Synopses & Reviews
In Nazi-occupied France in 1941, four-year-old Ruth Kapp learns that it is dangerous to use her own name. "Remember," her older cousin Jeannette warns her, "your name is Renee and you are French!"
A deeply personal book, this true story recounts the chilling experiences of a young Jewish girl during the Holocaust. The Kapp family flees one home after another, helped by simple, ordinary people from the French countryside who risk their lives to protect them. Eventually the family is forced to separate, and young Ruth survives the war in an orphanage where she is not allowed to see or even mention her parents. Without the trappings of lofty language or the faceless perspective of history, this first-person account poignantly recreates the terror of war seen through the eyes of an innocent child. Your Name Is Renee is a tale of suffering and redemption, fear and hope, which is bound to stir even the most hardened heart.
Review
"This moving biographical memoir details the horrendous life in hiding so many Jews experienced.... Cretzmeyer weaves imaginative narrative segments with more historical passages, bringing both the personal experience of Ruth Kapp and the factual record of the time into unblinking perspective.... A book that blends passion and terror with hope and perseverance in the shadow of this century's most shameful moment."--Bloomsbury Review
"A compelling and cogent description of one brave individual's personal travail during the Holocaust. The Ruth Hartz story should be appreciated by all Americans who cherish human freedom and individual dignity."-Daniel Patrick Moynihan, U.S. Senator (New York)
"A beautifully written book that dramatically captures the family on the run through the eyes of the child and through her voice."--The French Review
"The facts of the story are gripping, and the child's ordeal is heart-wrenching... Those who are already interested in Holocaust accounts will find enough here to make this a worthwhile read."--School Library Journal
"Ruth Kapp's story supplies another piece of the history of the Holocaust... A compelling story, recommended for all collections."--Library Journal
"Well-turned book... Cretzmeyer weaves in historical background to situate young readers, and ... provides an unusually complete and clear account of a supremely turbulent experience."--Publishers Weekly
"Graphically documents the plight of Jews who were living in unoccupied southern France during WWII... The atrocities and effects of anti-Semitism are seen through the eyes of a four-year old who was then Ruth Kapp... Makes obvious the power of individuals to make a difference despite personal danger."--Kirkus Reviews
"Brings the horror of war to life."--Yellow Brick Road
"A wrenching yet uplifting book."--Dallas Morning News
"A powerful story of love and survival... I, personally, became very attached to Ruth's Uncle Heinrich, and kept strong emotions toward the characters throughout the book.... An important contribution to Holocaust Studies."--About.com
Review
"Well-turned book... Cretzmeyer weaves in historical background to situate young readers, and...provides an unusually complete and clear account of a supremely turbulent experience."--Publishers Weekly
"Ruth Kapp's story supplies another piece of the history of the Holocaust...A compelling story, recommended for all collections."--Library Journal
"This moving biographical memoir details the horrendous life in hiding so many Jews experienced.... Cretzmeyer weaves imaginative narrative segments with more historical passages, bringing both the personal experience of Ruth Kapp and the factual record of the time into unblinking perspective.... A book that blends passion and terror with hope and perseverance in the shadow of this century's most shameful moment."--Bloomsbury Review
"A compelling and cogent description of one brave individual's personal travail during the Holocaust. The Ruth Hartz story should be appreciated by all Americans who cherish human freedom and individual dignity."-Daniel Patrick Moynihan, U.S. Senator (New York)
"A beautifully written book that dramatically captures the family on the run through the eyes of the child and through her voice."--The French Review
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [211]-214).
About the Author
Stacy Cretzmeyer lives in Pawley's Island, SC. She is a counselor and is a founder and Coordinator of the Women's Advocacy Center in Counseling Services at Coastal Carolina University. She received her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of South Carolina.
Ruth Hartz was her French teacher at the Springside School in Philadelphia. She lives in Elkins Park, PA, and is a member of the Pennsylvania Holocaust Education Task Force.
Table of Contents
Escape : "The marshal is coming!" -- Waiting for papa -- Last train from Toulouse -- The raid at Uncle Oscar's -- In hiding : Arrest -- The town crier -- In the valats' cellar -- Interrogation -- A drive in the country -- The convent of Soreze -- The rabbi's prayer -- Liberation : Reunion at Arthes -- Paris.