Book Review | Shadow of His Hand

Author: Wendy Lawton

Series: Daughters of the Faith

Genre: Biography 

Published: 2004

Publisher: Moody Publishers

Pages: 160

Age Group: 10 +

Anita Dittman dreams of becoming a ballerina. It's not long until the reality of being a Jewish girl in Nazi-ruled Germany dashes those dreams. When her Aryan  father abandons his Jewish family, Anita's life becomes the stuff of nightmares. "Don't draw attention to yourself", her mother often whispered. "If they don't notice you, they'll leave you alone". But no one hides from Hitler's fury.
As the persecution intensifies, Anita and her family must leave everything and everyone they love- even each other. Will no one hide them from this Holocaust? In the midst of unimaginable suffering, Anita discovers that even when the whole world dissolves into chaos, her heavenly Father continues to hide her in the shadow of His hand. 

Books that capture my attention and force me to slow down and savor them always rank high in my opinion, And Shadow of His Hand, part of the Daughters of the Faith series, is just such a book. The first time I read it, I knew I'd found a keeper.

Shadow of His Hand tells the remarkable story of Anita Dittman, a young half-Jewish girl living in Germany just before WW II. Anita dreams of becoming a ballerina from the age of five, but she can't understand why her German father always disagrees with her Jewish mother. 

When her father leaves her, her mother, and her older sister, Anita's life changes. Now she must give up her dream of dancing and adapt a strange new life, one where she has no friends and lives in fear, ready to slip into the shadows at any moment.

When Anita visits a church on Easter Sunday and meets Jesus for the first time, her life is changed again--for the better. She now has  Friend how will help and protect her, hiding her under the shadow of His hand. As the years pass by, life is still very difficult for Anita--being rejected from school, telling her sister goodbye, and suffering from the many cruelties of the war.

 A bright spot for her is when her mother becomes a Christian--some time after which her mother is taken to prison. Now Anita must provide for her mother, until she herself is taken to a work camp. Thinking that everything is over, Anita must remind continually remind herself of the safety she has in Jesus Christ, despite when everything around seems to be crumbling to pieces. 

Even after the dreadful war was over, Anita never forgot the time when she was so vividly sheltered in the shadow of His hand. 10 out of 10 hearts-♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Have you read Shadow of His Hand, or any of the other Daughters Of The Faith books?  If so, did you enjoy them?