Resistance by Jennifer Nielsen
- kmayusd
- Aug 2, 2019
- 2 min read
Lone Star Book
Evaluation of Book
Told through the eyes of the main character, Chaya Linder, Resistance is a story to remember. Chaya is a 16 year old Jewish girl living in the Krakow ghetto during the Nazi occupation. Certain that her brother and sister are both dead, Chaya chooses to fight against the Germans and joins the resistance fighters in the Warsaw uprising.
Themes explored in this novel include heroes, strength, and resistance. There are many times throughout the story where the author shows the characters strength during this unimaginable time in history. Chaya is a hero when she risks her life to smuggle a baby out of the ghetto in hopes of a better life. There is discussion in the book about the meaning of resistance between Chaya and Esther. They have different viewpoints but I like how Chaya views it when she says,
Nielsen provides a balanced approach in the reactions of people to the Nazi occupation and her strong female characters are especially important for female readers today. Through it all she demonstrates the emotional toll that the Nazi invasion played in the lives of people. It is a very sensitive subject matter and Nielsen handled it well.
Response
I have always been intrigued by Holocaust and World War 2 historical fiction so this book was already in my pile of reading for the summer. When we lived in England, we took a trip to Germany and visited the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. It was an experience I will never forget. It’s still hard to believe that such terrible things happened during this time period.
Throughout the story I was amazed by the bravery of the characters. I always wonder if I would have been that courageous. I particularly enjoyed the conversations Esther and Chaya had with each other on their personal views of the situation. They spoke of faith and courage and choices. One conversation they had occurred on page 111-112 where Chaya says, “What good is faith if you’re dead?” Esther replies, “What good is life without faith? We’ll all die one day—no one escapes that fate. Our only decision is how we live before that day comes.”
Conclusion
Once started this book is a hard one to put down. Readers will enjoy the historical nature and drama of this well written story. It is both good for the classroom or an individual reader. I definitely recommend it.
Citation
Nielsen, J. A. (2018). Resistance. New York: Scholastic Press.
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