Anne Dublin

This is a first for me: receiving an Early Reviewer's copy and not being able to finish it. I have started this book at least three times. My most recent efforts got me halfway through.

THE BABY EXPERIMENT concerns a young 18th-century Jewish girl who "interviews" and qualifies for a job caring for orphaned infants. These babies are under the care of an "evil scientist" who wishes to study the impact of a complete lack of nurturing upon childhood development--a modern concept indeed. Unable show more to participate in the evil, the girl flees the orphanage, taking with her one of the babies in her charge. Another young female orphanage nurse, unaware of her colleague's Jewish identity, accompanies her. They begin a trek west from eastern Europe to Amsterdam.

First of all, the premise of the book struck me as far too modern: a Jewish girl applying for a "job" at an orphanage where a scientist investigates the impact of emotional deprivation? Too twentieth-century. Add an exploration of anti-Semitism to the mix, and the implausible felt even more heavily freighted. Had the writing been crisper and more lively, I might have been able to persist. But it wasn't...and I didn't.

So...in the end, for me, this was an unconvincing plot lurching forward on legs of weak and anemic writing.

Can I see older children reading this book? No. Even with my best efforts, the book couldn't hold my interest. As much as I admire anyone who tries to forge a world out of words, I cannot recommend Anne Dublin's book. show less

In a Nutshell: A decent book for middle-graders. Was strictly okay for me. Not bad, not great.

Story:

Poland, 1927. Young Jacob has been kept in the local orphanage for Jewish children by his uncle after his parents died. His life is decent here, with many friends and with his mandolin for company, but it is still an orphanage after all. One day, a well-to-do American arrives with a promise of a new life in Canada at a Farm School. (The only way Jews were allowed entry in Canada was if they

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were farmers.) Jacob and his friends are thrilled at this opportunity to break away from their staid lives. The long journey to Canada proves to be quite eventful and their subsequent life in Canada also throws many challenges their way. But with his friends and his mandolin by his side, Jacob surmounts every obstacle in his new life bravely.

This is the first time ever I have hardly anything to say about a book. Somehow, nothing from it made a mark on me. Jacob, some of the orphans and some of their guardians are the primary characters and they are decently written. The narrative is decently fast-paced. The Jewish boys’ adventures on the ship and Canada are interesting. But once I was done with it, seriously, nothing stayed with me. I don’t know if this counts for or against the book. It was a one-time read in every sense of the word.

I heard this as an audiobook and I’m sorry to say, the narrator didn’t add to my experience. There was nothing bad in his performance and he did enunciate well. But his voice, with its soft and soothing tone, was almost like a lullaby for me. Kids might find his voice working better for them as he sounded like a benevolent grandpa narrating a bedtime story. But I struggled to stay awake and had to crank up the audio speed to keep my eyes open and my brain working. (But as is evident in this review, my brain ditched me big-time.)

I suppose the biggest plus point in favour of this book is that it is based on true events, as is confirmed by the epilogue. Go for it if you want an interesting story about Jewish orphans making a new life for themselves in Canada.

My thanks to Second Story Press and NetGalley for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Jews have long been blamed for everything from plague to anything bad that happened. They have been persecuted for centuries. We know from our recent history how Hitler made a point of trying to wipe them out. But, did you know that in the early 1700’s they were just as persecuted and looked down on? I didn’t. Anne Dublin has crafted a story set during this time, in Hamburg, Germany. It is here we meet a young girl by the name of Johanna Eisen. She had seen a sign advertising for girls show more to work in an orphanage. She lies about her name to get a job to help her mother. She lied about her name because she was sure that with a Jewish name she would not be hired. Although her mother is against it, she lets Johanna go. It is immediately clear that there is something wrong in this orphanage. They are not allowed to speak to the babies and they are not allowed to hold them beyond changing their diaper or tending to their physical needs. Soon the babies begin to die.

Johanna overhears a conversation between the concerned doctor and one of those in charge. It is shortly thereafter she decides she must rescue one of the babies she has fallen in love with. She makes the arrangements to escape and is caught by one of the other girls who wants to go with her. From this point on the tension is taken up a notch. Will she succeed in escaping? What about her mother? What about her friend Cecile? What will happen when Cecile finds out Johanna is a Jew?

Read the book to find out answers to all of these questions and more. I would gladly recommend this book to my students and anyone who loves historical fiction. I look forward to reading more by this author. show less

An introduction and ten chapters, organized from the oldest woman to the youngest, presents these less-sung Jewish heroes. Each chapter begins with the woman's name, date of birth (and death, if applicable), an illustration of her, and a snippet of her story in italics to set the scene, then about seven pages of her biography. Good material, but too much for my second grader; we may revisit when she's older.