Narrator Beata Pozniak’s authentic accent carries listeners into this gripping true account of Stefania (Fusia) Podgorska. Fusia leaves her country home to live and work with the Diamants, a Jewish family in the town of Przemysl, Poland. Pozniak portrays how Fusia thrives with the loving family—until Nazis arrive and the Diamant family is sent to the ghetto and Fusia’s beloved Izio Diamant is transported to a concentration camp. As Pozniak contrasts the guards’ coldness with Fusia’s horror and guilt, she develops a plan to rescue Izio. Pozniak increases the tension as this compelling heroine juggles cold, poverty, and terror with nurturing her young sister, maintaining a job, and hiding 13 Jews in the attic of an apartment she has to share with Nazis. The author reads the afterword. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
The Light in Hidden Places
Narrated by Beata Poniak
Sharon CameronUnabridged — 16 hours, 11 minutes
The Light in Hidden Places
Narrated by Beata Poniak
Sharon CameronUnabridged — 16 hours, 11 minutes
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Overview
One knock at the door, and Stefania has a choice to make...
It is 1943, and for four years, sixteen-year-old Stefania has been working for the Diamant family in their grocery store in Przemysl, Poland, singing her way into their lives and hearts. She has even made a promise to one of their sons, Izio -- a betrothal they must keep secret since she is Catholic and the Diamants are Jewish.
But everything changes when the German army invades Przemysl. The Diamants are forced into the ghetto, and Stefania is alone in an occupied city, the only one left to care for Helena, her six-year-old sister. And then comes the knock at the door. Izio's brother Max has jumped from the train headed to a death camp. Stefania and Helena make the extraordinary decision to hide Max, and eventually twelve more Jews. Then they must wait, every day, for the next knock at the door, the one that will mean death. When the knock finally comes, it is two Nazi officers, requisitioning Stefania's house for the German army.
With two Nazis below, thirteen hidden Jews above, and a little sister by her side, Stefania has one more excruciating choice to make.
Editorial Reviews
01/27/2020
Cameron’s saga of life in wartime Poland under German occupation stretches from 1936, when 11-year-old Fusia first falls in love with city life on a visit to Przemyśl, through July 1944. Based on the experiences of then-teenager Stefania “Fusia” Podgórska, who, along with her younger sister Helena, was, in 1979, honored by the World Holocaust Remembrance Center for their heroism in saving Jews during the war, the book traces, in exhaustive detail, what that heroism looked like daily. Catholic Fusia doggedly persists in doing what she believes is right; when the Jewish family she has been living with and working for is sent to the Jewish ghetto, she sneaks food and supplies to them. Eventually she hides her friend, Max, and six (and later 13) other Jews in her and Helena’s apartment. Living in fear and under constant suspicion, Fusia holds down a full-time factory job, fends off a Polish officer’s advances, and undergoes several extremely close calls with the police, all while fiercely protecting Helena (an especially appealing character, sharp and savvy under her shy demeanor). This story of extraordinary survival is bolstered by an author’s note, accompanied by photos, that relates the happy future that followed for Fusia, Helena, and Max. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kelly Sonnack, Andrea Brown Literary. (Mar.)
Praise for The Light in Hidden Places:
A Reese's Book Club YA Pick
"Beautifully written and meticulously researched. Sharon Cameron captures the extraordinary story of one of history's hidden heroes. Every devastating moment is both gripping and powerful." — Ruta Sepetys, New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea
"Harrowing, heartbreaking, and yet so full of hope." — Jennifer Donnelly, New York Times bestselling author of Stepsister
"Haunting and lyrical. An incredible true story of bravery, survival, and defiance." — Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee
"Sharon Cameron's exciting novel weaves together the lightheartedness, sheer terror, and incredible inner strength of this young woman, my mom. This book exceeds all my expectations." — Ed Burzminski, son of Stefania Podgórska
* "Authentic writing and well-researched history combined with the gripping and terrifying subject matter make this a must-read for historical fiction fans. Cameron's remarkable, heartbreaking true story of one woman's bravery and selflessness in World War II Poland will intrigue both teens and adult readers." — School Library Journal, starred review
* "Cameron's wide-ranging research and deft storytelling abilities combine to create an astoundingly authentic first-person narration. Her exquisite prose conveys in riveting detail exactly what it was like for Stefania to live through the horrors she witnessed." — BookPage, starred review
"A true story of faith, love, and heroism. [Cameron] deftly details Stefania's brave actions and includes moving family photographs in the author's note... Readers will be pulled in by the compelling opening and stay for the emotional journey. An inspirational read." — Kirkus Reviews
"Empowered by thorough research — an author's note details events after the war — Cameron successfully conveys horror and bravery in this powerful and captivating novel. A memorable read." — Booklist
"Cameron's novel is heartbreakingly real in its attention to detail and its ability to pack emotional punches." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"This story of extraordinary survival is bolstered by an author's note, accompanied by photos." — Publishers Weekly
Praise for The Knowing:
* "Both a politically charged adventure and culture study, this thought-provoking dystopia stands firmly on its own." — Booklist, starred review
"Diverse, well-drawn characters abound, but in the riveting power struggles that ensue, women are dominant players, ruthless ideologues willing to sacrifice all that interferes with the goal. The intricately woven narrative threads come together in a suspenseful denouement sure to leave readers hoping for another installment." — Kirkus Reviews
"Wildly inventive yet somehow believable... For all of its fantastical elements... this companion novel is ultimately a story about two teenagers, Samara and Beckett, finding their places in the world, managing familial and societal expectations, and falling in love. Cameron is a writer of prime caliber." — School Library Journal
Praise for The Forgetting:
A #1 New York Times bestseller
An Indie Next List selection
* "Effective worldbuilding and strong characterization... A well-crafted fable for our time." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
* "This fantasy is a marvelous achievement." — School Library Journal, starred review
"[An] absorbing adventure." — Publishers Weekly
"The Forgetting is Sharon Cameron's fourth young adult novel, and she's grown adept at blurring the lines between fantasy, dystopian and science-fiction genres. Cameron reminds us, through Nadia's documented memories, that we must learn to appreciate the truth as much as question it, exploring the morality tucked within the fallacy of memory." — Bookpage, Top Pick
Praise for Rook:
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection
An Indiebound Indie Next Top Ten selection
Winner of the Parents' Choice Gold Award
"The suspense kicks right off in this action-packed tale, quickly wrapping readers up in the drama." — Romantic Times
"Full of derring-do and double crosses, this romantic adventure is thoroughly engrossing." — Kirkus Reviews
"Cameron crafts a brilliant homage to The Scarlet Pimpernel yet also manages to make her telling unique, particularly in... the many twists, turns, betrayals, and lucky breaks [that] will keep readers breathless until the very end." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Rook is sure to be a read all readers will remember." — Portland Book Review
Praise for The Dark Unwinding:
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection
Winner of the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award
"Utterly original, romantic, and spellbindingly imaginative." — USA Today
"Haunting thrills unfurl." — Entertainment Weekly
"Gripping twists, rich language, and an evocative landscape." — Publishers Weekly
"[A] singularly polished piece." — The Horn Book
"A strikingly original, twisty gothic tale that holds surprises around every dark corner." — Judy Blundell, author of What I Saw and How I Lied
Praise for A Spark Unseen:
"Gripping... [an] absorbing, intelligent adventure." — Kirkus Reviews
★ 01/01/2020
