Reviews

Gr 5-8 This brief biography of Hannah Szenes (Senesh) covers her early years in Hungary, her schooling, her growing interest in Zionism as a teenager, and her immigration to Palestine in 1939. As the war in Europe escalated, Szenes returned to Hungary on a mission to aid the resistance fighters, where she was arrested and executed in 1944 at age 23. Schur's biography, in contrast to Linda Atkinson's In Kindling Flame: the Story of Hannah Senesh 1921-1944 (Lothrop, 1985), is written in an informal style which emphasizes the adventurous aspects of her life. Atkinson carefully documents the prevailing social situation in Hungary and the rise of anti-Semitism, integrating this material with the details of Senesh's life. The photographs in Atkinson's work are far superior to the undistinguished pencil drawings in Schur's biography. Both biographies utilize quotations from the young woman's poetry effectively to reveal her unconquerable spirit and determination despite overwhelming odds. Atkinson's work is the best account for the junior high level as it is more interesting and intellectually demanding. Schur's work would be useful for libraries needing a biography on Hannah Szenes which is easy to read and written for a slightly younger audience than Atkinson's book. Lorraine Douglas, Winnipeg Public Library, Manitoba, Canada