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Hiding in Plain Sight: Eluding the Nazis in Occupied France
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First published October 15, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 28, 2017
I picked this book up at the Holocaust Museum in D.C. last weekend. This is a memoir about one of the authors, Sarah Lew Miller, who was born into a large Orthodox Jewish family at the cusp of Germany's rise to power. She and her family lived in Poland until 1936, the year that she turned 10. Her Papa had left 5 years earlier to seek employment in Paris, France and after 5 years Sarah, her 6 siblings, and her mother had saved enough money to travel to Paris and be reunited with him. Unfortunately for Sarah and her family, within three short years, the German occupation of France occurred. So began their struggle to survive amidst the ever more repressive anti-Jewish laws that threatened their existence.
Thankfully, they were able to elude arrest and deportation with the help of kind, Christian neighbors. Eventually, Sarah's parents found "safe" havens for their eight children in several rural villages, while they remained hiding in Paris.
This is the remarkable story of Sarah, a young teenage girl, and her family and how they managed to survive the German Occupation of France for over four years.
I am thankful to have found this and to have read it.
Thankfully, they were able to elude arrest and deportation with the help of kind, Christian neighbors. Eventually, Sarah's parents found "safe" havens for their eight children in several rural villages, while they remained hiding in Paris.
This is the remarkable story of Sarah, a young teenage girl, and her family and how they managed to survive the German Occupation of France for over four years.
I am thankful to have found this and to have read it.
May 27, 2025
probably heavily distorted given 2012 is the year of first publication. 77 years later!
May 16, 2020
A quick read. Understandably, given the subject matter - a teenage Jewish girl's story of her family's survival during WWII, it's kind of hard not to compare it to the more famous work of Anne Frank. But it's not the same story - different countries, different situations, different outcomes. It lacks some of the intensity of the famed Diary, mostly because she, and her family, are able to basically continue to live their lives. They get jobs, they find places to live, they have neighbors and friends, they have people who help them and care for them. It's still a very poignant story, and a reminder of a time not all that long ago. And, of course, given the times we're living in, it's difficult not to also consider the lives of people around the world during the current pandemic, and the different levels of existence that different people, in various cultures, are experiencing. Well worth a read.
October 19, 2016
Another fascinating look at Europe (in this case primarily France) under Nazi control during WWII. It is told by a woman who was an adolescent and teenager growing up Jewish in France with her large family of parents and six kids. They had migrated from Poland to France ahead of the German takeover in Poland but soon found that even France wasn't a safe place for them. Once the Nazis took control of France they immediately did away with rights for Jews and put in place more and more restrictive laws that prevented them from working, using public transportation, and worse. While thousands of Jews in France were rounded up and sent to extermination or concentration camps, the author's family members managed to split up and stay hidden until the war finally came to an end. Great read for any WWII buffs and those interested in aspect of the Holocaust.
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May 26, 2025**Hiding in Plain Sight: Eluding the Nazis in Occupied France** by Betty Lauer is a harrowing, firsthand account of survival, resistance, and resilience during one of history’s darkest periods. Told through the eyes of a young girl, the memoir chronicles Lauer’s experiences as she and her family navigated the terrifying reality of Nazi-occupied France during World War II. It’s both a personal coming-of-age story and a detailed narrative of how ordinary people resisted extraordinary evil.
Key ideas and actionable insights:
* **Survival Required Constant Adaptation**
* The Lauer family was forced to relocate repeatedly, changing names, identities, and stories to avoid detection.
* False papers, coded language, and quick thinking were essential to staying ahead of Nazi and Vichy authorities.
* Action: Understand the value of mental agility and strategic flexibility in high-risk environments—adaptation was a survival skill, not just a choice.
* **Bravery Is Found in the Everyday**
* Courage often came in the form of small, deliberate actions—housing a stranger, delivering a message, or refusing to comply.
* Many French citizens who helped the Lauers were not soldiers or politicians, but farmers, teachers, and neighbors.
* Action: Recognize that impactful resistance can be quiet, moral, and rooted in everyday decisions.
* **The Role of Youth in Resistance**
* As a teenager, Lauer became involved in small acts of defiance, such as running errands for the French Resistance.
* The memoir underscores the unique burdens and insights of young people caught in war.
* Action: Acknowledge the potential of youth to contribute meaningfully in crisis, and support their moral development under pressure.
* **Identity Was Both Weapon and Threat**
* Being Jewish under the Nazi regime meant living in constant fear. Identity had to be concealed, suppressed, or reinvented.
* Names, accents, and mannerisms could betray someone—even unintentionally.
* Action: Appreciate the immense psychological toll of identity suppression, and the power of name, heritage, and cultural expression.
* **Community and Networks Were Essential**
* Survival often depended on underground networks, including the French Resistance and sympathetic civilians.
* The book highlights how trust, secrecy, and loyalty bound people together in dangerous times.
* Action: Build and protect community resilience—relationships and solidarity can be the strongest defense against oppression.
* **The Cost of Silence and Collaboration**
* Lauer recounts betrayals by collaborators and those who remained passive in the face of injustice.
* The contrast between helpers and informants shows how fear, ideology, and self-preservation shaped behavior.
* Action: Be aware of the ethical implications of silence—moral courage includes speaking out even when it's risky.
* **Trauma and Memory Shape the Post-War Experience**
* The book does not end neatly with liberation. The emotional scars of hiding, fear, and loss linger long after the war ends.
* Lauer’s retrospective voice is thoughtful, conveying both gratitude and grief.
* Action: Understand that survival is not the end of the story—healing requires time, acknowledgement, and narrative reconstruction.
