Harboring Hope

Focusing on Henny Sinding (b. 1921), daughter of a respected Royal Danish Navy commander, Hood’s expansive verse recounting of the WWII Danish resistance movement builds a strong sense of shared Danish values while encompassing Nazi Germany’s 1940 invasion and its deportation of Danish Jews after years of “peaceful occupation. Effectively unadorned free verse from Hood (Alias Anna) capably renders the suspense and danger in numerous scenes of Sinding at work. Numerous excerpts from Sinding’s and others’ first-person accounts personalize the history, while the format helps to funnel a wide breadth of material into an accessible narrative. — Publishers Weekly Harboring Hope is a masterful telling of the heroic escape of the Danish Jews. Through thoughtful and beautiful verse, Susan Hood has captured the intricacies of this special story for future generations.  — president and CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust Hood’s impeccable research and engaging text immerse her readers in the true story of Danes' courage, decency, and modesty during World War II. In our challenging times, she offers young people hope and confidence in the enduring goodness of humankind. — Cynthia Levinson, author of Sibert-Medal winner The People’s Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought for Justice with Art Susan’s vibrant storytelling gives us a sense of hope that in stormy waters good will prevail. — Peter Armstrong, President of Mystic Seaport Museum