This book is frustrating due to its perspective. The story of the author's experiences as a Jewish child living in a French convent orphanage during World War II, it is told from the point of view of the six-year-old she was at the time. While this is somewhat original and charming, it is also irritating and I think it would have been better if there had been a detailed preface or something to give context to the tale.

Everyone at the convent knew Frida was Jewish; it was common knowledge. Although she practiced the Catholic faith, she had not been baptized and sat at the table alone when everyone else went up to get communion. Therefore I cannot understand why her presence there was not reported and why she was not, like the majority of French Jews, hauled away by the Nazis and killed. Frida, being so young, didn't really understand what was going on, but the adult author could have included some explanation without compromising the child's voice, I think. ( )

Usually I'm fascinated with stories of the holocaust, but couldn't get into this one and didn't finish. A French Jewish girl spends WWII at a convent school in the country. ( )