Daniel's Story by Carol Matas

Daniel's Story by Carol Matas

Daniel barely remembers leading a normal life before the Nazis came to power in 1933. He can still picture once being happy and safe, but memories of those days are fading as he and his family face the dangers threatening Jews in Hitler s Germany in the late 1930s. No longer able to practice their religion, vote, own property, or even work, Daniel s family is forced from their home in Frankfurt and sent on a long and dangerous journey, first to the Lodz ghetto in Poland and then to Auschwitz the Nazi death camp.

Though many around him lose hope in the face of such terror, Daniel, supported by his courageous family, struggles for survival. He finds hope, life, and even love in the midst of despair. Although Daniel is a fictitious character, his story was inspired by the real experiences of many of the more than one million children who died in the Holocaust.

Carol Matas figure parmi les auteurs de romans historiques les plus renomm's au pays. M?me si elle a ?crit diff?rents types d'ouvrages, elle est particuli?rement connue pour ses livres portant sur la Deuxi?me Guerre mondiale et l'Holocauste. Elle a re?u plusieurs r?compenses, dont une nomination pour le Prix litt?raire du Gouverneur G?n?ral et le prix Geoffrey Bilson (romans historiques pour les jeunes). Carol a grandi au Manitoba. Lorsqu'elle a fait ses recherches pour ?crire Des pas sur la neige, elle a dit: ? Je ne pouvais pas m'emp?cher d'?tre ?merveill?e en m'imaginant la force et la t?nacit? des premiers colons. ? propos du roman Entr?e refus?e, elle a d?clar?: ? Il est tragique que pendant la Deuxi?me Guerre mondiale, des enfants ayant la permission de quitter la France, se soient vu refuser l'entr?e au Canada et aient ?t? tu's par les nazis. ? Carol vit au Manitoba avec sa famille.

Carol Matas is one of Canada's leading writers of historical fiction. She is particularly noted for her books about World War II and the Holocaust, such as Lisa (winner of The Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young Readers), Jesper (a Mr. Christie Honour Book), Daniel's Story (shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award and winner of the Silver Birch Award), and After the War (winner of the Jewish Book Award). She has also written books on other historical periods, as well as fantasy and contemporary thrillers such as Cloning Miranda, The Second Clone, The Dark Clone, Tales of a Reluctant Psychic, and The Ghosthunter series with Perry Nodelman. Carol grew up in Manitoba. Of her research for Footsteps in the Snow she says, I couldn't help but marvel at the strength and tenacity of the first settlers. She says of Turned Away, It's tragic that children who had permission to leave France during WWII were turned away from Canada and were then murdered by the Nazis. She lives with her family in Winnipeg, Manitoba.