Eva Wiseman

From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up-In 1944, in Budapest, Swedish Diplomat Raoul Wallenberg saved thousands of Jews from deportation to concentration camps by supplying them with Swedish passports. This novel is told from the perspective of Marta, a Jewish girl whose life is saved on several occasions by his intervention. Unfortunately, what could be a fascinating story about resistance to the Nazis becomes bogged down by too many subplots and underrealized supporting characters. Dialogue, rather than action, moves the plot, and Marta tells readers how she feels about the events around her, rather than reacting to them. The novel ends with the Soviet liberation of the city and a historical note details Wallenberg's exploits. An error in the historical note, however, states that Hungary was liberated in January 1944, not 1945. Lois Lowry's Number the Stars (Houghton, 1989) and Renee Roth-Hano's Touch Wood (Four Winds, 1988; o.p.) are more emotional and moving accounts of Jewish rescue from the Nazis.
Martha Link, Louisville Free Public Library, KY

Paperback. 240 pages. Ages 9-12