Lost in America by Marilyn Sachs

Lost in America by Marilyn Sachs is about Nicole, a young Jewish girl living in France during World War II. One night she stays over with a friend, and her parents and younger sister are taken by Nazis. Nicole finds herself alone and no one will help her. She eventually stays at her school until it closes. Then, she tries to stay with her aunt, in hopes that her family will soon return. Her aunt ruins her parents' apartment with ugly paint and furnishings, and allows her boyfriend to move in. Then, she learns that her parents and little sister were killed at a concentration camp. As a result, Nicole decides to follow her best friend, Rose, to America to stay with a cousin. Life in America is hard for Nicole. It is busier, louder, and less friendly than the small town in France where she was from. Her clothes are not right, she doesn't understand English very well, and has a hard time speaking to Americans. Her new family is very unpleasant to her, forcing her to get a job and pay rent! Nicole uses this first year in America to find new friends and learn the ways of the Americans.

This story was based on the actual events in the life of the author's close friend. She described her first year in America as the best and worst year of her life! The history in this book was interesting. I have never read a book from the perspective of a person who was touched by WWII in this way. This was a great historical fiction novel!