Safiyyah's War

I love it when I can binge read a book and that’s exactly what I did with this novel as I couldn’t put it down! “Safiyyah’s War” is a historical fiction (a favourite genre of mine!) set in Paris during World War 2. The novel is gorgeously written and is a stunning blend of eloquent prose and historical authenticity, beautifully capturing the essence of real events. As I delved into the story, I found myself transported to the heart of World War 2 in Paris. The story is based on true events of a Parisian Muslim community and The Grand Mosque in Paris being integral to ushering and saving hundreds of Jews during the war. The main protagonist, Safiyyah, and her journey reminded me that even in the darkest times, compassion and the desire to do what's right, help and serve others can illuminate a path to a better future. I greatly appreciated how artfully the writer integrated the exquisite elements of our Faith and tradition, such as prayer, The Mawlid, and the profound significance of the hijab, into the narrative. I absolutely loved reading this book and highly recommend it! Brilliant work Hiba, thank you 🙏🏼

Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan is a powerful, historical children’s novel for ages ten years and older. Whatever your age this book will inspire you as you marvel at the bravery of good hearts, and especially at the courage of the very young. Safiyyah’s War has its’ roots in fact. It is set in Paris during the Nazi occupation of World War II. The Grand Mosque takes centre stage as a setting. The central character is Safiyyah who is very young and very brave. She has a desire to help the persecuted Safiyyah has a heart for the hurt and those in need. On one afternoon she rescues a cat, three kittens and a parrot, whilst also befriending a young boy and his father. All the characters were well drawn, believable and likable. The innocence of youth in all its’ goodness, cut through the evil darkness. There are images of light and dark throughout the novel. The smallest light can banish the darkness. At the end of the book there is a historical note giving the context of the novel which was good to read. Safiyyah’s War was inspiring and powerful.

A brilliant kids historical fiction set in Paris during the Nazi occupation - a time period I am fascinated by and have done a lot of research in, as has this author. Sometimes that felt a little bit fact-dumping, but I wondered if that was my own reading perspective rather than the narrative. Similarly some of the conversations felt like they were a bit unnatural - like they were giving information rather than the characters speaking to each other, and the grandmother character definitely spoke in wise quotations (which I kind of liked as her role but it didn’t feel like natural speech). I loved the protagonist in this - she was appropriately cautious, yet still brave and feisty. Her friendships with many of the characters really jumped off the page and it said a lot about her as a character. This is a slower burning story with less pacey action and much more character development which I really enjoyed. It gave me Rooftoppers meets *insert an amazing WW2 kids fiction - there are many* which I loved. Perfect for a modern audience of young readers, this is a book I would have loved as a kid and thoroughly enjoyed as an adult.

I absolutely loved reading this heartwarming and incredible story , so much that I honestly didn’t want it to end . Ashamed to say that I honestly didn’t know much about this pivotal moment in history- the role of the Grand Mosque of Paris in saving Jews from the Nazis during World War 2. The book is based on true events and you can see how much research the author has done in writing this book . Many of the incredible characters in the book pay homage to real life heroes too. I loved the main protagonist Safiyyah - what a feisty , kind hearted , incredible and compassionate girl - loved the friendships/ relationships with other characters in the story . It truly is a fantastic historical fiction book , that I don’t think many people know about . My eldest daughter 14 thoroughly enjoyed it and read it one go too . Superb story telling , captivating, really beautifully written , a book that will truly be enjoyed not only by children (9-13) but may I say adults too.

Amazing story set in WW2. A must read 🥰

Prompted by its winning the Jhalak Prize, I sank into this incredible book this weekend. Given my own family’s history of salvation from the Nazis by nuns during WW2, I was especially moved by this story. A Muslim rector and his family, including his daughter Safiyyah, risk their own lives to save Jewish people from death by offering sanctuary in the Grand Mosque of Paris and helping them escape the country. A wondrous marvel of a book based on a true history.

This book for ages 9+ tells the true story of role that the Grand Central Mosque in Paris played during World War 2. The story is told through the eyes of Safiyyah, a Muslim girl living in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Whilst she is fictional, many of the other characters in the book are based on real people that lived and worked in the Grand Central Mosque at that time. As Safiyyah struggles to deal with the changes around her, the religious leaders join forces with the resistance and embark upon a mission to get as many Jews out of Paris as possible, using the underground tunnels and catacombs that traverse the city. The Jews were then transported out of the city in barrels on wine barges. Many hundreds of lives were saved in this way. The story unfolds gently and sensitively as Safiyyah realises the risks that her family are taking and the true horror of the occupation. A story that documents an important and often overlooked part of history.

This was such a easy 5 stars. The story is engaging, emotional and informative - I learned about aspects of WWII I'd had no idea about. This is ideal for Years 5 & 6 upwards. If you're teaching WWII, this would be a wonderful class novel (or at the very least part of your class library).

It was awesome and so so so so great

I checked this out from the library and it's such a good book I immediately bought it! It's so good! A lesser know WWII story of Muslims rescueing Jews.

Very nice book. Good for kids that are new to reading and is great for kids wanting to know more about WW2.

This book is thoughtfully written, the words are so descriptive that I could see what was happening in my head as I read. The author really shows instead of telling. There is no gap in character development nor is there any lack of detail. I appreciate this book as this is a piece of history that is often forgotten or left out. This is a historical fiction book best suited for middle grades (i'd say ages 9 and up would really enjoy it) based on the Muslims protecting the Jews from the Nazis in France. A beautiful piece of history unfortunately often (and conveniently) forgotten which serves as the basis for this wonderfully written gem! If you're on the fence about this book, just get it!

i read for hours at a time and i haven’t read a book in years but this literally was like the best book