Customer Reviews

Shadow of His Hand: A Story Based on the Life of Holocaust Survivor Anita Dittman (Daughters of the Faith Series)

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Shadow of His Hand is the story of Anita Dittman, a young girl who survives Hilter's Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. Trials begin early for young Anita when her own father rejects her, favoring her older sister over her. Soon Anita, her sister, and their mother are cast out of their house by their Aryan father who says he will support them financially, but ultimately does not.

One Easter Sunday, Anita goes to church with friends and learns she has a Heavenly Father who will never leave her or forsake her. For the first time in her life, she feels protected and understood. Anita's life rapidly deteriorates into a lack of food, no home of her own, poor education, and little hope. But through everything, she clings to her newfound faith and belief in her Heavenly Father that he is with her always.

Wendy Lawton's Daughters of the Faith series is a must read for any young person. Her stories offer hope and courage and an understanding of what young women have gone through to exercise onto their faith. I highly recommend this series. Shadow of His Hand proves the series just keeps getting stronger with each book.

This heartrending tale set during Nazi Germany tells the real life survival story of Anita Dittman, who was born to a Jewish mother and German father. Writing the story of the Holocaust in a clear and sensitive enough manner for young readers is no easy task. Wendy Lawton handles the subject matter with great sensitivity.

I don't see how anyone who reads this book can remain untouched or uninspired by Anita's triumph through unimaginable horrors of prejudice at its absolute ugliest. She has every opportunity and many reasons to deny her faith and yet she stands firm. I have certainly been challenged to put my own trials into perspective. I highly recommend it for both children and adults.

What a powerful story to share with children of all ages as a testament to a faith journey in the midst of a grueling history.

With poignancy and precision Wendy Lawton shares the childhood years of Holocaust survivor Anita Dittman. We see into the heart of a young child trying to make sense of the growing hatred and confusion around her, beginning in her own family with her father's personal rejection. Her childhood is slowly stripped away from her as she and her mother and sister are labeled and forced into poverty and fear. At six she hears a boy call her 'Judenfratz', Jew-brat, and wonders why he hates her.

However alongside the external danger Anita's faith deepens as she comes to an understanding of her Heavenly Father. From her first moment of trust she feels His love in her heart,and that recognition of God's love for her never falters,despite death and deprivation all around her. She understood right from the beginning that God was not to blame for Hitler's regime, but instead was weeping along with His children. Though a child, her mature trust in her Heavenly Father gave witness then and now to the power of divine love even in the face of cruelty.

As the Nazis' power grows in pre-World War II Germany, Anita Dittman's childhood falls apart, one piece at a time. Her father abandons the family because her mother is Jewish. Anita, her mother, and her sister are forced to move into a crowded, run-down brownstone. School becomes a place of taunting, and Anita must give up her beloved ballet lessons. As the war begins, food is scarce, and soon the Nazis begin taking away friends and family. Despite the desperation around her, Anita's newfound faith in God blooms. Author Wendy Lawton doesn't shirk from the horrors of Hitler's "final solution" but tells her story with sensitivity and respect both for her readers and for the people whose lives she recounts. Middle readers will be captivated. This book, perhaps the best in the "Daughters of Faith" series, would also make an excellent supplement to study units on World War II.

While reading this story, I could almost put myself in Anita's thoughts and feelings. Her fear, her strength, her faith...amazing. I have recommended it to my 16 year old daughter, so that she could get a real feel for the Holocaust and the trauma and atrocities that occurred.

Highly recommended.

Wendy's new book, Shadow of His Hands, is written in such a way that you are taken back in time to see, hear and feel what Anita Dittman saw, heard and felt! It touched my heart to know that the story was true for no child should ever experience what Anita did. Written for children to understand and feel what it is like to be picked on and hated for what they believe but instead of getting bitter or wanting revenge,this book shows children how to depend on God for each day--some times each hour. Great job, Wendy!!! Highly recommend this book for not only children to read but those adults who need to know the truth about the Holocaust.

Anita Dittman gave up much in her brief childhood--dancing shoes, a teddy bear, her family, and nearly her life. Wendy Lawton paints a riveting picture of a real Jewish girl who struggled for existence during the Holocaust of Nazi Germany.
When others lost their faith, Anna Dittman was determined to find hers. I ached for this fragile girl who lived under the shadow of Hitler but survived under the greater hand of God.
The Daughter of Faith series has captivated this reader and Shadow of His Hand will inspire you as well.

I have read several of the books in Wendy Lawton's Daughters of the Faith series, inspiring stories of young girls who made a difference. Each one held my attention and caused me to identify with the main character. Wendy Lawton has written another winner in SHADOW OF HIS HAND, the account of holocaust survivor Anita Dittman.

The story opens when Anita is six years old and an aspiring ballerina. Soon all dreams of a dancing career are shattered-along with the lives of many of her family, friends, and neighbors in Nazi Germany. Anita's Aryan father deserts his family for political reasons. Anita, her Jewish mother, and her sister struggle with increasing persecution and hardships. The family is forced apart, and Anita and her mother end up in different concentration camps. When Anita escapes, just before the arrival of the Russian liberation army, she travels a dangerous course to find if her mother is dead or alive. Lawton shows the evil of the Nazi regime and the holocaust without excessive graphic details. Anita learns that no matter what, she can trust her loving heavenly Father.

This is the sixth and final book in the Daughters of the Faith series. Look for Wendy Lawton's new Real TV series books, CHANGING FACES and FLIP FLOP.

Author Wendy Lawton does a superb job bringing to life the true account of Anita Dittman and her survival in Nazi Germany. The reader experiences the humiliation, loneliness and despair that Anita endured first-hand. Yet,despite the horrific nature of her sufferings, Anita grows in her faith and continues to see God at work in her life.

The quick pace, realistic dialogue, and character development makes this a book most young people will read without wanting to stop. All of Lawton's books are well written, but this may be her finest in the series. As in the case with her previous works, Lawton includes a glossary to help children learn unfamiliar words

I am a huge fan of Wendy Lawton's work and I am pleased to announce she gets better with each book. It amazes me how she could make Anita's story so real all these decades after the Holacaust. This is much more than the facts. Inspiring seems such a simple word for this marvelous book, yet it is inspiring in so many ways. I particularly like the way she wove in Anita's forgiveness for her father. It's a testament to God's grace that this little girl grew into a young lady who could forgive. Each character is real and complete and added much to the story and the lessons being taught. Thank you, Wendy, for writing a series for young ladies who live in a time when real heroines are sometimes hard to find.