Hidden Gold

August 10, 2015
Burakowski’s account of her mother’s family’s experiences during the Holocaust is based on the memories of the one surviving member, youngest child David. The Golds are well-off Jewish merchants in Pinczow, Poland, when anti-Semitism begins to grow. When Nazis invade Pinczow, 12-year-old David, his two sisters, and mother—separated from the children’s father—flee in search of refuge, ultimately spending 26 harrowing months in a hidden crawlspace in a barn. The story of a Polish-Jewish family forced into hiding from the Nazis is by its very nature compelling, and the Golds’ familial bond and undaunted spirits are commendable, as is David’s memory for detail. However, the book suffers from wooden writing (“Not only was she probing for information, but also she was also genuinely concerned for this woman”), an overwhelming cast of characters (Burakowski jumps from one point of view to another), and occasional errors in the use of Polish names. The final chapter tells the fate of each family member, and a glossary of Polish, Yiddish, Hebrew, and German words is provided. Ages 14–up.

August 1, 2015
Burakowski's debut novel, based on her mother's Holocaust experiences, describes a prominent Polish family's desperate struggle to endure. As the Nazi threat looms, patriarch Leib Gold attempts to secure a safe hiding place for his family. Leib leaves his wife, Hanna, and the children, Shoshana, Esther, and David, promising to meet the next day. Hanna never sees him again. Money and Shoshana's fair complexion and fluent Polish help Hanna keep the rest of the family intact and alive, albeit just barely, until the Russian Army liberates Poland. Too much history is ponderously presented at the book's outset, impeding the story and preventing development of the characters. Indeed, it takes a good third of the book to get to the gripping story of the desperate 26 months, beginning in November 1942, that the four Golds spend hiding in the annex of a barn where they are unable to stand erect. Dependent on the avariciousness of unethical Poles, crawling through sewers, living in filth, infested with lice, toileting with no privacy, fearsomely hungry, fearing death: both risks and the boredom are well-conveyed. The book concludes with a short chapter describing their post-liberation lives. Appended is a glossary of German, Polish, and Yiddish words, as well as photos of the family and the barn, which should help stir empathy. Readers who persevere will discover an affirmation of human courage. (Historical fiction. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-The Gold family must navigate through the perils of Poland during the start of World World II. The family has many comforts and is considered quite wealthy; when Germany invades, readers see them stripped of their money and privilege as they endure a torturous hiding period lasting two years. Even though the subject matter is difficult, the portrayal of the characters is dynamic and heartwarming. Readers gain deep insight into Shoshana, the eldest daughter; Esther, her sister; and young David, as each sibling deals with fear and isolation in their own way. Burakowski's novel, based upon her mother's experiences growing up during World War II, will spark discussion and likely inspire further research into the Holocaust as well as serve as a springboard for critical examinations relating historical events to current situations around the globe. VERDICT A fine purchase to support curriculum related to World War II and Holocaust studies.-April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2015
Grades 10-1 Burakowski's account of her mother's experience during the Holocaust is brutal and appalling. Shoshana Gold and her family spent 26 months hiding in a secret space in a barn that often felt more like a tomb than a sanctuary, and the circumstances leading them there were harrowingseveral times, the Golds barely evaded transports to extermination camps. As formerly well-to-do residents of Pinczow, Poland, the family initially secured protection with their money. Once their finances were depleted, their Polish protectors secured their hiding place, although, fearing Nazi retribution, they often left Shoshana and her family to starve. The Golds did have some Christian friends who helped despite great risk, but for the most part, the Poles in this account are represented as mindlessly anti-Semitic and actively profiting from the Jews' vulnerability, and the fact that they, too, suffered at the hands of the Nazis seems like poor justification. This reads like a novel and reinforces the truth that the human instinct to survive is tenacious, even when all that's left to live for is hope.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)