Overview

The writing is clever and impressive... A mesmerizing, nightmarish story that has, for once, a happy ending. -Kirkus Reviews In the heart of Nazi-occupied Paris, one Jewish family is protected by their working-class community. It's 1937, the eve of World War II, and young Bernard lives with his Polish-immigrant family in a working-class courtyard in Paris. While there aren't many other Jews in the courtyard - a bustling place teeming with a colorful cast of characters - the Parkiets feel welcome and at home. To Bernard the courtyard is both home and playground; a magical place where he watches his father varnish furniture, gets into trouble with cranky neighbors, and splits pain au chocolate with his best friend Titi. With the German occupation of Paris, Bernard's world changes dramatically. Hours before the Nazis come to arrest the Parkiet family in July 1942, their neighbors band together to protect them. The family is hidden in a vacant warehouse and the courtyard becomes a refuge. With their world turned upside down, it is Bernard's job, at only nine years old, to leave the courtyard each day to get food for his family. And even with the neighbors protecting them, there is danger lurking everywhere - including in certain corners of the courtyard itself. This is a Holocaust memoir that finds the good in people at a time of great evil. A gripping tale of courage and kindness, The Courtyard is a timely reminder of how even in the darkest of times, a small group of people can make a difference.

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9789493418004

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Benjamin Parket was born in Paris in 1933 to parents that emigrated from Poland. In 1942, targeted by Nazis and the French collaborators, he and his family went into hiding in their courtyard. Ben is a retired architect, the father of three children, grandfather to six, who recently celebrated his 91st birthday. He lived in Paris and Tel Aviv before settling happily in Northern California 60 years ago. This is his first book. Alexa Morris grew up in the suburbs of Washington DC, dabbling in a number of jobs (Senate page, vet tech, retail) before choosing the world of non-profits, where she remains to this day. She is married to Ben's daughter and they live in Northern California. In her spare time, she loves hiking and throwing wonky ceramics on the wheel. She is currently at work on her first novel.

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