Act of Faith by Kelly Gardiner

Act of Faith is a book about books, about freedom, and about friendship. It’s an adventure story set in an era when ideas were dangerous and many books were banned: 

when an educated young woman was not only unusual but sometimes feared. 

A novel for young adults, it traces the story of Isabella Hawkins as she travels across Europe in search of a place where writers are free to publish, women are able to work, 

and people are free to dream.

Publisher blurb: A story of faith, intrigue and adventure in 17th-century Europe. Ages 14+

When ideas were dangerous, one girl found the courage to act. England, 1640. Sixteen-year-old Isabella is forced to flee her home when her father's radical ideas lead him into a suicidal stand against Oliver Cromwell's army. taking refuge in Amsterdam and desperate to find a means to survive, Isabella finds work with an elderly printer, Master de Aquila, and his enigmatic young assistant, Willem. When Master de Aquila travels to Venice to find a publisher brave enough to print his daring new book, Isabella accompanies him and discovers a world of possibility - where women work alongside men as equal partners, and where books and beliefs are treasured. But in a continent torn apart by religious intolerance, constant danger lurks for those who don't watch their words. And when the agents of the Spanish Inquisition kidnap de Aquila to stop him printing his book, Isabella and Willem become reluctant allies in a daring chase across Europe to rescue him from certain death.

Act of Faith was published in 2011 but it is still available. Here is an interview with the author about the inspiration for her book. You can read a sample of this book on the publisher page. This timeline will help you identify the major historical events that link to the setting of this book. Here are some very detailed teachers notes and discussion questions. 

Read this review for a very detailed account of the plot. 

Awards

• Children’s Book Council of Australia Notable Australian Book 2012.
• Highly commended, Australian Society of Authors’ Barbara Jefferis Awards 2012
• Shortlist, 2012 Gold Inky Award
• Shortlist, Ethel Turner Prize, NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

The cover of this book caught my eye as I was assisting with a library stocktake (inventory) in a local school. This is not really a book for readers in a Primary School - it will better suit Young Adult readers aged 13+ mainly because it covers a complex period of world history around 1640; the print is very small; and there are some graphic details of executions. 

Here is the sequel from 2013

Bookseller blurb for The Sultan's Eyes: It’s 1648, and Isabella has made a home for herself in Venice, safe from the clutches of the Inquisition. She, her friend Willem, and their mentor, the irascible Signora Contarini, work together as printers and publishers. Their publishing house is famous throughout Europe for one title: The Sum of All Knowledge, a revolutionary book of history and philosophy that has brought them - yet again - to the attention of the authorities. Then Isabella’s nemesis, Fra Clement, is appointed Inquisitor in Venice, and vows to stamp out heretical printing. Isabella knows she will no longer be safe in the city, and, guided by their learned cartographer Al-Qasim, the three friends make their escape to the one place they feel sure Fra Clement will never follow: the fabled city of Constantinople, now ruled by the Ottoman Empire. 

They are greeted as esteemed guests, in a city where beautiful books are still written and illustrated by hand, and mechanised printing is frowned upon. Isabella and Signora Contarini are welcomed into the royal household, ruled by the all-powerful Queen Mother, Kösem, in the name of her grandson, the child-Sultan Mehmet IV, who lives in the Palace’s legendary Golden Cage. Isabella quickly becomes friends with the boy king and his elder sister and acts as Mehmet’s eyes: she reads to him and teaches them both the languages of antiquity and of Europe. Engrossed in her duties, she doesn’t at first notice that Willem is besotted with a young slave girl called Suraiya - or that Signora Contarini and Al-Qasim are involved in an underground movement to bring the printing press to the Ottoman Empire. And none of them notice the mysterious foreigners who follow their every move. For the famous Sultanate of Women is far from serene. Court politics and an impending war with Europe place Isabella and her friends in danger - from forces within the Golden Cage, and beyond.

Adult readers who enjoyed The Dictionary of Lost Words might also enjoy Act of Faith.

Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan

Take a look at the labels I have assigned to this post - curiosity, friendship and fear.

Safiyyah lives in the mosque in Paris. The German army have marched into the city. Luckily, they are not persecuting the Muslim residents of Paris and people are still able to attend the mosque. Safiyyah's father works at the mosque and her family live in one of the apartments. Everyone is living in fear. Safiyyah has two dreadful encounters with soldiers on her way to school and on her way to deliver medicine to an elderly Jewish man. 

