Women’s History: The Light in Hidden Places
To be honest with you, I am not a huge fan of historical fiction. When I first started reading The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron, I did not expect to enjoy the book as much as I did. This book was an amazing and inspirational read and I am glad I took the time to read it. This book was recently released in hardcover on March 3, 2020.
Even though the inside of my uncorrected proof copy states that the novel is a work of fiction, it is really a work of creative nonfiction. The novel tells a detailed story of Stefania (Stefi/Fusia) Podgórska and the compassion she has for others and her will to help people in need. Stefi lived in Poland in the 1940s, a completely different world from ours, during Hitler’s reign.
Stefi was a Christian girl who worked for a Jewish family in their store and fell in love with one of their sons. She grew extremely close to the family and as time went on, and living conditions worsened, she felt the need to help them once Hitler began invading Poland. Stefi knew that what the German army was doing was wrong, and when her little sister, Helena, found her way back into Stefi’s life, they worked together to save those in need.
The book tells their story and the struggles they faced: finding food to feed everyone that Stefi was determined to take care of, as well as her sister and herself; finding jobs in a struggling society; and staying warm during the Polish winter which could get to -4°F during the day and even colder at night.
Upon further investigation to the original story of Stefi and Helena, I learned that the majority of the novel contained true information. There were a few differences such as the age of Helena, who was abandoned when her mother and siblings were ripped from their home to work at a labor camp. She was eight-years-old (not six) and left to fend for herself. Even though the book had these minor differences, it was truly spot on with the true story of Stefania Podgórska’s bravery.
Stefi and Helena saved thirteen Jewish people in Przemyśl, Poland. Stefi took many risks throughout the novel but she also saved many lives in the process. She kept the people she took in safe, no matter what the German army threw at her. A part of the novel mentions that Stefi hated feeling fear, but she still faced down her fear and protected the people she took in, even though this could have ended her life.
The book may be considered fiction due to the creative aspects of it or the additional detail that I could not find in my research of the true story. But this is truly inspired by the bravery and compassion that Stefi had for others and her will to do the right thing, even if it meant risking her life.
Cameron, Sharon. The Light in Hidden Places. Scholastic Press, 2020.
https://jfr.org/rescuer-stories/burzminski-stefania-podgorska/