Shadow of His Hand: A Story Based on the Life of the Young Holocaust Survivor Anita Dittman

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.

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.

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.

There are lots of books for kids about Europe under the Nazis, most having similar plots about a Jewish kid who escapes to another country. In this unique book Anita, who actually endured the suffering in the story in real life, ends up in a concentration camp, but her developing faith in God makes Shadow of His Hand very positive. The writing is excellent and helps us to understand what life must have been like for kids in that time and place, and to appreciate our own blessings.