Between 1944 and 1945, the nuns at the Guardian Angel House convent in Budapest, Hungary hid many young Jewish girls from the Nazis. The author's mother and aunt were among those children and this story is told from the aunt's perspective. The mercy and kindness of the nuns comes through repeatedly in the book as they cared for children during a very difficult period in history. We also learn how each group learned about the other's faith and the links between the two faiths. A well-written book geared toward younger readers. ( )

Reviewed by Amber Gibson for TeensReadToo.com

It is 1944 and Susan is scared. Although the war has been raging for years now, the Nazis are only now beginning to impose their ethnic cleansing ideals on Hungary. Papa always told the family that what happened in Poland, the Czech Republic, and other Nazi-occupied countries could never happen in Hungary. Even when Susan began to be ignored at school or when the grocer refused to sell food to Mama, Susan believed her father when he said everything would be okay.

But when Papa is sent away to work in a labor camp, Susan doesn't know what to believe anymore.

Mama wants the family to stay put - how else will Papa find them when he gets out of the camp? However, Mama's childhood friend, Aunt Isi, convinces Mama that it would be safer if, at the very least, the two girls go into hiding. There is a nearby Catholic convent that is taking in young Jewish girls and hiding them from the Nazis.

Susan is eleven and Vera is just six. Susan promises Mama that she will take care of her little sister, but she doesn't want to leave Mama and their baby brother, Tomas, behind. Who knows how long it will be before the family is reunited?

Luckily for Susan and Vera, the nuns at the convent are very warm and loving, welcoming the girls with open arms and willing to break the Nazi law to protect them. Susan soon makes friends with some of the other Jewish girls and begins a new life of her own, tending the vegetable garden and helping in the kitchen.

Forced to mature beyond her years, Susan learns the true meaning of courage and discovers that Catholicism and Judaism have more in common than she could have ever imagined. Even though they are of a different faith, the nuns always treated the other girls lovingly and with respect.

Kathy Clark's GUARDIAN ANGEL HOUSE is a thoughtful exploration of World War II from a unique perspective Clark has the advantage of retelling a true story: Susan and Vera are her aunt and mother. With the help of valuable research and a trip to the convent in Budapest, 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. ( )