Review by ChaniT -- Hidden: Nistar by Batya Casper
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ChaniT
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Review by ChaniT -- Hidden: Nistar by Batya Casper
[Following is a volunteer review of "Hidden: Nistar" by Batya Casper.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Who would have thought a book about World War II could captivate the reader and fill them with emotions that last even after the story has finished.
Well Batya Casper has done it with her Novella, Hidden: Nistar, which is actually two novels in one.
The first book is entitled Hidden and carries you on a Journey of a Jewish family in Israel.
It opens with Mr. Lazamof, a Russian Jew, laying dead at the bottom of the stairs in his home.
His housekeeper, Rosa, finds him and automatically suspects murder.
His young granddaughter, Tikvah, has always lived with her grandparents, never knowing her parents with no one willing to answer her questions about them.
A strange woman appears on the day of the funeral stating she is a relative of the family, yet no one has ever met her before.
Tikvah learns from the stranger that a mysterious woman lives upstairs as a recluse in what she thought was a storage closet. This story immediately begins with unanswered questions followed with flashbacks that left me frustrated at first; however, the author then gives the backstory which left me with compassion for the characters and resolution to the mystery.
The second book, Hanover Gardens , is set in England during WWII. In this book, you follow the lives of children, understanding the cruel effects war has on these individuals in society. Myra and Annie Feld are Jewish refugees from Holland sent to England for safety. Mr. Feld knew Arthur, Billy and Claire's father, so they were boarded on a boat and sent to England to live with his family until the war was over. Through their eyes you learn of the conditions of living on the boat, effects of being in a strange country, and the fear of never knowing when or if they would see their parents again.
You also see how Billy and Claire deal with their father going off to war, strangers who speak different languages residing in their home,and how their once normal life is replaced with fear and uncertainty. You see how a mismatched band of refugees grasping for hope during troubled times learn to live together as a family.
The descriptions the author uses to guide you on this journey leaves a haunting image in your mind and compassion in your heart.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it really makes the reader understand lifestyles, trials, and fears of living what it was like during this Era.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested or just curious about life during WWII.
I really enjoyed reading this book and loved how the author uses descriptive words to entice our senses and make us actually feel as if we are part of the story.The only dislike I had was the flashbacks in the first book, Hidden
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Hidden: Nistar
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Who would have thought a book about World War II could captivate the reader and fill them with emotions that last even after the story has finished.
Well Batya Casper has done it with her Novella, Hidden: Nistar, which is actually two novels in one.
The first book is entitled Hidden and carries you on a Journey of a Jewish family in Israel.
It opens with Mr. Lazamof, a Russian Jew, laying dead at the bottom of the stairs in his home.
His housekeeper, Rosa, finds him and automatically suspects murder.
His young granddaughter, Tikvah, has always lived with her grandparents, never knowing her parents with no one willing to answer her questions about them.
A strange woman appears on the day of the funeral stating she is a relative of the family, yet no one has ever met her before.
Tikvah learns from the stranger that a mysterious woman lives upstairs as a recluse in what she thought was a storage closet. This story immediately begins with unanswered questions followed with flashbacks that left me frustrated at first; however, the author then gives the backstory which left me with compassion for the characters and resolution to the mystery.
The second book, Hanover Gardens , is set in England during WWII. In this book, you follow the lives of children, understanding the cruel effects war has on these individuals in society. Myra and Annie Feld are Jewish refugees from Holland sent to England for safety. Mr. Feld knew Arthur, Billy and Claire's father, so they were boarded on a boat and sent to England to live with his family until the war was over. Through their eyes you learn of the conditions of living on the boat, effects of being in a strange country, and the fear of never knowing when or if they would see their parents again.
You also see how Billy and Claire deal with their father going off to war, strangers who speak different languages residing in their home,and how their once normal life is replaced with fear and uncertainty. You see how a mismatched band of refugees grasping for hope during troubled times learn to live together as a family.
The descriptions the author uses to guide you on this journey leaves a haunting image in your mind and compassion in your heart.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it really makes the reader understand lifestyles, trials, and fears of living what it was like during this Era.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested or just curious about life during WWII.
I really enjoyed reading this book and loved how the author uses descriptive words to entice our senses and make us actually feel as if we are part of the story.The only dislike I had was the flashbacks in the first book, Hidden
******
Hidden: Nistar
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci by Belle Ami
