Under a Red Sky: Memoir of a Childhood in Communist Romania

By Haya Leah Molnar

Book Overview

Eva Zimmermann is eight years old, and she has just discovered she is Jewish. Such is the life of an only child living in postwar Bucharest, a city that is changing in ever more frightening ways. Eva's family, full of eccentric and opinionated adults, will do absolutely anything to keep her safe--even if it means hiding her identity from her. With razor-sharp depictions of her animated relatives, Haya Leah Molnar's memoir of her childhood captures with touching precocity the very adult realities of living behind the iron curtain. Under a Red Sky is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374318409
• ISBN13: 9780374318406
• Release Date: March 2010
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.03 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.8" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 7 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

a moving page-turner

Once you start this poignant memoir, you won't be able to put it down. A fascinating coming-of-age story that touches upon a range of themes and subjects--among them immigration, self-reliance, family intimacy and secrets, Jewish life and faith, the nature of childhood friendships, duplicity, discrimination, and life in a post-WWII Communist country--this book is as appealing and compelling for adults as it is for younger readers. But ultimately, it's the beautifully rendered details and the lovable but prickly family members depicted who keep this engaging narrative moving and make it unforgettable.

moving, poetic and informative

The book really gives you an idea of a child's experience and viewpoint. It sheds light on a time and place which I knew very little about. The characters are vividly portrayed and the book is beautifully written. There are images that are surprising and evocative. "Under a Red Sky" is a wonderful book for all ages.

Thoroughly Enjoyable!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves to read about families, culture, historic fiction and more. Once I started, I put everything else aside and read this book from cover to cover. The author is a masterful story-teller ... you feel the deep love within this family in spite of the dire circumstances as the author lovingly shares this brief but highly significant part of her life. This book is a wonderful example of how our childhood experiences and family beliefs form the foundation of our lives.

Great

This is a beautifully rendered memoir of life under Communist rule. The author's eye for detail makes this a powerful first hand account of life after the second world war. But most important, this book is a great read for all ages. I highly recommend Under A Red Sky.

Vivid, Warm & Tender = A Winner!

What a lovely book this is. I could not put it down. The narrator - a young Romanian girl - has a sweet, unassuming voice that guides the reader through what life was like behind the Iron Curtain for a Jewish family - and it is enlivened by the distinct personalities of her surrounding family. It is totally charming.