Safiyyah's parents, especially her father, are smuggling Jewish people out of the city. Safiyyah becomes a messenger, so she has even more reason to be dreadfully afraid. Luckily, she is an intelligent girl and also luckily, she is incredibly curious. This means she finds out many more details about the rescue of Jewish people who are using the mosque so they can then escape to safety. She knows many more details than her father would have ever planned to tell her. Near the end of the book this information becomes vital as the men including her father are detained in the main prayer room and it is now up to Safiyyah to help over fifty people urgently escape. The tension in this book is so real and certainly keeps you turning the pages.

As with all the best books for Middle Grade and Upper Primary readers about the events of World War II, this book is told as a first-hand account from the point of view of a young child. I have added a few others at the bottom of this post including some special picture books that I used to share with my Grade Six students.

'Safiyyah's War has the soul of a classic & the urgency of a story for our times. A tale of tolerance, unthinkable bravery, and heart-in-mouth true events. I loved this book' - Kiran Millwood Hargrave

'All at once, Safiyyah's War broke my heart and filled me with immense hope. With its unforgettable characters and exquisite storytelling, this really is an extraordinary book' - A F Steadman

'Safiyyah is a protagonist I was rooting for all throughout; a lovely, kind-hearted girl whose story filled me in turns with despair and joy. This book shines through with kindness and empathy at its very heart' - Nizrana Farook

This is a high-octane venture suffused with sheer terror that Safiyyah’s family’s activities will be discovered by the wrong people. There are two important relationships which stand out, particularly the evolution of Safiyyah’s interactions with her father and of her growing respect for him and his work. The other one is with her beloved grandmother, Setti, who exerts a calming and wise presence and has some of the most profound ideas of the novel. Historical Novel Society

This is both a gripping and moving novel. Hiba Noor Khan brings her detailed research to life and introduces us to many less familiar aspects of occupied Paris. The plot is full of suspense and builds to a thrilling climax. Safiyyah is a courageous and compassionate heroine who reminds us that anybody can make a difference. Just Imagine (read this review for more plot details)

Listen to an audio sample from chapter one page 3.

Companion book:

Beyond Belief

You could type any of these titles into my search bar - all of these would be fabulous to share with a reader aged 10+ who has read Safiyyah's War or who has an interest in the events of  World War II.

The First Book of Samuel by Ursula Dubosarsky

Let's begin with these three very different covers.  The First Book of Samuel was written in 1995 and so it is long out of print (sadly). It was a CBCA Honour Book (Older Readers) in 1996 and a NSW Premiers Award winner in 1995 so I think it should still be in print. The winner that year was Pagan's Vows by Catherine Jinks. The First Book of Samuel is a Young Adult book so to my eye the first jacket design is misleading. If you saw this title in a shop today you might think this is a book for a younger child.  The second cover looks a little 'too adult' and more mysterious than the actual story written by Ursula. I think the third cover, by Anne Spudvilas, is just right. 

Here is the blurb:

"On his twelfth birthday, Samuel Cass disappeared. Most of this story happened when Samuel was nearly twelve, and Theodora, his half-sister, just thirteen. But stories only happen because of all the things that happened before, no matter how small and sudden, or how large and terrible they may have seemed at the time. If the past had been different then perhaps Samuel wouldn't have disappeared. But the circumstances of his birth, the holiday when he was a baby, the mysterious, tragic past of his beloved grandfather, and even his own name - his own sense of self - all lead to a quiet vanishing, a dramatic rescue and a perfect discovery."

The things that happened before:

"Samuel was his father's last child, and his mother's first. His father, Elkanah, also had five daughters, but only the youngest of these, Theodora, lived with Samuel and his parents. The other four lived with their mother, Elkanah's first wife, Pearl."

The family take a holiday to Papua New Guinea:

"He caught malaria when he was just seventeen months old but nobody knew it. ... the disease slumbered deep inside him, like a salamander buried in the desert sand; comatose, innocuous, only struggling to the surface when the rain fell at last. And it would fall, as rain always does, bringing its own particular devastation." 

Who is Samuel?

