Under a Red Sky

Starred review from March 29, 2010
In the unsentimental, present-tense narrative voice of her childhood self, Molnar chronicles both her family's experience in rampantly anti-Semitic Communist Romania following WWII, and her personal awakening to her Jewish identity: “All I know is that yesterday I wasn't Jewish and today I am.” The adored only child in a multigenerational, cramped household full of combative, artistic personalities, Eva observes and reflects on conflict wrought by her family's forced downward mobility, hiding knives when tensions rise, and learning the art of secret keeping, both within the familial and public spheres. Comic books and novels provide escape for Eva, while stories quietly told to her by various family members reveal fragments of tragic recent history that prove enlightening as she seeks to understand adult behavior, particularly that of her distant, moody father. Finely wrought moments poignantly render the political and religious complexity of Eva's childhood: her best friend, a Christian, searches Eva's head for horns; her Jewish aunt delivers a Christmas tree; she learns that two Nazis saved her family's lives years earlier. Haunting images and humorous anecdotes combine to powerful effect in this impressive debut. Ages 12–up.

May 1, 2010
Gr 5 Up-Molnar re-creates memories and family stories of living in postwar Romania, fleshing them out with dialogue that, while not exact, remains true to the essence of her experiences, resulting in a readable, informative, and engaging book. The only child living in a crowded flat with seven adults representing three generations, Eva is often the center of attention of her frequently squabbling anti-Communist relatives. Her life becomes more complicated when she discovers at the age of seven that she is Jewish. She tries to understand what this means, particularly in light of her father's undiscussed but hinted-at war experiences, but for once gets little help from her family. In the late 1950s, Eva's family begins the long process of applying to immigrate to Israel, and their applications result in nerve-racking visits from Communist government agents who search their apartment. Once the grandparents leave, a non-Jewish family is assigned to their room, making it unsafe for the family to communicate with one another at home. The drama isn't over when Eva and her parents finally get the chance to leave; a less- desirable route and her father's return for a missing camera cause some tense days. Enough history and background are included to help today's readers understand the context of Eva's family's situation without detracting from the story. The book would make an interesting pairing with Peter Ss's "The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain" (Farrar, 2007). Photographs of Molnar and her family are included."Nancy Silverrod, San Francisco Public Library"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2010
Grades 6-9 Molnar began life as Eva Zimmerman, an adored only child living in the apartment shared by her parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles in Bucharest, Romania. The authors loving but eccentric family sheltered her as much as possible from the harsh realities of life under communist rule, when food and housing were scarce and the Securitate, Romanias secret police, watched and listened everywhere. Her father, a cinematographer, believed in science, not God, and neither religion nor World War II were spoken of at home, so it came as a huge shock to Molnar when she learned in 1958 that her entire family had applied to emigrate to Israel and that she is Jewish. All I know is that yesterday I wasnt Jewish and today I am, says Molnar in describing her struggle to understand her new identity. As Eva pieces together her familys history, a vivid story emerges, ranging from funny, tender moments of family life to the horrific revelations of the Romanian holocaust, about which little has been written. Black-and-white family photos illustrate this poignant, memorable offering.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2010
For Jews in communist Bucharest, Romania, life meant tight living conditions and constant scrutiny; each day was an episode in survival. Molnar's memoir of growing up during this period is written from a child's perspective but filtered through the author's adult eyes. All of the family members are vividly drawn as they fight for better lives for themselves and Haya.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)