The Courtyard

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.