Someone Named Eva

Someone Named Eva
Author Joan M. Wolf
Genre Historical fiction
Publisher Clarion Books
Publication date
 2007
Media type Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages 200
ISBN 0-618-53579-9
OCLC 71266346
LC Class PZ7.W819157 Som 2007

Someone Named Eva is a young adult novel by Joan M. Wolf. It concentrates on the life of Milada, an eleven-year-old Czech girl who lives during World War II, after Hitler annexes Czechoslovakia during the years 1942–1945.

Plot summary

Milada, a young Czechoslovakian girl, lives in the village of Lidice. She doesn't understand at first when the Nazi soldiers came to her house, separating Milada, her mother, her younger sister Anechka and her grandmother. Her father and her older brother, Jaro, are separated from the rest of the family, and taken elsewhere.

Milada, her mother, grandmother and Anechka are held together with the rest of the female inhabitants of Lidice in a school building. She is tested by doctors there who measure her nose, eyes and color of her hair. With her "perfect" features and blonde hair, Milada fits the [the perfect German girl] .She is sent to a center outside of Pucshkau, Poland, along with one of her classmates and several Polish girls. She is separated from her family. While in the center, Milada is renamed Eva and the other girls are renamed too. The camp is brutal. As hard as she works to remember, she forgets a little about herself in the process. She spends two years around other girls including Siegrid, Elsa, Gerde, Leisel, and Franziska. Elsa had to leave with her younger sister Heidi.

Once judged sufficiently trained, she is adopted by a German family from Fürstenberg near [Berlin]. The Werner family is composed of Vater, (father in German) who is a high official at the Nazi government, Mutter (mother), and Elsbeth and Peter, her [adoptive sister and brother]. While there, she notices a horrible smell that penetrates the house most of the time. She later learns that that smell is from the bodies being burnt in the Ravensbruck camp, where Vater works at.

One day, as she is walking back to the house after a picnic with Elsbeth, Eva hears the Czech anthem being sung. Coming closer, she discovers a concentration camp with female prisoners. This brings back memories, enabling Milada to see clearly who she really is. Elsbeth explains to her that this is the Ravensbruck concentration camp, and that her Vater is the head of the camp.

By April 1945, the Nazis are losing on all the war fronts and Berlin is encircled by the Russian troops. Vater and Peter decide to go hiding and separates from the rest of the family, while Mutter, Elsbeth and Eva move to a shelter made in the [basement] to protect themselves. In May, Soviet [Red Army] troops come and ask for the [documents] left by Vater in his office, but Mutter tells them that she is not aware of anything. They leave without causing any harm to the family, but having tore apart the house inside, and taking everything in Vater's office.

A few days later, Hitler is declared dead and the war is over.

Some time after, someone who works for the [Red Cross] Association comes to the house and announces that Milada's mother is alive and she has launched a search for her daughter. Milada recognizes that she is the person they are looking for. At that moment Eva is Milada again. She is taken back to Czechoslovakia.

She meets her mother in Prague, discovering that she was indeed detained in Ravensbruck, a few steps away from the Werner household. Milada also learns that sadly her father and brother, Jaro, along with all the other men and teenage boys were shot by the German Nazis near a barn and then buried in a massive grave the same day after they were separated. She also learns that her grandmother died in the Ravensbruck concentration camp because of her old age. Her sister Anechka was adopted into a German family and the Red Cross is looking for her.

Milada's mother was in poor condition, but managed to recover over time. Once they were ready, they return to Czechoslovakia, Lidice but discover that their house, as well as all other houses in Lidice, were completely destroyed and burnt down by the Germans. Milada and her mother live at the house of their cousin in Prague. Milada has to learn the Czech language nearly from scratch. Milada and her mother get closer again as they tell each other what happened during the horrific times of their separation. Finally, Milada manages to recover her true identity and pride.

Awards

References

    Associated Press. "Secret Nazi "Lebensborn Children Go Public." Msn online posting. Europe on Msnbc.com. Msnbc, 4 Nov. 2006. Web. 22 Feb. 2011. <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15548608/>.

    "The 'Lebensborn' Program (1935-1945)." Jewish Virtual Library. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/Lebensborn.html>.

    "Lidice-memorial." Lidice-memorial. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.lidice-memorial.cz/default_en.aspx>.

    "Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award." Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.rcyrba.org/2010Resources.htm>.

    "Revealed: Nazi Scheme to Kidnap 'Aryan' Children from Occupied Countries." Mail Online. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-486964/Revealed-Nazi-scheme-kidnap-Aryan-children-occupied-countries.html>.

    "Someone Named Eva." CCBC Recommended Books. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/detailBook.asp?idBooks=3063>.

    "Stolen Children." Jewish Virtual Library. Web. 22 Feb. 2012. <https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/children.html>.

    External links