Dark Shadows Hover: (Holocaust Books for Young Adults)

A young Bosnian-Jewish boy escapes transport to a WWII death camp, joining Tito's Partisans to fight the Nazi and Axis powers, and faces what no child should ever have to. This biographical fiction based on the early adolescence of Moris Albahari dives into the little-known events in the former Yugoslavia during World War II. Moris's harrowing story takes him from the small city of Drvar, Bosnia, escaping transport to a Croatian death camp, and eventually joining Tito's Partisans. Now, he must face the onslaught of the Nazis and their collaborators. As a Partisan, Moris hides his Jewish identity fearing reprisals. This adds a layer to the hardships he endures as a liberation fighter in a country that has many factions fighting each other, while trying to defeat the fascist invaders. All the while, he doesn't know if his family is alive. He feels alone within his fighting unit, except for a few trusted friends. His is a story of loneliness, grief, heartache, inner conflict, and ultimately the jagged edges of resilience. Moris's traumatic wartime experience will touch you with its heart-wrenching saga during the most heinous event in human history in a region steeped in its own long-standing history of conflict.

About the Author :
A former social worker and teacher, Jordan Steven Sher's work reflects the core values developed in those professions, but also those that underscore his desire to depict the challenges that humanity continues to face, and has yet to reconcile. He lives in Northern California with his wife, Pina. They have two adult children who continue to pursue their life's journeys in their own wonderful ways.

Review :
Dark Shadows Hover is the extraordinarily moving saga of one young man's unending bravery in the face of years of constant danger. Author Jordan Steven Sher masterfully weaves this chronicle of adversity, heartbreak and ultimately, triumph. Although Sher terms his work biographical fiction, this novel adheres quite closely to fact after remarkable fact: When World War II began, Moris Albahari was a young Sephardic Jew growing up in a small town in Bosnia. At the age of eleven, Albahari miraculously escaped a Croatian death-camp train. He survived a winter wandering alone in the frozen forests of Yugoslavia, then years as a teenaged courier and photographer with partisan guerrillas fighting against Nazis, Mussolini's Italians and Croatian fascists. Albahari is testament to the fact that the war produced not only unspeakable horror, but also remarkable heroism, even among those barely in their teens. However, Sher crafts this epic in a way to show that individuals like Albahari weren't one-dimensional superman caricatures, but real flesh-and-blood humans, displaying fear and vulnerability, as well as steely resolve and unwavering acts of self-sacrifice. -Matt Miller, retired foreign correspondent The Holocaust: as Jews, we inherently "Remember the six million" who perished at the hands of the Nazi regime. But what of the individual narratives behind this vast tragedy? It is a rarity to encounter a Holocaust story that embodies equal measures of sorrow and triumph, yet Jordan Steven Sher has gifted readers exactly this. Dark Shadows Hover is a fictionalized account of a Yugoslavian Jewish boy thrust into manhood when his only chance of survival is to join Josip Broz Tito's Partisan resistance. Students of history will find an exceptional guide to understanding both the Holocaust and Yugoslavia's role in World War II. Readers of every stripe will learn about a little-known hero, a boy clinging to his "lucky marble" as tightly as his Jewish faith. Sher provides a rich portrait of Moris Albahari, a humanist and activist who remained loyal to his Bosnian homeland and its diminished Jewish community until his recent death. -Dina Greenberg, author Nermina's Chance Sher's work of accessible biographical fiction deftly blends historical context and the close imaginings of an extraordinary life to captivate us with Moris Albahari's story. Based on personal interviews conducted by Sher and those conducted by the Shoah Foundation, Albahari's private writings, and historical research on wartime Yugoslavia, Sher draws us into the capricious landscape of the Ustasha state. Sher traces the wider progression of events through Albahari's story, letting us into the everyday moments of the lesser-known experience in Yugoslavia, enriched by the Ladino/Sephardic Jewish world that served as Sher's point of entry. This is the kind of book that will reach the inner world of readers and expand their ability to imagine the life struggles and achievements of another person in their deeply uncertain place and time. It is also suitable for young adult readers, who may wish to savor Albahari's favorite raspberry cookies and remember his life and legacy. -Rebekah Klein-Pejsova, Associate Professor of History, Co-director, Human Rights Program Purdue University