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

In the unsentimental, present-tense narrative voice of her childhood self, Molnar chronicles both her family's experience in rampantly anti-Semitic Communist Romania following WWII, and her personal awakening to her Jewish identity: All I know is that yesterday I wasn't Jewish and today I am. The adored only child in a multigenerational, cramped household full of combative, artistic personalities, Eva observes and reflects on conflict wrought by her family's forced downward mobility, hiding knives when tensions rise, and learning the art of secret keeping, both within the familial and public spheres. Comic books and novels provide escape for Eva, while stories quietly told to her by various family members reveal fragments of tragic recent history that prove enlightening as she seeks to understand adult behavior, particularly that of her distant, moody father. Finely wrought moments poignantly render the political and religious complexity of Eva's childhood: her best friend, a Christian, searches Eva's head for horns; her Jewish aunt delivers a Christmas tree; she learns that two Nazis saved her family's lives years earlier. Haunting images and humorous anecdotes combine to powerful effect in this impressive debut. Ages 12up. "(Apr.)" Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Gr 5 UpMolnar re-creates memories and family stories of living in postwar Romania, fleshing them out with dialogue that, while not exact, remains true to the essence of her experiences, resulting in a readable, informative, and engaging book. The only child living in a crowded flat with seven adults representing three generations, Eva is often the center of attention of her frequently squabbling anti-Communist relatives. Her life becomes more complicated when she discovers at the age of seven that she is Jewish. She tries to understand what this means, particularly in light of her father's undiscussed but hinted-at war experiences, but for once gets little help from her family. In the late 1950s, Eva's family begins the long process of applying to immigrate to Israel, and their applications result in nerve-racking visits from Communist government agents who search their apartment. Once the grandparents leave, a non-Jewish family is assigned to their room, making it unsafe for the family to communicate with one another at home. The drama isn't over when Eva and her parents finally get the chance to leave; a less- desirable route and her father's return for a missing camera cause some tense days. Enough history and background are included to help today's readers understand the context of Eva's family's situation without detracting from the story. The book would make an interesting pairing with Peter Ss's "The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain" (Farrar, 2007). Photographs of Molnar and her family are included."Nancy Silverrod, San Francisco Public Library" Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

"In this rich, insightful memoir, Molnar offers a child's-eye view of life in Romania in the late 1950s. [Her family is] a lively, eccentric bunch brought vividly to life in a simple first-person, present-tense narration.... Black-and-white family photographs illustrate this poignant, memorable memoir."

— "Kirkus"(STARRED)

"As Eva pieces together her family's history, a vivid story emerges; ranging from funny tender moments of family life to the horrific revelations of the Romanian holocaust, about which little has been written....[a] poignant, memorable offering."— "Booklist "

"Finely wrought moments poignantly render the political and religious complexity of Eva's childhood: her best friend, a Christian, searches Eva's head for horns; her Jewish aunt delivers a Christmas tree; she learns that two Nazis saved her family's lives years earlier. Haunting images and humorous anecdotes combine to powerful effect in this impressive debut.: —"Publishers Weekly "(STARRED)

"Under a Red Sky is full of odd, vivid details from a time and place in Europe that seldom figures in books for young adults." — "Wall Street Journal"

"a readable, informative, and engaging book" "—School Library Journal"

"Molnar reminiscences about the challenges faced by her Holocaust-surviving elders under a repressive regime, and the confusion she felt upon discovering she was Jewish, at the age of 8, when her parents applied for emigration to Israel." —"Tablet"