"Gentle as a baby, Samuel had grown into a quiescent infants, a taciturn toddler, and a rather gloomy kindergarten pupil. He was the kind of child who speaks slowly and is rarely driven into fits of passion that express themselves in beating limbs and rising screams."

Who are the characters in this book?

Samuel

Theodora - she like to write everything, everything, everything down as she observes life

Hannah - mother to Samuel and step mother to Theodora

Pearl - mother to Theodora

Elkanah - father to Samuel and Theodora, opera singer

Elias - father to Hannah and grandfather of Samuel "Samuel knew nothing about Elias's family except that they were all dead. They had all been murdered all those years ago in Europe, half the world away, when huge armies gathered against each other, guided by terrifying figures on black-and-white newsreels, with black moustaches and jerking hands thrust high in the air."

Rhody - father to Pearl and grandfather to Theodora

Randolph Butcher - a new friend who comes to visit Hannah.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Samuel himself is such an authentic character. Life is confusing and he has great difficulty expressing his thoughts and worries as his noisy family bump and crash around him. Samuel is part of a complex family structure. In other books I have found the focus on step children and various marriage partners contrived and unrealistic but in The First Book of Samuel it helped me feel such huge empathy for this young boy.  Equally the story of the Holocaust and the horrific events endured by Elias, Samuel's grandfather, were perfectly placed and paced in the story. At no time did it feel as though the author had an agenda or a need to preach to her reader.

I missed reading this book when it was first published. Luckily for me a friend who works in a school library invited me to look through her boxes of culled books. I was able to retrieve some books I wanted to read.  All were in very poor condition and certainly need to be disposed but the pages were intact so I am now working my way through the pile. On her web page Ursula gives a link to the bible story of Samuel. I had no idea about this story but my ignorance did not alter my enjoyment of this book. 

Here is another book cover - and this one looks perfect to my eye - it is the German edition:

Theodora's Gift (2005) is the sequel to The First Book of Samuel and yes it is also out of print. Both of these books are on the NSW Premier's Reading Challenge book list for 7-9 so you might be lucky and find a copy in a High School library.  I need to keep my eye out for a copy. Here are two very different covers:

I had talked previously about some books by Ursula Dubosarsky especially her book Leaf Stone Beetle.  Ursula Dubosarsky is our 2020-21 Australian Children's Laureate. 

Beyond Belief by Dee White

"Won't Rabbi Solomon be angry if he finds out I am going to a 

Muslim house of prayer? I am not Muslim. I'm Jewish."

"Many of the children here are Jewish. But the people who hide us and keep us safe, they know about the danger outside these walls. They risk their lives to help us."

"It is written in the Quran. Allah says that to save one man's life is to save the whole of mankind."

Having read these text quotes now take a look at the Book Trailer - it is chilling.

Publisher Blurb: Inspired by the true story of Muslims who saved the lives of Jewish children in the Second World War.  In 1942, in the Grand Mosque in Paris, 11 year old Ruben is hiding from the Nazis. Already thousands of Jewish children have disappeared, and Rubens parents are desperately trying to find his sister. Ruben must learn how to pass himself off as a Muslim, while he waits for the infamous Fox to help him get to Spain to be reunited with his family. One hint of Rubens true identity and he will be killed. So will the people trying to save him.  But when the mosque is raided and the Fox doesnt come, Ruben is forced to flee. Finding himself in the south of France, he discovers that he must adjust to a new reality, and to the startling revelation of the Fox's true identity.

Read these reviews for more plot details:

Dim's Write Stuff : White has crafted Ruben's quest for freedom with care and insight. Rather than taking centre stage historic and cultural facts are infused into the hearts of her characters so that their pain and suffering, their simple joys and expectations are felt vicariously through every page turn.

The Book Muse: Learning these stories enriches our understanding of the history we know, and the history we do not know.

Beyond Belief is a CBCA Younger Readers Notable book for 2021. As you would expect from a holocaust story, this book does contain some very harrowing scenes but it is also an important story about an aspect of the holocaust which you may not know.  I would give this book to mature readers aged 11+.  There are two books on the Notables list this year with a World War II setting (We are Wolves) and both have allowed me to discover different aspects of this period in history. 

