Customer Reviews

Katarina

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a wonderfully masterful account of a young Jewish girl and her life growing up in Slovakia during World War II. I stayed up late waiting to find out where she would hide next and when Aunt Lena and Uncle Teo would come back to bring her home. Much of the story, Katarina is unaware why she is considered Jewish because her family has never observed the religion and she has been learning Catholic ways on the side. Aunt Lena is a wonderful mother figure that takes the place of Katarina's real mother and father when they die. Uncle Teo is Aunt Lena's husband and not quite used to children being around, but an effective provider for the family before he goes into hiding. There was one part of the story that may need to be read together with a fifth grade level child. While Katarina is staying at the peasant house of Mariska, she is witness to Mariska and a male friend named Kubo that make noises and touch each other in the storage room while Katarina is hiding out in there. This would probably warrant a discussion for any curious minds. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the book is when she is in the orphanage being taken care of by the Protestant nuns and brother. It is certainly where Katarina feels the love of Sister Mara and Brother Martin. Brother Martin begins to share stories with Katarina about the war and it is obvious that he is on the side of the Partisans in Slovakia. After some exciting events at the orphanage the war finally comes to an end and Katarina heads back to her village to see if Aunt Lena and Uncle Teo are there waiting for her. This is a great book that I may include in a unit on World War II especially if studying the war from different countries and their perspectives.

"I'm sorry,Miss Lena. It's nothing personal, Katarina is a well-behaved little girl. But you know, my husband works for the government, we can't have a Jewish child coming to our home or skating on our property..." Katarina is a young girl living in Slovakia in 1942. Just because she is Jewish, Katarina is asked not to go play or skate at her best friend's house. This quote from the beginning of the book is an example of how Jewish people were treated at the start of World War II. They were asked to go away and were not trusted by Slovaks or Germans. Even though Katarina's family has never been very religious, she is considered Jewish by the government. Because of her religion, she is no longer safe. As the book goes on, Katarina is forced to live in one hiding place after another. She is scared, but has hope that one day everything will be back to normal again. This book is historical fiction. I think Katarina is worth reading and is good for discussion. I rate this book four out of five. I think girls will enjoy this book more than boys, and I recommend it for girls ages 10 to 15.

I really liked Katarina. It let me share what it was like during WWII. In some parts I felt like I was really there with Katarina and experiencing all that she was. I would recommend this book to any young girl.

I am in eighth grade, and I read all the time, and usually understand the books that I read.I was assigned Katarina for a world war 2 book report, but i couldn't get into it. Katarina is about 8 or 9 years old, and tells the story of her non practicing Jewish aunt and uncle and self in Slovakia near the beginning of the deportations of the Jews. in this book, one paragraph she is in hiding in an old barn, and the next she is at home painting easter eggs. there is no "remembering" or anything that clues you in to what is really going on,and as soon as you figure it out, she's somewhere else! I can't understand this book, so I did not enjoy it. However, i hope you all make your own decisions on whether to read it or not! you may like it!

Katarina was a touching novel of a young girl and her pursuit to find her beloved Aunt Lena during the War. She had no idea what Jewish really meant, and didn't understand why they were any different, being non-observant Jews and celebrating Christian holidays. Frustrated and scared she is forced to hide in a peasant household. The weeks turn into months, and when her Judaism is discovered, she is asked to leave. Katarina wanders alone from village to village, driven by the belief that when she returns home, everyone she once loved will await her by the end of the war.

This sensitive and complex narrative about childhood in Nazi-occupied Slovakia can be enjoyed by children, but was not originally written for them. Adults will be struck by its irony and deep understanding as well as by the extremely fine writing. It makes an excellent gift for readers from 9-90.

Katarina is a red-haired 7 1/2 year old left with her Aunt Lena during the Nazi occupation of her native Slovakia during World War II. She proves to be resourceful and brave when events force her to leave the relative safety of her aunt's home. We see the war through the experiences and eyes of the naive Katarina who becomes confused about her religious identity while hiding in an orphanage. I highly recommend this touching novel to young adults and adults interested in a first hand account (fictionalized) about the war experience told from the perspective of a young Jewish orphan.

'Katarina" is a work of fiction that tells the story of a young Slovakian Jewish girl during WW II. Katarina is an orphan who lives with her Aunt Lena and Uncle Teo.Though she is Jewsih by origin, she is non-practising and in fact is drawn to Catholicism, reciting the rosary and learning about the patron saints. Katarina really seems rather naive about the anti-Semitism around her, though gradually she does come to realise that she is 'different' from the other Slovakian Gentiles.

When Katarina's aunt and uncle do not return from a 'trip' [they had hidden Katarina with some Gentiles at a farm], the people who hide her begin to get agitated as they have not received payment for her upkeep, and eventually Katarina is thrown out to fend for herself. She wanders around seeking refuge and the book basically follows her through her travails.

Though the book is interesting, it is quite disjointed - it takes a while to figure out what time frame Katarina is in as she narrates her story. Events are presented but her thoughts are often jumbled and it is a bit hard to decipher the chronology of these events.

Other than that, it was refreshing to read about a Slovakian Jew's WW II experiences during the Holocaust [though it is historical fiction]. There are parts in which I'd recommend parents/teachers' supervision for younger readers due to some sensitive subject matter that may elicit lots of questions.

Katarina is all about the holocaust and the struggles they went through to survive. This book is hard to read. It's one of those books that doesn't have a happy ending. But it is good to read because it gives you information about the topic. I would definitely want you to read this book because it shows how brave they were.

Let me tell you a little about the book. There is a girl named Katarina and she is living in the holocaust years. Her family pretends that she has a fever so her family won't be taken away. After a time only she and her Aunt are left. When her Aunt leaves because she needs to take care of business in another country Katarina is left walking the streets until someone takes her to the orphanage. She spends about four years there. One day she finds out that a police officer is heading back to the where she used to live. They set out together but at one point Katarina decides to continue alone.

This is a good story on a historical topic. It's just not a fun story. I bet you are wondering what happens to Katarina. I won't give away the whole story but I'll provide a preview. She finds the town has changed a lot and she finds her old school teacher. I hope you read this book. I recommend it.

I began reading this book as an assignment for my history class but fell in love with it. I found the book to be amazing and something that I could relate to in a weird sort of way.