Anya’s War

G/A Alban, Andrea. Anya’s War. New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2011. ISBN: 978-0-312-37093-0 188p. $16.99.

Fourteen years old Anya lives with her parents in Shanghai, China. Anya’s family came from Odessa, Russia and they are Jewish. Because Anya’s father was a war correspondence, the family resided in China. Stella, Anya’s mother, was an opera singer and she hoped that one day Anya will be a great opera singer like her. On the eve of World War II, Anya was startled by a baby girl on the pavement and spilled her grocery everywhere from her bicycle. She picked up the Chinese baby girl and immediately was attracted to her lovely face. She named her “Kisa” because she sounded like a little kitten. She wanted to send the girl away to the home of foundlings, but when she learned what happened to baby girls in China – most would be drowned. She picked up the baby and took her home. Trying to hide a baby from the entire family is not easy, eventually her parents discovered the truth and made Anya turn in the girl for adoption at the Jesuit Church. While she was going to the church, Anya’s younger brother, Georgi followed her. Eventually the mother of the baby came back for the little one. Georgi and Anya spent the rest of the day in the Great World Amusement Park. There were two Chinese plans overhead and one of them dropped a bomb onto the amusement park accidentally. Georgi broke his arm and Anya had blood all over her. They were sent to the hospital for treatment.

The story was based upon the experience of the author’s parents and grandparents. Even though the title was called Anya’s War, the story did not have too much details about World War II. It is mainly about Anya’s life and her dream. After the experience of her brother’s injury, she wanted to become a doctor in America. Dora Ho – Los Angeles Public Library, Youth Services.