* **Bearing Witness Is a Form of Resistance**
* By sharing her story decades later, Lauer contributes to the historical record and honors the unsung heroes of her survival.
* Her memoir is a testament to memory, truth, and the importance of preserving firsthand accounts.
* Action: Value survivor narratives—not just for history’s sake, but to inform present and future decisions about justice, tolerance, and moral clarity.
**Hiding in Plain Sight** is both intimate and historically rich. It reminds us that courage can be quiet, danger can be everywhere, and human dignity survives even under persecution. Through Betty Lauer’s eyes, readers witness the complex, terrifying, and ultimately inspiring journey of a family determined to live in defiance of tyranny.
Key ideas and actionable insights:
* **Survival Required Constant Adaptation**
* The Lauer family was forced to relocate repeatedly, changing names, identities, and stories to avoid detection.
* False papers, coded language, and quick thinking were essential to staying ahead of Nazi and Vichy authorities.
* Action: Understand the value of mental agility and strategic flexibility in high-risk environments—adaptation was a survival skill, not just a choice.
* **Bravery Is Found in the Everyday**
* Courage often came in the form of small, deliberate actions—housing a stranger, delivering a message, or refusing to comply.
* Many French citizens who helped the Lauers were not soldiers or politicians, but farmers, teachers, and neighbors.
* Action: Recognize that impactful resistance can be quiet, moral, and rooted in everyday decisions.
* **The Role of Youth in Resistance**
* As a teenager, Lauer became involved in small acts of defiance, such as running errands for the French Resistance.
* The memoir underscores the unique burdens and insights of young people caught in war.
* Action: Acknowledge the potential of youth to contribute meaningfully in crisis, and support their moral development under pressure.
* **Identity Was Both Weapon and Threat**
* Being Jewish under the Nazi regime meant living in constant fear. Identity had to be concealed, suppressed, or reinvented.
* Names, accents, and mannerisms could betray someone—even unintentionally.
* Action: Appreciate the immense psychological toll of identity suppression, and the power of name, heritage, and cultural expression.
* **Community and Networks Were Essential**
* Survival often depended on underground networks, including the French Resistance and sympathetic civilians.
* The book highlights how trust, secrecy, and loyalty bound people together in dangerous times.
* Action: Build and protect community resilience—relationships and solidarity can be the strongest defense against oppression.
* **The Cost of Silence and Collaboration**
* Lauer recounts betrayals by collaborators and those who remained passive in the face of injustice.
* The contrast between helpers and informants shows how fear, ideology, and self-preservation shaped behavior.
* Action: Be aware of the ethical implications of silence—moral courage includes speaking out even when it's risky.
* **Trauma and Memory Shape the Post-War Experience**
* The book does not end neatly with liberation. The emotional scars of hiding, fear, and loss linger long after the war ends.
* Lauer’s retrospective voice is thoughtful, conveying both gratitude and grief.
* Action: Understand that survival is not the end of the story—healing requires time, acknowledgement, and narrative reconstruction.
* **Bearing Witness Is a Form of Resistance**
* By sharing her story decades later, Lauer contributes to the historical record and honors the unsung heroes of her survival.
* Her memoir is a testament to memory, truth, and the importance of preserving firsthand accounts.
* Action: Value survivor narratives—not just for history’s sake, but to inform present and future decisions about justice, tolerance, and moral clarity.
**Hiding in Plain Sight** is both intimate and historically rich. It reminds us that courage can be quiet, danger can be everywhere, and human dignity survives even under persecution. Through Betty Lauer’s eyes, readers witness the complex, terrifying, and ultimately inspiring journey of a family determined to live in defiance of tyranny.
August 28, 2019
What an incredible survivor story! It did not take me that long to finish reading it. To see how the French lived in Nazi Occupied France was difficult to read about. It was such a dark period for everybody who lived there. Reading about the different resistance movements that were in France during that time was very interesting. It was the first time that I ever read about the Sixieme resistance movement. How they smuggled people out of France and into safe houses was incredible. They really knew what they were doing. I loved every word of this book and would highly recommend it to any one with a love of history, WWII, or survival stories.
December 9, 2023
stirring
This was very inspiring to read- how a family called do most anything to survive, how a young girl not in good health, could persevere. It lets one realize how deep down, if we want to survive, and it’s Gods will that we do, we can endure much to accomplish that.
This was very inspiring to read- how a family called do most anything to survive, how a young girl not in good health, could persevere. It lets one realize how deep down, if we want to survive, and it’s Gods will that we do, we can endure much to accomplish that.
August 31, 2018
I thought this book was good. Because it was pretty short, well written, and a must read for anyone that denies the past, I gave it a 4 versus a 3.
December 27, 2019
Definitely a must read! Excellent book!
November 28, 2012
I read this memoir in one sitting. The narrative style is wonderfully readable, and it really does feel like Sarah is sitting right beside you, telling you her story. It's a tale of bravery and familial dedication, and shows both the incredible hardships of Jewish families during WWII, as well as the seemingly miraculous occurrences that can eventually make whole families torn apart by war. An inspiring, heartfelt story; highly recommended.
December 7, 2012
A very inspiring Holocaust survival story of a young girl and her family in occupied France. Sarah Lew Miller does a terrific job in telling this terribly personal account of her hardships. I enjoyed her blunt honesty throughout the memoir.
January 18, 2013
The story is interesting, and I've never heard of an entire family escaping the Nazis, but the writing was kind of bland and undeveloped. Probably because English is the author's second (or third?) language.
January 5, 2013
Incredibly inspirational.....thank you, Sarah, for sharing your story with us.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews