I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A woman must return to Nazi-occupied Germany to search for her missing husband and sons in author Clair Keidar’s “Hidden in Her Shadow.”

The Synopsis

She saved two of her children by fleeing Nazi Germany. To save the others, she would have to go back.

Germany, 1929. Sixteen-year-old Marsha Gottgold lives in a world of beauty, wealth, music, and privilege. The daughter of a prosperous Jewish family in Munich, she believes her future is already written, until she meets Moishe, a poor Jewish gardener whose humor, strength, and quiet tenderness change the course of her life.

Their love defies class, expectation, and the comfortable world Marsha has always known. Together, they marry, build a family, and try to believe that Germany will remain their home.

But by 1933, everything has changed.

As Hitler rises to power and hatred against the Jews spreads through the streets, Marsha and Moishe watch the country they once trusted turn against them. Their home, their fortune, their friendships, and their sense of safety begin to collapse under the growing shadow of Nazi persecution.

Then comes the impossible choice no parent should ever have to make.

To save their children, Marsha flees to Palestine with their daughters, while Moishe stays behind in Germany with their sons, still hoping the danger will pass. For a while, letters cross the distance between them, fragile proof that the family is still alive, still waiting, still dreaming of reunion.

Then the letters stop.

Haunted by fear and driven by a mother’s love, Marsha makes the dangerous decision to return to Nazi Germany and search for her missing husband and sons. In a world of informers, soldiers, hiding places, false papers, and unbearable loss, she will risk everything she has left for one chance to hold her family again.

Hidden in Her Shadow is an unforgettable, heart-wrenching World War II historical fiction novel of love, loss, courage, and family survival, perfect for readers who are moved by Holocaust fiction, Jewish family sagas, and powerful stories of mothers who will risk everything for their children.

THE REVIEW

This was such a powerful and moving read. The author did an incredible job of writing in an honest and visceral way to bring the horrors and tragic realities of life during WWII in Nazi-occupied territory to life. The chilling detail and the emotional stakes of the protagonist’s struggle to find her family were an instant draw for readers and played well to both the drama and historical fiction genres that this story seemed to embody.

The heart of the story was in the character arcs that the author crafted. The blossoming love story that begins this novel between Moishe and Marsha and how it came to be during the rise of the Nazi party was great to read, and the shocking hits their family takes as things escalate all around them and how their children react to the changes being made create an emotional pull that keep the reader invested in the narrative and attentive to the history and culture being brought to life in this book.

THE VERDICT

Heartfelt, engaging, and thought-provoking, author Clair Keidar’s “Hidden in Her Shadow” is a must-read historical fiction drama that will haunt and inspire readers all at once. Marsha and her family embody the experiences so many were forced to experience during a dark moment in human history, and the emotional pull of the character’s journey will keep readers fully immersed in this world until the book’s even more emotional final pages. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Clair Keidar is an author, artist, and screenwriter. She has published two books: Journey into the

Unknown, a fantasy novel for children and young adults, and Hidden in Her Shadow. The

original Hebrew edition of Hidden in Her Shadow was distributed and recommended by

Steimatzky, Israel’s largest bookstore chain. Clair lives in Israel and is the proud mother and

grandmother of three daughters and seven grandchildren.