The Girl Who Sang by Estelle Nadel & Sammy Savos

 

This morning, I finished reading The Girl Who Sang by Estelle Nadel & Sammy Savos. This graphic memoir is about Estelle, a vibrant Jewish girl once known as Enia Feld who lived in the small Polish village of Borek with her family and enjoyed singing. In 1939, shortly before she turned five years old, the Nazis invaded Poland and everything changed. Within four years, her parents, her older sister Sonjia, and her oldest brother Moishe were murdered by the Nazis. As time went on, Enia and her two older brothers, Shia and Minashe, had to rely on their neighbors to hide them. She even lost her voice. When the war was finally over, the three siblings crossed multiple European borders to the Ranshofen Displaced Persons Camp in Austria before they journeyed across the Atlantic Ocean to New York City.

This book was absolutely breathtaking. From the very beginning, I found myself caring deeply about Enia and her family. It was devastating when she lost multiple members of her family over the years and I wondered how she, Shia, and Minashe would survive. They had multiple close calls over the years and even decided to separate for a short period of time. What was most scary was when Enia and Shia were imprisoned in a basement jail cell and there was only a small window that they could escape through if they could reach it. Although Estelle's story is definitely dark at times, it ends with hope and shows the strength of family in the face of impossible odds. I also loved the beautifully detailed illustrations and really enjoyed learning more about the illustrator's process in the Behind the Scenes! section towards the end of the book. Additionally, the backmatter includes an afterword, notes from Estelle and Sammy, photographs, and resources. On the whole, The Girl Who Sang is a wonderful choice for anyone with an interest in the Holocaust and survival stories.