Guardian Angel House

by Kathy Clark

Overview

Mama had always told twelve-year-old Susan that there was no safe place for a Jew, especially in German-occupied Hungary in 1944. Susan is skeptical and afraid when she and her little sister, Vera, are sent to a convent to be kept “safe” from the Nazis. Susan and Vera find their lives transformed and soon discover the true nature of courage when they are sheltered by a group of nuns who risk their lives to protect them.

Guardian Angel House was the nickname given to a convent operated by the Sisters of Charity in Budapest that sheltered over 120 Jewish children in German-occupied Hungary during World War II. This book tells the story of author Kathy Clark’s mother and aunt, who were sheltered there by the nuns.

Includes historical photographs and notes about the author’s family and the Hungarian convent that became known as Guardian Angel House.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781926739830
Publisher:	Second Story Press
Publication date:	01/01/2009
Series:	Holocaust Remembrance Series for Young Readers , #10
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	236
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	9 - 13 Years

About the Author

Kathy Clark has published three books for children. Her first was a A Whisper In My Heart, followed by Guardian Angel House, which was part of the Holocaust Remembrance Series for Young Readers. It was inspired after watching a Hungarian documentary about the nuns at the Sisters of Charity convent in Budapest and realizing that these were the people who had rescued her mother and aunt during the Holocaust. Kathy lives in Kanata, Ontario, with her family.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 5–8—The Sisters of Charity of the Guardian Angel Convent in Budapest saved the lives of more than 100 Jewish children during World War II. Based on the experiences of her mother and aunt, Clark provides a compelling, fictionalized account documenting the courage and compassion of these nuns. Through the connections of their mother's childhood friend, Isi, a Catholic, 12-year-old Susan and her 6-year-old sister, Vera, are taken to the convent after their father is sent to a labor camp. They join other Jewish girls in hiding and quickly adapt to their new life. Their days are filled with prayer, chores, studies, and recreation. The nuns respect Jewish traditions, allowing the girls to light the Sabbath and Hanukkah candles and to conduct a Passover Seder, but they also teach them the rites and customs of Catholicism—both out of respect and for protection. And, when Budapest is under attack, the nuns create a shelter in the crypt beneath the church, risking their own lives to protect the girls from bombs and Nazi raids. Miraculously, Susan and Vera are reunited with their parents, who survived the war through the aid of Raoul Wallenberg, and again with the help of Isi, the family immigrates to Canada. Black-and-white photographs and an afterword help to bring the story and history to life. This is a touching and heartwarming tribute to the Righteous Gentiles of the Guardian Angel House and a highly readable, accessible resource to introduce students to the Holocaust.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

School Library Journal

"Kathy Clark’s Guardian Angel House is a thoughtful exploration of World War II from a unique perspective. Clark paints an accurate portrait of the young Jewish girls protected by the safe haven that the Catholic convent offered. Both tragic and hopeful, Clark molds non-fiction into an adventurous tale suitable for younger readers."

teensreadtoo.com

"Guardian Angel House offers a glimpse of some of the many small but heroic acts of the Holocaust — and an interesting portrait of an institution that reached out across any religious barriers to save the lives of many children."

Canadian Children's Book News

"The book is well told and fast paced. Young readers, especially girls, will admire the characters and find the book suspenseful and easy to understand, yet also very educational."

Canadian Jewish News

"The photographs of real people who lived through this experience combined with the war ravaged city and its landmarks provide the harsh reality of the girls' existence during the war. That the book concluded with the happy reunion of most family members demonstrates the strength of the human spirit and makes the reader aware, that, through even the most vile and horrendous attacks on humanity suffered by the Jews during the Holocaust, hope springs eternal."

Resource LInks

"A moving story with roots in fact, Guardian Angel House is a great way to teach young readers about the Holocaust through fiction."

Children's Bookwatch

"Kathy Clark has recorded the story of how her mother, Vera, and Vera's older sister, Susan, were saved in World War II by guardian angels—good people who risked their own lives to defy the Nazi juggernaut...Clark details aspects of their daily life so that children in the target age group will be able to identify with the difficulties and unhappiness the sisters experienced...The recreated story includes several heart-stopping moments, such as the time the girls barely escaped detection after the Nazis burst into the convent and the day an unexploded bomb was discovered in the yard...Guardian Angel House will prove to be a popular book in school libraries and for personal purchases. ***/4 Stars -Recommended"

CM Magazine

"A moving story with roots in fact, Guardian Angel House is a great way to teach young readers about the Holocaust through fiction."

Children’s Bookwatch

"This books serves not only as a reminder of the inhumanity of the holocaust, but also of the strength of will of the survivors of this most horrific period of history...Highly recommended."

Resource Links

"A thoughtful exploration of World War II from a unique perspective...Clark paints an accurate portrait of the young Jewish girls protected by the safe haven that the Catholic convent offered...Both tragic and hopeful, Clark molds non-fiction into an adventurous tale suitable for younger readers."

TeensReadToo.com