Review by tmtidwel -- Hidden: Nistar by Batya Casper

[tmtidwel]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Hidden: Nistar" by Batya Casper.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Hidden Nistar by Batya Casper is two separate tales told from multiple character’s points of view. The first tale has the suspense and feel of a mystery novel. Set in Israel just around the time of the 6-day war (June 1967), Casper introduces us to a very strange household where the patriarch has just died and left behind a mystery in one of the upstairs rooms. This tale switches from one family member to another revealing hints and suggestions about the characters until at last the final secret is revealed.

Casper presents the back story of each character in an engaging and interesting way that ties together the reason for the family secret. Solving this mystery kept me reading non-stop through the first half of the book. I liked this story for several reasons. One reason is because some of the events were real and happened during my lifetime, although I was only a baby at the time. Another reason is because I’ve been to some of the places described in the story and it was interesting to hear them described from a different perspective. Interestingly, even in 1967 Tel Aviv was a strikingly different place than Jerusalem. This was the same thing I experienced when I visited both cities in 2016.

The second half of the book is set in England just before and during WWII. Here Casper introduces several new characters each of whom is affected in some way by the war. Many of the characters are refugees who have fled or were rescued from Germany. In this story as in the first, we see the history of the time as told through the eyes of those who witnessed it, but mostly through the eyes of the children. There is no mysterious secret in this story, rather the tension of the war itself holds the reader captive as we wait to learn who comes home and who does not.

I enjoyed this book and would give it 3 out of 4 stars. What I disliked most about this book was that the two halves did not tie together well and the constant switching of characters made it challenging to remember who they were and what they were talking about. I think that it could have been a 4 out of 4 if the two stories had tied together better. Still, it was definitely worth reading if you are a fan of historical fiction. I think anyone from age 10 or up would enjoy and learn something from this story. It would also make a great pick for book clubs. There are plenty of angles to discuss and lessons to be learned.

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Hidden: Nistar
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