Fania’s Heart by Anne Renaud and Richard Rudnicki is another beautiful offering from Second Story Press. A story inspired by Fania Landau Fainer, a Jewish prisoner imprisoned at Auschwitz during the Second World War. Her heart is a card, crafted meticulously and at great risk by her fellow prisoners, for her 20th birthday. Filled with nineteen birthday messages in several different languages, the heart is one of only a very few objects to have survived that was created by the prisoners. The heart speaks to the resilience and the strength of those who where imprisoned and the very failure of the Nazi campaign to weaken and destroy all those who were deemed “racially inferior”,

In a story told in the voice of Fania’s daughter Sorale, she speaks of her mother’s secrets, some that were shared and some that were hidden. When Sorale finds the heart hidden in a lace handkerchief, she wonders whether this is a secret that will be shared. In a beautifully written talk between mother and daughter, Fania tells Sorale the story behind the heart and the powerful meaning in the messages written to her. Anne Renaud has carefully crafted Fania’s story in a way that is understandable and truly demonstrates the resilience of those who were imprisoned simply because of their faith. With a wonderful section at the back to give the background to the story, Fania’s Heart is a beautiful non-fiction picture book for your older readers. With beautiful illustrations by Richard Rudnicki, depicting life in the camps and the factories and camps, this story is a perfect compliment to any discussion about bias, World War II, resilience, and the power of words.

The real “Heart of Auschwitz” now resides at the Montreal Holocaust Museum for all to witness the power of words.