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59th out of 127 books
—
27 voters
Under a Red Sky: Memoir of a Childhood in Communist Romania
Eva Zimmermann is eight years old, and she has just discovered she is Jewish. Such is the life of an only child living in postwar Bucharest, a city that is changing in ever more frightening ways. Eva’s family, full of eccentric and opinionated adults, will do absolutely anything to keep her safe—even if it means hiding her identity from her. With razor-sharp depictions of...more
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published
March 30th 2010
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
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This book offers a realistic window onto and into the world of a Jewish child under the communist regime in Romania. Growing up in postwar Bucharest Eva lives with her extended family in one small apartment. This includes her grandparents, her parents, two uncles and one aunt. Eva is surprised at age 8 to discover that her family is Jewish (although readers will know it from the start). All of her relatives are unique and interesting. Her father, a filmmaker, survived the Nazi concentration camp...more
This was not a bad book; it's just a little dry to be in the YA section. It is told from - I believe - a 9-year old's perspective. I can't remember if she was 9 or 11, but I think 9. Most times the story seemed to be from someone younger.
There was a lot the child did not understand, which is fine, but it was never explained so the reader could understand it, which was quite frustrating. The questions the child had remained unanswered by the adults around her, so there was also no resolution for...more
There was a lot the child did not understand, which is fine, but it was never explained so the reader could understand it, which was quite frustrating. The questions the child had remained unanswered by the adults around her, so there was also no resolution for...more
A memoir of childhood under Communism, this book offers a real window into that world. Growing up in postwar Bucharest, Romania, Eva lives with her extended family in one house. This includes her grandparents, her parents, two uncles and one aunt. Eva is surprised at age 8 to discover that her family is Jewish, though readers will know it from the start. All of her relatives are unique and interesting. Her father, a filmmaker, survived the Nazi concentration camps. Her mother is a former balleri...more
Under a Red Sky: Memoir of a Childhood in Communist Romania, was well worth spending a few evenings reading if you enjoy history!
My interest in Jewish history started with The Diary of Anne Frank back in middle school and continued on through my adult life. This memoir was a reminder that there were Jewish people all over Europe struggling to get to Israel and out of places dominated by Nazis and Communists. It sent a strong message to me that I am profoundly lucky to live in a land where I am F...more
My interest in Jewish history started with The Diary of Anne Frank back in middle school and continued on through my adult life. This memoir was a reminder that there were Jewish people all over Europe struggling to get to Israel and out of places dominated by Nazis and Communists. It sent a strong message to me that I am profoundly lucky to live in a land where I am F...more
I don't read much memoir, but was looking for something a little different to read to Niko, something real, something of the world. I can't say he was riveted by the book, but I could tell Niko found the vastly different reality of late-1950s Communist Romania interesting. He asked many probing questions, and we paused frequently during the reading to talk about World War II, the Cold War, Stalinism ... topics most American children (and, sadly, many adults) have zero knowledge of these days. In...more
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This memoir relates a family’s experiences with living under communism in post WW II Romania. The author uses her childhood point of view, which is naturally limited. She recounts learning that she is Jewish and how it must be kept secret. I liked learning about Eastern European conditions for Jews under the communist regimes, and what they needed to do to survive such hostile circumstances. I would like to know more about Molnar as she grew up and became more aware, and would have appreciated a...more
Mar 28, 2011
Carrie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Teen fans of historical fiction and memoirs
Shelves:
nonfiction,
young-adult-literature
Eva Zimmerman (author's given name) shares the story of her life from around age 5 to 10, as she grows up in Bucharest, Romania, during Communist rule (1957-1961). Being an only child and beloved in a house full of eclectic adults, she observes the complicated relationships around her, discovers her Jewish heritage, and develops her own understanding of the politics affecting her family. The audience is unclear-- Eva's narration imitates that of a young child, but the mature content of the adult...more
Living in Communist Romania after WWII, life wasn't much better for the Jews than it was during the war. Eva, however, who is a child living with her parents, grandparents, and two uncles, and a an aunt, didn't know that she was Jewish. She did know that her family didn't agree with the Communist government and that their dream was to emigrate to Israel, where they wouldn't all have to live in one small apartment and where they'd be able to find better jobs and speak freely. Once she became awar...more
What I couldn't believe, during the entire time I was reading this memoir of life in Communist Romania, was how bad the housing shortage was and how Jews were still being persecuted in the late 1950's when I was born! Imagine, feeling lucky to be able to rent a bedroom in an apartment occupied by so many other people! Eva (the author Haya's original name) was lucky that everyone crammed into their apartment was related to each other, at least until her grandparents emigrated to Israel and their...more
This little girl, growing up in Communist Romania, had a large, loving family the shield her from the dangers that lurked just outside her door. It was forbidden to practice any religion, and the authorities were especially anti-semitic. The day to day struggles of seven adults and one child living in a small apartment were seen through the eyes of a young child, trying to understand her world, and worried that at any time her parents might become prisoners of the dreaded Securitat. I lost mysel...more
Eva Zimmerman/Haya Leah Molnar is upfront about the challenges in piecing a book together from her memories in her author's note at the beginning of the book. "The story is filtered through my memory," she writes, and also, "this is not a journalist's rendition of historical events but my personal story about growing up." Some names have been changed to protect people's privacy, and some conversations have been re-imagined, but the "essence" is true.
