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.

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: