In Hiding

"Goodbye children! Go, and don't look back…"

Two little girls, Marguerite and her older sister, Henriette, hear these last words from their mother and know that they must forget everything that is familiar about their former lives in Paris. With new Catholic identities, the sisters are taken from farm to farm and convent to convent where they learn how to remain silent, how to pretend, how to lie in order to survive. Beautifully illustrated by the author, In Hiding offers us rare and poignant insight into a young child’s view of her world at war.

Introduction by Elizabeth Lasserre and Naomi Azrieli

At a Glance
France
Vichy France
Roundups
Hidden child
Wartime documents
Arrived in Canada in 1967
Illustrations by author
Audiobook available
Educational materials available: Hidden Children
Hearing History: A Holocaust Survivor Memoir Read Aloud
Marguerite Élias Quddus Activity

256 pages, including index

2008 Independent Publisher Gold Medal

Recommended Ages
11+
Language
English

*Note: If you are affiliated with an educational institution, books can be ordered free of charge. For more information click here.

Photo of Marguerite Élias Quddus

About the author

Marguerite Élias Quddus was born in Paris, France, in 1936. In 1967, Marguerite immigrated to Canada, first to Vancouver and then to Quebec, where she became a volunteer teacher’s aide. Marguerite lives near Montreal, where she is extremely active in giving talks about her wartime experiences.

Explore this story in Re:Collection

I’m ready, but I’m overcome with sadness. Mama hugs us and kisses us: “Goodbye, children! Go, and don’t look back…”