Hidden on the Mountain: Stories of Children Sheltered from the Nazis in Le Chambon
Grade 6-10–Through extensive research and visits to New York, Florida, Virginia, Switzerland, and France, DeSaix and Ruelle uncovered the amazing story of the thousands of children who were sheltered in the tiny mountainous French village of Le Chambon-sur-Lignon during the Holocaust. The first chapters provide readers with an introduction to World War II, the Vichy government, and the region in southern France of La Montange Protestante. Subsequent chapters contain first-person accounts by individuals who, as children, were hidden on the mountain, along with black-and-white photographs and an epilogue detailing their lives after the war. Profiles of local residents who were instrumental in rescuing, sheltering, hiding, and helping refugees escape to Switzerland are included as third-person accounts. The authors interweave useful information about the French Resistance and the various aid organizations that were committed to helping Jewish refugee children. While they explain their rationale for switching between the first- and third-person narrations, the fluidness of the text is ruined in the process, making it seem choppy and uneven. Regardless, the book is an invaluable resource for Holocaust educators, and many of the children's narratives would read beautifully out loud. It would also be a wonderful companion to the movieWeapons of the Spirit. Readers of novels such as Carol Matas'sGreater Than Angels(S & S, 1998) and Connie Colker Steiner'sShoes for Amelie(Lobster, 2005) who are interested in learning more about the courageous and heroic deeds of these villagers will findHidden on the Mountainfascinating and inspiring.–Rachel Kamin, Temple Israel Libraries & Media Center, West Bloomfield, MICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.