Safiyyah's War
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By Hiba Noor Khan
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10 reviews
Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal for Writing
’Safiyyah’s War has the soul of a classic & the urgency of a story for our times. A tale of tolerance, unthinkable bravery, and heart-in-mouth true events. I loved this book’ – Kiran Millwood Hargrave
‘All at once, Safiyyah’s War broke my heart and filled me with immense hope. With its unforgettable characters and exquisite storytelling, this really is an extraordinary book’ – A F Steadman
‘Safiyyah is a protagonist I was rooting for all throughout; a lovely, kind-hearted girl whose story filled me in turns with despair and joy. This book shines through with kindness and empathy at its very heart’ – Nizrana Farook
War comes to the streets of Paris and Safiyyah’s life changes for ever.
Her best friend’s family have fled, and the bombing makes her afraid to leave the mosque where she lives. But when her father is arrested by the Nazis for his secret Resistance work, it falls to Safiyyah to run the dangerous errands around the city.
It’s not long before hundreds of persecuted Jews seek sanctuary at the mosque. Can Safiyyah find the courage to enter the treacherous catacombs under Paris and lead the Jews to safety?
Reviews
I loved this book about a young muslim girl living through World War 2, doing all that she could to help the Jewish people. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in World War 2, or just wants a good book to read.
This book was really exciting and it teaches about World War Two.
Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan is set during World War Two. It tells the story of Safiyyah, a young Muslim girl, who lives with her family in the Grand Mosque in Paris. Safiyah is troubled by the Nazi occupation of Paris, and when she discovers her father helping Jewish families, she is determined to help, despite her terror of being caught. This is a deeply moving and thought-provoking novel that highlights the power of courage, compassion, and unity in the face of adversity. Safiyyah is an inspirational character, and is also likeable. With its rich detail about Paris and Islam, it provides a rarely told story from this period. Highly recommended.
This book will stay with me for a long time. Based on a true story, the bravery shown by the characters to uphold what is right against tyranny was heart-in-mouth inspiring.
A beautiful and engaging book. Encouraged further personal research as I lacked prior knowledge of the role of Mosques in Paris during World War Two.
I enjoyed that and it was very well-written. It is about WW2 but from a completely different perspective. Safiyyah and her family are living in a Mosque in Paris when WW2 begins. At first, they are safe until the Germans cross into France and make their way to the capital. Being Muslims instead of Jews makes things a little bit safer for Safiyyah's family but they want to help the persecuted groups in France and therefore do their bit to help the Resistance. A great book aimed at confident 9+ readers.
A fascinating subject and story given a warm but overly long treatment. There is an engaging heroine, a wonderful portrait of life within the Grand Mosque and some interesting insights into the Resistance movement. It is a shame it is spoilt by historical inaccuracies. Cereal boxes on Paris’ breakfast tables - I think not. A wartime postal service between Britain and France - even more unlikely. A liberal sprinkling of modern biological terms - jarring. What do editors do? It’s not too much to ask!
I love it it is one of the many best books
Brilliant. Loved this. So many topics to discuss and a view on an interesting part of the second world war that is largely unknown.
This book was beautifully written. It told the story of a side of the war that we don't often hear about. I loved the heroine's spark and spirit - the bravery of her and her family was really well drawn. One for upper KS2.
