Hiding in the Spotlight: A Musical Prodigy’s Story of Survival, 1941-1946 By Greg Dawson

        There are tons of books out there about different historical times, and new stories and facts seem to be found every day.  Which is why I was greatly interested in Hiding in the Spotlight: A Musical Prodigy’s Story of Survival, 1941-1946.  It is the real life story of Zhanna Arshanskaya, written by her son Greg Dawson.  This book reveals the story of how two Jewish girls survived the war by playing the piano. 

        The book begins with Zhanna as a young girl.  She talks about her early life in Ukraine and how she and her sister Frina come to play the piano.  They play throughout their childhood until World War II begins.  After escaping from a situation of imminent death, the girls change their names and do their best to live as non-Jewish citizens.  After awhile their talent with the piano is discovered and they are made to play for the enemy that killed their family.  They live in fear every single day their true identity will be discovered, and even run into people who try to sabotage them.  While they do meet some along the way who are kind, for the most part the girls are truly on their own. 

        This book was absolutely fascinating.  I have read many books and true stories about World War II and the Holocaust, but this one was definitely a new one for me.  Greg Dawson does a great job of mixing his mother’s memories with his own words to make this a smooth flowing story.  There were lull points where things moved a bit slower, but they did not last long.  Most of the book moved quickly and I always wanted to know what was going to happen next.