada for a new life. Despite being in a new country, Nadia is haunted by memories that reveal glimpses of her life before the war. She remembers being hungry and running to escape something, yet she also remembers living with a German family and being praised for her Aryan complexion. Confused by these memories, Nadia fears the truths that they may hold as she tries to adapt to a world where she can live without fear. Skrypuch's latest novel is a companion to Making Bombs for Hitler (2017). Filled with historical detail, it highlights a forgotten and horrifying aspect of WWII where children were stolen from various parts of Europe by the Nazis in order to build a master race. Because of the flashbacks, readers are provided with glimpses into the horrors of Nadia's past but can perceive themes of discovery and healing. A fascinating, compelling read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

December 21, 2018

Gr 4-8-In 1950, 12-year-old Nadia emigrates from Europe to Canada and lives with people she's been instructed to call Mama and Papa. Nadia knows these are not her parents; she doesn't know why she's with them, but they've promised to keep her safe. Periodically, she has fragments of memories: living in a large house, speaking German (though she knows Ukrainian is her first language), being unhappy and afraid despite being well fed and cared for. She's blonde and blue-eyed and is teased by classmates who call her "Hitler girl." With only foggy memories of her life before Canada, she's afraid she was a Nazi-she even remembers meeting Hitler. With patient support from her adoptive parents, her memories grow clearer and she comes to understand her history. Excellent back matter about the Lebensborn program, a Nazi plan to increase the Aryan population, gives context to Nadia's story. The narrative is clear and straightforward, staying focused on the pain and confusion of Nadia's journey. The secondary characters are fleshed out just enough to make the story work, each serving to frame Nadia's experience. VERDICT This is a strong addition to World War II historical fiction collections, shining a light on a little-known aspect of the Nazi regime's insidious programs.-Carla Riemer, Claremont Middle School, Oakland, CA