Young Adult Fiction Prejudice & Racism
Rachel's Secret
- Publisher
- Second Story Press
- Initial publish date
- Apr 2012
- Category
- Prejudice & Racism, Europe
- Recommended Age
- 13 to 18
- Recommended Grade
- 8 to 12
- Recommended Reading age
- 13 to 18
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781926920467
- Publish Date
- Apr 2012
- List Price
- $6.99
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781926920375
- Publish Date
- Apr 2012
- List Price
- $12.95
Classroom Resources
Where to buy it
Description
Rachel is a Jew living in Kishinev, Russia. At fourteen, she has dreams of being a writer. But everything is put on hold when a young Christian man is murdered and Rachel is forced to keep the murderer’s identity a secret. Tensions mount and Rachel watches as lies and anti-Jewish propaganda leap off the pages of the local newspaper, inciting Christians to riot against the Jews. Violence breaks out on Easter Sunday, 1903, and when it finally ends, Rachel finds that the person she loves most is dead and that her home has been destroyed. Her main support comes surprisingly from a young Christian named Sergei. With everything against them, the two young people find comfort in their growing bond, one of the few signs of goodness and hope in a time of chaos and violence.
About the author
SHELLY SANDERS is the author of Daughters of the Occupation (Harper, 2022), a Canadian bestseller for four weeks. The novel is inspired by the discovery of her Jewish roots as an adult, and by her grandmother’s family, many of whom were murdered during the Latvian Holocaust. Carol Memmott, of the Washington Post, says this “haunting novel refers not only to the victims of Latvia’s Holocaust but also to their descendants, who carry the trauma of their ancestors.”
Shelly is also the author of three Young Adult historical fiction novels (The Rachel Trilogy, Second Story Press); the first received a Starred Review in Booklist, and two of the three were named Notable Books for Teens from the Association of Jewish Libraries.
Follow Shelly on Twitter @shelly_sanders and on Instagram: fictionbyshellysanders
Librarian Reviews
Rachel’s Secret
This story is set during the anti-Jewish pogroms in pre-revolutionary Russia where Rachel, a Jew, dreams of being a writer. But everything turns upside down when her Christian friend, Mikhail, is murdered, and the blame falls on the Jewish community. Rachel, knowing this is a lie, turns to Sergei, a young Christian man, who struggles with the role his family and community have played in the violence.Source: The Canadian Children’s Book Centre. Best Books for Kids & Teens. Spring, 2012.
