Hidden Gold

Burakowski’s account of her mother’s family’s experiences during the Holocaust is based on the memories of the one surviving member, youngest child David. The Golds are well-off Jewish merchants in Pinczow, Poland, when anti-Semitism begins to grow. When Nazis invade Pinczow, 12-year-old David, his two sisters, and mother—separated from the children’s father—flee in search of refuge, ultimately spending 26 harrowing months in a hidden crawlspace in a barn. The story of a Polish-Jewish family forced into hiding from the Nazis is by its very nature compelling, and the Golds’ familial bond and undaunted spirits are commendable, as is David’s memory for detail. However, the book suffers from wooden writing (“Not only was she probing for information, but also she was also genuinely concerned for this woman”), an overwhelming cast of characters (Burakowski jumps from one point of view to another), and occasional errors in the use of Polish names. The final chapter tells the fate of each family member, and a glossary of Polish, Yiddish, Hebrew, and German words is provided. Ages 14–up. (Oct.)