Her candor is evident throughout her story, wh...more
Her candor is evident throughout her story, wh...more
This memoir reminded me of Leaving Glorytown (they're even set at a similar time), exploring what it was like living under a Communist regime and what happens when you decide the Worker's Paradise isn't, well, paradise.
Here, Ms. Molnar's family is a group of Jews (something she's unaware of until about age 8) living in Bucharest. Her father was in a Nazi concentration camp and then Soviet lagers, her mother's family survived the war in Romania. Her stories of the deprivation they suffered (altho...more
Here, Ms. Molnar's family is a group of Jews (something she's unaware of until about age 8) living in Bucharest. Her father was in a Nazi concentration camp and then Soviet lagers, her mother's family survived the war in Romania. Her stories of the deprivation they suffered (altho...more
The story is of a Jewish girl in Romania post-WWII. Having lived in Romania, I was hoping for a further history into the communist lives. The story line was more of a surface read than delving into the throws of communism. Probably my biggest stumbling block of the book was the "adult" conversations that this 1st grader would have with her family. I would think being in the 1st grade in communist Romania in the 1950s, children would not have such a voice.
Good read, especially as a YA book. At the age of 8 Eva, a young girl living in Romania, finds out that she is Jewish. She has no idea what that means except that it is a secret. We see life in Communist Bucharest thru her eyes. We meet her crazy family - a group of wonderfully vivid characters. Life changes when the family applies to emigrate. An easy intro to Communist life without real horror or tragedy. Good for ages 9/10 and up.
even though WW2 is over, Jews still live repressed in Romania. This is a story of one young girl Eva who doesn't even realize she is Jewish -it must be kept hidden-until her parents apply for a passport to leave the country and go to Israel. Who knew this stuff still went on after the war??
Typical of Holocaust books, I could not shake the grey oppression that surrounded every day of this child's life in Communist controlled Romania. I don't doubt the value of this book in the World, but I just don't enjoy reading these kinds of things! That said, I very much liked the story and the characters, complete with a happy ending.
Great memoir of life of a young Jewish girl in Communist dominated Rumania of the 1960's. If you want to know the restrictive and threatening life under Communism, experience it through this girl's life. Good and appropriate reading (only a tiny bit of profanity).
Very real and very interesting, but I wonder if it might not be more interesting to adults than teens. The book could use a pronunciation guide and glossary for Romanian and Yiddish words, and a brief explanation of Romanian history and conditions would help the story as well.
A remarkable YA memoir. It is the true story of a young girl who grows up in Romania after WWII and does not even know that she and her family are Jewish until they try to leave and emigrate to Israel. Well written, and engaging. I learned a lot!
Good strong voice. The stories are obviously of an adult looking back on her past and not of a child. Well written and well organized.
This book was very interesting. I should rate it a five because for real life it was pretty fascinating.
This is a children's book no way meant just for children. Enjoyed it immensely; would easily make to the top 100 books in my list.
Wonderful memoir.
This memoir was extremely interesting. I did not know anything about Communist Romania before reading this book, but I felt like I knew a lot after reading this. The plot of the book was intriguing and well-developed. I would reccomend this to any lover of historical fiction or memoirs set in the past.
Historical fiction, 1950's, memoir, Romania, Jewish.
This was a wonderful read to learn about a family living in communist Romania. Reminds me again how lucky I am to be living in America where we have so many freedoms: choose our own professions, choose our religion, choose where we live, etc.
This was a wonderful read to learn about a family living in communist Romania. Reminds me again how lucky I am to be living in America where we have so many freedoms: choose our own professions, choose our religion, choose where we live, etc.
This is the story of a young girl growing up in Communist Romania. It was dull and difficult to get through because the author did not really do anything but tell her memoir. I am interested in the setting and time, but she did little to interest me in her characters or story.
This biography is a Junior Library Guild book for this month. I was interested in it because of its place in history. The story of a girl growing up in Communist Romania. Not the best historical fiction I have read, but interesting nevertheless.
Didn't finish...very, VERY slow in the beginning. I might try it again later.
May 16, 2013
Susanne
marked it as to-read
May 13, 2013
Carmen Barlow
added it
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