Beyond belief by Dee White
Heroes of the Holocaust. Scholastic, 2020. ISBN:
9781760662516.
(Age: 12+) Highly recommended. Dee White's Beyond Belief is
a transformative story based on real events in World War II Paris.
Her detailed research, sensitivity and willingness to open the
readers' eyes to how Parisienne Muslims rescued Jewish children
during the Nazi Occupation is amazing.
Eleven-year-old Ruben is left by his Jewish parents at the Grand
Mosque. They need to look for his older sister and her husband. He
is told of a special saviour 'The Fox' who will come and take him to
safety. The young boy is at odds with the Muslim practices, he has
to learn how to pray, what to say and where to hide. The mosque
residents risk their own lives to save the Jewish children. Ruben
becomes Abdul quickly learning the different ways of life in this
Muslim haven. When the mosque is targeted by the Nazis he is forced
to flee with his friend Hana and her little brother Momo.
Richly evocative, capturing the sights, sounds, the desperate times,
Beyond Belief is very fast paced, providing insight into the
lives of their protectors and the Jewish children. The Heroes of
the Holocaust series shows courageous acts and brings insight
into the this time in history.
Rhyllis Bignell