Gr 9 Up—One of nine children, 16-year-old Stefania Podgorska, "Fusia," leaves the farm in Bircza and moves to Przemysl to work for the Jewish Diamant family. Fusia, a Catholic, joins the Diamant household, but they are forcibly moved to the ghetto by Germans, leaving her behind as she scrambles to sneak food to them right under the nose of German patrols. After her secret love, Izio Diamant, is killed in a labor camp, grief-ridden, angry Fusia travels to Bircza to find that the Nazis have ruined both of her families, but she is reunited with her 6-year-old sister, Helena. Fusia begins a grueling factory job making screws and risks her own life and Helena's in order to hide Izio's brother, Max, and 12 other Jews in an apartment at Tatarska 3. Exhaustion and fear become her daily life, even more so when Nazis move nurses into her apartment, with 13 Jews hiding overhead. Authentic writing and well-researched history combined with the gripping and terrifying subject matter make this a must-read for historical fiction fans. VERDICT Cameron's remarkable, heartbreaking true story of one woman's bravery and selflessness in World War II Poland will intrigue both teens and adult readers. Recommended for purchase in both school and public library collections.—Laura Jones, Indiana State Lib., Argos
Narrator Beata Pozniak’s authentic accent carries listeners into this gripping true account of Stefania (Fusia) Podgorska. Fusia leaves her country home to live and work with the Diamants, a Jewish family in the town of Przemysl, Poland. Pozniak portrays how Fusia thrives with the loving family—until Nazis arrive and the Diamant family is sent to the ghetto and Fusia’s beloved Izio Diamant is transported to a concentration camp. As Pozniak contrasts the guards’ coldness with Fusia’s horror and guilt, she develops a plan to rescue Izio. Pozniak increases the tension as this compelling heroine juggles cold, poverty, and terror with nurturing her young sister, maintaining a job, and hiding 13 Jews in the attic of an apartment she has to share with Nazis. The author reads the afterword. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
2019-12-08
A true story of faith, love, and heroism.
Stefania "Fusia" Podgórska longed for nothing more than to leave the rural Polish farm she was born on for the city of Przemyśl where her older sisters lived. At the age of 12, she did just that, finding a job with the Diamants, a family of Jewish shopkeepers who welcomed her into their lives. For three years they lived peacefully until the Germans dropped bombs on Przemyśl. The family struggled on as the war and anti-Semitism ramped up, but eventually, the Diamants were forced into a ghetto. Then 17, Catholic Fusia was determined to help them survive, even at the risk of her own safety, while also caring for her 6-year-old sister, Helena, after their family was taken by the Nazis for forced labor. Knowing the risks involved, Fusia made a bold decision to harbor Jews. As the number of people she sheltered increased, so did her panic about being caught, but she was determined to do what was right. Cameron (The Knowing, 2017, etc.) used Stefania's unpublished memoir as well as interviews with family members as source material. She deftly details Fusia's brave actions and includes moving family photographs in the author's note. Narrated in the first person, the story highlights essential events in Fusia's life while maintaining a consistent pace. Readers will be pulled in by the compelling opening and stay for the emotional journey.An inspirational read. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 13-18)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940172368578 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Scholastic, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 03/03/2020 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Age Range: | 12 - 17 Years |
Read an Excerpt
I go to the door, pressing an ear to the wood before I turn the lock. The empty hall outside our room stretches to the other empty rooms of the empty apartment. As it should. Everything is as it should be.And then a noise shoots through the silence. Louder than a gun. A grenade of fear inside my chest. And I know the sound I have missed.Someone is knocking on my front door.They know. They know. They know.The words beat with my blood.Another mattress spring pops, and I feel Helena coming up behind me. She doesn't speak. She is six years old and doesn't have to be told that this is not the time for questions.The knocking comes again, louder, this time with a whisper through the cracks."Stefania?"It's a trick. The Gestapo want me to open the door without a fuss. So they don't have to break it down. So they can give a nice, unblemished apartment to some nice German officer and his law-abiding wife with clean hair and mended stockings.Maybe this means they will shoot us outside, like Mr. Schwarzer.The whisper comes again."Open the door! Fusia!"The Gestapo does not know me by that name.I run for the door, hands out, fingers already searching for the newly repaired lock. I know it isn't him. It can't be him. But I fumble and twist at the lock anyway, then fling open the door. Helena gasps. Or maybe the gasp came from me. Because the bare bulb hanging in the hallway has shown me that it's not him. It's not who I thought it would be at all.
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