Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson

 

Yesterday, I finished reading Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson. This biography in verse is about Zhanna Arshanskaya, a young Ukrainian Jewish girl who used the alias, "Anna", and her piano-playing skills to hide in plain sight and save herself and her younger sister, Frina, during the Holocaust. Zhanna and her family were living a charmed life when the Germans invaded Ukraine. Zhanna and Frina had to leave one of the world's top conservatories where they were learning to play piano and the Nazis forced them and their parents on a frigid death march. During this march, a guard turned a blind eye and Zhanna's father urged her to slip away and live. Although Zhanna initially thought she was alone, Frina showed up later having also escaped. Until the end of World War II, the two sisters adopted aliases and used their musical talent to survive. Their escape took them all the way from Ukraine to the United States where decades later Zhanna's granddaughter, Aimée Dawson, sent her a letter for a school history project asking her what life was like when she was thirteen.

This book was one of the most riveting true stories I have ever read. It was utterly fascinating how Zhanna and Frina could hide their Jewish identities while playing piano in public. I had never heard of a story like theirs before. I also really liked the use of poetry because the author used many different types. Two of my favorites were the shape poems, "Pyramid Scheme" and "Spinning Secrets". I also thought the reverso poem, "What Goes Around Comes Around" was compelling. After reading Just a Girl by Lia Levi and learning about how World War II and the Holocaust affected the lives of an Italian Jewish girl and her sisters, I enjoyed broadening my perspective through Zhanna and Frina's story, which showcased the struggles of Ukrainian Jews during the same time period. Although life was difficult for Zhanna and Frina, they showed a great deal of courage and strength through their journey. Their story is inspirational. Additionally, this book has tons of back matter, including notes, photographs, the letters, an afterward by Greg Dawson, a list of the music pieces Zhanna and Frina played, fascinating facts about Hitler, Stalin, and music, a list of places to visit to learn more, poetry notes, and lists of sources. Anyone who is interested in survival stories and how the Holocaust affected children should read Alias Anna.