The Orphan Rescue

The Orphan Rescue is inspired by a story from author Anne Dublin's own family history. Set during the spring of 1937 in the small city of Sosnowiec, Poland, it is the story of twelve-year-old Miriam and her younger brother, David. They live with their grandparents, having lost their own parents to illness and poverty. The family does not have much -- they live together in one room behind the grandfather's shop and often there isn't enough food for the four of them -- but they have each other. Miriam is devastated when her grandparents tell her that they can no longer survive as a family, and that the only solution is for David to go to an orphanage. Leaving her young brother behind with strangers breaks her heart, and Miriam decides to rescue him. When Miriam learns that David is being forced to work in a factory by the unscrupulous orphanage director, she realizes that rescuing him may prove difficult. The Orphan Rescue is a historical novel that resonates with the ongoing tragedy of child poverty and the exploitation of children around the world. It also offers a window onto the history of Jews in Europe pre-Holocaust. All of this in an accessible, entertaining story for young readers.