Risking Exposure
Jeanne Moran, 2013
CreateSpace
182 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781492179825
Summary
Munich, Germany, 1938. The Nazis are in power and war is on the horizon. The law makes fourteen-year old Sophie Adler a member of Hitler Youth; her talent makes her an amateur photographer.
Then she contracts polio. During her long hospitalization, her Youth leader supplies her with film. Photographs she takes of fellow polio patients are turned into propaganda, mocking people with disabilities. Sophie’s new disability has changed her status. She’s now an outsider, a target of Nazi scorn and possible persecution. Her only weapon is her camera.
Can she find the courage to separate from the crowd, photograph the full truth, and risk exposure? (From the author.)
Author Bio
• Birth—July 9, 1956
• Raised—New York City, New York and environs (USA)
• Education—N/A
• Currently—Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania
In her words:
I am the sister of a person with a disability and have spent my career as a pediatric physical therapist. Risking Exposure is a historical fiction novel in which the protagonist, a young teen who wants to blend in with the Nazi regime in which she lives, contracts polio. As she copes with her new disability, she gains personal strength and decides to stand up for what she feels is right.
I love to read and write stories in which unlikely heroes make a difference in their corner of the world. In my everyday life, I try to be one of them. (From the author.)
Visit the author's website.
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Book Reviews
[A]n incredibly powerful novel about WWII. Not many books discuss the treatment of handicapped individuals at the hands of Nazi Germany. This novel is well written and pretty accurate. I think this is a great novel for young adults because so few young adult novels accurately portray the atrocities committed by Nazis. I think the character of Sophie will stick with me for a long time. This is the best young adult novel I have read in a long time and I can't wait until my nieces and nephews are old enough to read it.
Goodreads reviewer
Risking Exposure shines a light on Nazi Germany not often explored: the treatment of the disabled by the Nazis. Sophie Alder is a deeply compelling character and her struggle to find courage within herself was engaging. This book is perfect for young readers and would make an excellent addition to World War II centered curriculum.
Goodreads reviewer
Because the story and characters continue to resonate, Risking Exposure is ideal for book discussions or classrooms. It’s geared for young adults, but could certainly find an audience with readers past their school years.
Amazon customer review
Risking Exposure is an engaging, well written, thought provoking book. It reminds us of the responsibility we have to one another.
Amazon customer review
[W]hat makes a novel extraordinary? That the characters become so real to us that we carry them in our hearts forever. Sophie is one of those characters and this is one of those books.
Amazon customer review
This is a novel that will leave you wanting more. It tackles a moral dilemma from the teenage point of view during one of the worst periods of time in history. It's a great read!!!
Barnes and Noble customer review
Discussion Questions
1. In the beginning of the novel, Sophie is happy to belong to a group of ‘insiders.’ She is reluctant to act in a way that may mark her as different from them, even though she doesn’t always like what they do. In what situations have you noticed people behaving that way? Have you behaved that way yourself?
2. Sophie’s photos are used as propaganda, defined by Webster’s New World Dictionary as “the widespread promotion of particular ideas and doctrines.” Think about the way today’s media promotes certain ideas. How does this promotion influence your thinking? Do you accept commonly held views as your own or do you research answers for yourself?
3. Think about courage and how Sophie showed courage at the end of the novel. Did she ‘learn how’ to show it or was it always there? What factors brought it out? Do you wonder about your ability to be brave when faced with danger or the threat of harm?
4. Some people around Sophie held true to their morals and ideals and others didn’t. Should morals influenced by the people around you, by the school you attend, or the town or country in which you live? Do you think your own morals can or should change during your lifetime, or should they always be the same?
5. The Nazi pogrom called T4 exterminated tens of thousands of residents of hospitals for the mentally ill, nursing homes, and facilities for the developmentally disabled. Were you aware of this pogrom, or similar actions taken against people who were deaf, homosexual, or Jehovah’s Witness? Why do you think pogroms against Jews and political prisoners are more widely known?
(Questions courtesy of the author.)