For families exploring stories of courage and survival during wartime, this memoir illuminates the resilience of a young Jewish girl navigating life in Nazi-occupied France.
A parent might reach for this book when their child is ready for a personal, human-scale story about the Holocaust and World War II. This autobiographical novel follows Renée, a young Jewish girl whose family flees their home in Alsace for Paris at the start of the Nazi occupation. As life becomes more dangerous, Renée and her sister are sent to hide in a Catholic convent school in Normandy. The story explores deep themes of fear, resilience, and the struggle to maintain one's identity while in hiding. It's an excellent choice for middle-grade readers as it handles mature topics with a child's perspective, focusing on hope and survival rather than graphic details, making it a powerful introduction to a difficult period in history.
Characters are in constant peril of being discovered, arrested, or killed. The tension is high.
Sensitive Topics
The book deals directly with the persecution of Jewish people during the Holocaust. The approach is not metaphorical; it is a clear-eyed account of lived experience. Topics include racism, family separation, and constant, life-threatening fear. The religious aspect is central, as Renée must navigate Catholic rituals while secretly holding onto her Jewish faith. The resolution is ultimately hopeful, as the family survives and is reunited, but it fully acknowledges the trauma and loss of the war.
Ideal Reader
A thoughtful, empathetic reader aged 10-13 who is learning about World War II and is ready to move from facts to personal narrative. This is for the child who wants to understand what it *felt* like for someone their own age to live through this history. It's also resonant for any child grappling with feeling like an outsider or having to hide a part of their identity.
Parent Prep
Parents should be prepared to discuss the historical context of the Holocaust and Vichy France. Key scenes to be aware of include the family's fear during the Paris roundups of Jews and the constant anxiety of discovery at the school. While not graphically violent, the emotional weight and psychological peril are significant. The book provides enough context to be read on its own, but a pre-reading conversation would be beneficial. The child comes home from school with questions about the Holocaust, asking, "What was it really like for the kids?" Or, a parent is looking for a way to introduce the topic that focuses on resilience and survival, as opposed to solely the horrors of the concentration camps.
Age Experience
A 10-year-old will likely connect with the adventure and survival aspects: the secret identity, the school life, and the relationship between the sisters. A 13-year-old will better grasp the profound psychological toll of hiding, the nuances of religious and cultural identity, and the story's place within the larger historical tragedy of the Holocaust.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many Holocaust narratives that focus on hiding in an annex (like Anne Frank) or the camps, this book's power comes from its depiction of "hiding in plain sight." It offers a unique perspective on the constant performance and psychological tightrope-walk required to survive in the open. Its focus on a survivor's complete journey provides a more hopeful, though still harrowing, entry point to the subject.
Read plot summary
This is the autobiographical story of Renée Roth-Hano, a young Jewish girl living in Alsace, France when the Nazis invade. Her family flees to Paris, where they face increasing antisemitic laws, food shortages, and the constant fear of being arrested. For their safety, Renée and her younger sister are sent to live in a Catholic girls' home in Normandy. There, they must hide their Jewish identity, navigating the complexities of a new faith and the daily fear of being discovered, all while separated from their parents.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Renée and Lily must pretend to be Catholic to stay safe. How do they try to keep their Jewish identity alive in secret? What parts of her identity do you think were hardest for Renée to hide?
2
The title is "Touch Wood," a phrase Renée's mother says for good luck. Where do you see moments of luck (or bad luck) in the story? How much of their survival was luck versus their own cleverness and bravery?
3
Renée often feels like an outsider, both as a Jew in occupied France and as a Parisian girl in a Normandy school. How does she find moments of belonging and friendship despite these challenges?
4
When Renée’s father is taken away for questioning, the family is terrified. How does this event change the way Renée sees the world and the danger they are in?
