My Canary Yellow Star

by WISEMAN, EVA

• ISBN13: 9780887765339
• ISBN10: 0887765335
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-10-02
• Publisher: Tundra Books

Summary

The Second World War was a time of terrible injustices. It was also a time of incredible bravery.My Canary Yellow Staris the remarkable story of one of the last century's greatest heroes, Raoul Wallenberg, who was responsible for saving as many as 100,000 lives. Young Marta's life in Budapest has been shattered by the war. First, her school closes. Jews are prohibited from attending classes. Then her father, along with other able-bodied men, is arrested and sent to work digging ditches on the eastern front. The family's apartment is confiscated, and Marta, her brother, and her mother must share cramped space with her aunt and cousin. Food, warm clothing, and any kind of personal freedom have all but vanished. Jewish life becomes more and more confined as the old people, women, and children are forced into the ghetto. From there, the next step is the waiting cattle cars and the concentration camps. But Marta's family is lucky. They are numbered among those who could be saved by the efforts of Raoul Wallenberg. Among the few points of hope was this extraordinary Swedish diplomat. Raoul Wallenberg issued papers to thousands of Jews, declaring them to be Swedish citizens. Wallenberg was questioned by the Russians after the war and disappeared, possibly to die in Siberia. An international movement has been in place for decades to press Russia for news of his fate. Although details of his death remain a mystery, he has come to represent courage and justice in the face of great evil.

Author Biography

Eva Wiseman is herself from Hungary and has spent many years researching her book on Raoul Wallenberg. She is the author of A Place Not Home, selected to the New York Public Library’s Best Books for the Teen Age List. She now makes her home in Winnipeg.

Table of Contents

The Occupation	1	(13)
The Canary Yellow Star	14	(15)
The Theft	29	(30)
The Yellow-Star House	59	(29)
Shabbos Dinner	88	(16)
The Schutz-Pass	104	(13)
Denounced	117	(12)
The New Year	129	(15)
Remembrance	144	(8)
Ten Long Days	152	(14)
Mr. Wallenberg	166	(10)
Rose Hill	176	(12)
Death March	188	(14)
Reunion	202	(8)
The Ghetto	210	(11)
Liberation	221	(7)
Epilogue	228	(2)
Historical Note	230	(3)
Glossary	233