Background reading:

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The Street Spirit - The Mosque That Sheltered Jews

Yadvashem - Hidden Children In France During the Holocaust

Here is the web site for Dee White where you can hear her talking about her book. Here is a set of teaching notes for Beyond Belief and a set of activities. If you are sharing this book with an older Primary group - I would suggest Grade Six, or a High School class - I would begin with this book The Children we Remember and you could read text extract using Chapter 36 of Beyond Belief:

Companion reads to follow Beyond Belief:

Girl 38

White Bird

If you would like to do further reading on the rescue of Jewish children in Paris this book looks promising:

Just a Girl by Jackie French

"Because you have strength, girl. You and Baratha. You bought meat to your family. You girded your skirts about your loins, even though the women scoffed. You fought for your family. I saved you because you have the strength of love. You were never just a girl."

Actually the title of this book needs to be changed to NOT just a girl because Judith's work ethic, ingenuity, problem solving, care of her family and resourcefulness are inspirational

In the middle of the night Rabba, the grandmother, wakes Judith and demands to be carried away from their home, away from the village, out to the wadi. Judith is told to also take her little sister Baratha and the family's goat.  When she returns for their sleeping pallets she sees Romans arriving. They break down the gates to her village and begin their attack. As Judith watches she sees them kill her mother and cries silent tears as her sisters abducted.

It seems Rabba knew an attack would come. The wadi contains so much food. "It was a cave, the biggest I had seen ... crammed with chests and pots and giant amphorae all stopped with clay or wax."

The little group can survive but what of their future?  To complicate things a young man arrives. Caius is a slave on the run. Judith knocks him down with her slingshot not knowing he will become an important ally. Caius is a Christian. Rabba, Judith and Baratha are Jews.

Running alongside the story of Judith, her grandmother Sawtha Rabba and little sister Baratha is the story of Mary, Joseph and Jesus. Mary is not "just a girl".  Rabba knew Mary, known as Maryiam, as child in Jerusalem. As she recounts stories of childhood we gain a different view of this famous woman Mary, mother of Jesus, beyond the story of the famous birth in a stable.

One real strength of this story comes from the vivid way Jackie French creates each scene. Here is an example where Judith is attacked in the wadi by wolves.

"I sat up and saw the flash of red eyes peering through the cave's opening, glinting in the dim firelight. ... A black shape slinked across the cave .. A second wolf leaped over me in a foetid reek of fur and urine. I felt its fur brush my face."

Here is a brilliant set of teaching notes from Robyn Sheahan-Bright. You can also find a list of further reading including an extensive list of web sites. Here is a detailed review. I will make an early prediction that this book - Just a Girl - will be short listed for our CBCA awards in 2019 in the Older Readers category.

One of the first books I ever read by Jackie French was Tajore Arkle. I still count it among my most favourite books. In my mind there is a strong connection between this earlier book from 1999 and this new title Just a Girl. I do hope the publishers might consider reprinting Tajore Arkle. Here is a review of Tajor Arkle.

Sam I am by Ilene Cooper

A few years ago a new topic was introduced for our Grade 3 students called People and their beliefs.  In this topic the children learn about some of the major religious beliefs in the world.  We have an extensive collection of books on this topic in our Non Fiction section.

Sam I am takes up this theme from the point of view of a family where the dad is from a Jewish family and mum is an Episcopalian Christian.  The sticking point comes with holidays like Easter and most especially Christmas.  The compromise they have developed is called a Hanukkah Bush.  Sadly as Christmas approaches the energetic family dog knocks over the tree breaking it and most of the delicate vintage decorations.  Mrs Goodman is so upset she refuses to replace the tree and so the stage is set for a very different Christmas this year for Sam and his family.  Meanwhile Sam struggles with his first boy girl friendship/relationship, a term in school where the topic is the holocaust and the family tensions surrounding these different religious beliefs.

This book is only suitable for Senior Primary students because Sam's holocaust assignment takes up about one third of the book but teachers of younger grades could read extracts. The explanations of Hanukkah are a little overstated but would be useful for students with no background knowledge of this festival.  There are also extensive details about the bar mitzvah of Avi, Sam's best friend.  Here is a web site for the author where you can read a detailed re-telling of the plot.  Here is a review.  I did not purchase this book for my school library and I am not sure where it came from but it would be a good book for a Senior student who is interested in religion or the holocaust.