3.5 stars

This is part of a series where each book focuses on a different girl. The seven girls that are the focus were all orphans in the early 1960s when the orphanage they lived in burnt down. They are old enough that they are sent away with just a bit of information about who they are.

In this one, 18-year old Sara is given enough information to discover that she came from Germany, and her mother was Jewish. She has a bit more information including a couple of place names and the name of a doctor who helped her get to Canada. With some money she’s made working a part-time job, and a little bit given to her from the headmistress of the orphanage, Sara heads to Germany to try to find out more about her past and, hopefully, her parents.

I liked this. I’ve enjoyed all the books I’ve read in the series so far. This one spent more time in Ontario before Sara leaves for Germany than the other books did before the other girls left. I particularly liked a couple of the secondary characters who helped Sara in Germany. The info about the Holocaust is kept fairly simple, though. I would have liked a little bit more there, but it is meant for a younger audience. ( )

"Stones on a Grave," by Kathy Kacer, is certainly a novel (pun incidental) way to teach young people about the Holocaust. When the Canadian orphanage in which Sara has lived most of her 18 years burns to the ground, she and her fellow young women must find new ways to live. Sara must also face another reality: apparently she is Jewish. Her Jewish mother, whom she never knew, left her a necklace with a Jewish star on it. Sara decides to explore her past to find out who she really is - and that involves a trip to Germany.
It's a quick read. Sara is very lucky in that she keeps finding people who want to help her - and then there are those who rebuff her very strongly. The reader mustn't ask too many questions like how can she afford the traveling, but the story is a grabber and the reader learns a lot about how the Holocaust proceeded and how Jews were victimized, etc., etc. It's quite informative and the reader must not ask too many questions. Just read on. It's worth it. - Betty S. ( )

I settled in to read not knowing this was a YA book but that didn't impact the overall experience. The protagonist, Sara is one of seven girls in a Canadian orphanage left with nowhere to live after their only home burns down. All she has are bits and pieces of her past; a birth certificate and a Star of David necklace. Until she had been given these clues she had no idea she was Jewish. She sets off on a journey to find out exactly who she is.

As Sara follows her clues to Germany she learns the horrors her mother endured as a victim of the Holocaust. She survived only to die shortly after being released. As Sara learns about her mother - and about how she was conceived she has to come to terms with a heritage she is not sure she wants.

The book could have been more powerful than it was but on a YA level it did a decent job of delving into the horrors of the Holocaust. It's one of a seven book series - each girl in the orphanage has her own tale. Each book can stand alone. It was a quick read and Sara was a well drawn character. ( )

This was a pretty interesting book. It was an easy read and really enjoyable. If you like historical fiction this would be a good book for you. Sara was an interesting character and I enjoyed reading her story.

Gorgeous book. ( )