Helpful Score: 2
The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron is a YA novel based on the unpublished memoir of Stefania (Fusia) Podgorska. Stefania was a Polish Catholic teenager who hid thirteen Jews in her home during WWII, putting herself and her young sister at great risk from the Nazis. Novels featuring Polish Christian characters are rare in WWII fiction so I was particularly interested in reading this one.
It was an interesting choice to write Stefania's story in the YA genre since it's filled with many serious, life and death moments. I wish I'd known this was based on actual people before reading as that would have enhanced my experience, especially since I seldom enjoy YA. Their story is so dramatic, it almost feels unbelievable as fiction.
I highly recommend reading this title via audiobook as it's narrated by Beata Pozniak, a Polish-America actress who knew Stefania. While some may feel the audio is overly dramatic, in an interview at the end of the audiobook, Pozniak explains that her narration was a deliberate choice to infuse the character with the real woman's vibrant personality.
My husband is first generation Polish-American, and the proper pronunciation of Polish words warmed my heart and reminded me of happy memories with family members who have passed.
It was an interesting choice to write Stefania's story in the YA genre since it's filled with many serious, life and death moments. I wish I'd known this was based on actual people before reading as that would have enhanced my experience, especially since I seldom enjoy YA. Their story is so dramatic, it almost feels unbelievable as fiction.
I highly recommend reading this title via audiobook as it's narrated by Beata Pozniak, a Polish-America actress who knew Stefania. While some may feel the audio is overly dramatic, in an interview at the end of the audiobook, Pozniak explains that her narration was a deliberate choice to infuse the character with the real woman's vibrant personality.
My husband is first generation Polish-American, and the proper pronunciation of Polish words warmed my heart and reminded me of happy memories with family members who have passed.
