The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival

A heartrending graphic memoir about a young Jewish girl's fight for survival in Nazi occupied Poland, The Girl Who Sang illustrates the power of a brother's love, the kindness of strangers, and finding hope when facing the unimaginable.

Born to a Jewish family in a small Polish village, Estelle Nadel--then known as Enia Feld--was just seven years old when the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939. Once a vibrant child with a song for every occasion, Estelle would eventually lose her voice as, over the next five years, she would survive the deaths of their mother, father, their eldest brother and sister, and countless others.

A child at the mercy of her neighbors during a terrifying time in history, The Girl Who Sang is an enthralling first-hand account of Estelle's fight for survival during World War II. She would weather loss, betrayal, near-execution, and spend two years away from the warmth of the sun--all before the age of eleven. And once the war was over, Estelle would walk barefoot across European borders and find remnants of home in an Austrian displaced persons camp before finally crossing the Atlantic to arrive in New York City--a young woman carrying the unseen scars of war.

Beautifully rendered in bright hues with expressive, emotional characters, debut illustrator Sammy Savos masterfully brings Estelle story of survival during the Holocaust to a whole new generation of readers. The Girl Who Sang is perfect for fans of March, Maus, and Anne Frank's Diary.

Author: Estelle Nadel, Sammy Savos, Bethany Strout
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Published: 01/23/2024
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.45lbs
Size: 8.65h x 6.34w x 0.57d
ISBN: 9781250247766
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 12/01/2023

About the Author

Estelle Nadel (1934-2023) was a Holocaust survivor, business owner, and devoted singer. Over the course of thirty years, she had shared her story with countless young people, and had her testimony recorded by the Shoah Foundation Institute and housed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. She is survived by her husband, three sons, and five grandchildren.

Sammy Savos is an illustrator, writer, and storyboard artist who has worked on shows at Cartoon Network, Titmouse, Inc., and ShadowMachine. She is most interested in storytelling, whether it be through comics or animation. The Girl Who Sang is her illustrator debut.

Bethany Strout is a longtime editor, living and working near Denver, Colorado.