by R. D. Rosen
First published 2014
R. D. Rosen examines the experiences of Jewish children who survived the Holocaust by hiding their identities. The author traces how these young survivors navigated wartime dangers while concealing who they were. Many lived with non-Jewish families or in institutions under false names. Others hid in forests, basements, or other refuges for months or years. Rosen documents their psychological struggles during and after the war. These children faced unique challenges rebuilding their identities and reconnecting with any surviving family members. The book explores how they processed trauma while transitioning back into Jewish communities or creating entirely new lives. Rosen draws from interviews and historical records to show how hidden children coped differently than other Holocaust survivors. The work reveals the long-term impact of living in constant fear while severing connections to family, culture, and identity during formative years.
Genres: holocaust, history, 20th-century, biography-memoir, 21st-century, jewish
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, family-secrets, trauma
Setting: Europe
Period: World War II
304 pages · Kindle Edition · Harper
Content warnings: child-abuse, emotional-abuse, war