Release: August 4th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Sky Pony
Source: Amazon
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N
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In the aftermath of the Holocaust and World War II, a young Jewish immigrant struggles to fit into her new home as she combats bullying and jealousy from the other children
Israel—A group of young school girls are sitting together, when a stranger appears. They take in the girl’s ragged dress, long hair, and tattered purple teddy bear. And they immediately hate her. Who is she? Why is she here? Is she from over there?
In this historical fiction, we come to know of the children living in a small kibbutz, a type of community in Israel, post World War II and the Holocaust. When Miriam, an immigrant from Poland, arrives, the other children are immediately suspicious and wary. In particular, Michal the class queen, is immediately jealous of Miriam when her boyfriend befriends her and the adults rally around her.
The Girl from Over There follows the relationship between Michal and Miriam, as the latter struggles to fit in with the other kids. Michal struggles to come to terms with both her jealousy and the horrors that Miriam, as well as friends and other newcomers, faced during the events of World War II.
Israel-born author penned this when she was just 11 years old.As such this story pieces together both fiction and actual testimonies and memories of her Holocaust-survivor family members. Despite detailing the horrific treatment on Jews in war-torn Europe, this compelling narrative will leave you hopeful for a better future.
About the Author:
Kfar Shmaryahu, Israel. was Sharon Rechter’s birthplace. She received both her undergraduate and law degree from The Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya College in Israel. Sharon is the co-founder and President of First Media, a lifestyle media company that focuses on clever ways to live better . She is also a public speaker on topics like entrepreneurship, women in leadership, Israeli startups, and more. She wrote The Girl from Over There when she was just 11.
The Girl from Over There Review:
This was a very heartwarming story. Its short and sweet but touches your heart.
The author describes the life of immigrants during the Nazi persecution of Jews in a realistic manner. Miriam is wonderful as the main character and shines throughout the story. Similarly, Leah, Rachel and Manek are wonderful as the supporting cast.
In fact, I loved Manek and Leah’s back story. It was truly moving and heart-breaking. Also, Dan is wonderful and I really liked how he formed a bond with Miriam, whenever no one else would. Although this is a middle grade novel, its still difficult to follow passages depicting the unspeakable ordeals of the people.
The author also touches on other key issues like bullying. Michal is awful towards Miriam for the most part, yet turns out to be the better person. The world would be much better if people followed Miriam’s example to be empathetic and forgive and forget. Illustrations by Karla Gerard also add beautifully to the story. Being colorful and childlike, they add a very nice touch. On a side note, I also improved my vocabulary learning terms like ‘kibbutz’.
However, the only minor issue I had in the story is the use of language. As this is targeted for a younger audience, there were some harsh language used in the dialogues which I felt was inappropriate. However, this was seldom used in the story and was not too much of a concern.
To sum up, this was a beautiful, touching and educational story which I would highly recommend.
