Guardian Angel House.

Susan Merskey is freelance writer in London, Ontario.

It is 1944, and Susan is afraid. She knows that the world has become a dangerous place for Jews. Now that the Nazis have invaded Hungary, nowhere in that country, including her home in Budapest, is safe. But she is shocked when her mother decides to send her and her little sister, Vera, to a Catholic convent. What will happen to them in a place full of new rules and different rituals? The girls feel better when they discover they are not the only Jewish girls being hidden at the convent. But danger still surrounds them, and Susan and Vera learn the true nature of courage as the nuns risk their own lives to protect the girls in their care. After the war, the reunited family immigrated to Canada. They settled in Toronto, where Susan and Vera still live.

Author Kathy Clark is Vera’s daughter. Guardian Angel House is based on the wartime experiences of her mother, her aunt, and their parents in Hungary. Already familiar with her mother’s story, she was moved to write the book after she watched a Hungarian documentary about the nuns at the Sisters of Charity convent and realized that these were the nuns who had protected her mother and aunt. Less has been written about the Hungarian Jewish experiences than about other areas, and the author tells her story clearly and well. The book is another valuable addition to the Second Story Press series of Holocaust Remembrance Books for young readers. Recommended.