"Nazis were back in office in droves, Roma were still marginalized, and the women who had kept the country running for years were banished back to the kitchen as soon as the men returned home from the battlefields of Europe." Hiding in Plain Sight, set in 1947, offers readers a look at post-war Germany and the hardships that remained in the occupied zones. The title refers to a Nazi war criminal, the former Kommandant of Belzec, where Roxy and the rest of her Romani family were interred. Living under an assumed identity, he chose to stay in Germany and work towards the rebirth of Hitler's Reich. This book continues Roxy's story, who still fights the prejudice against the Romani, as well as her personal trauma from the Holocaust. She was my favorite character of the series because of her tenacity and pride in her Romani culture. (She still goes barefoot in 1947.) Although Hiding in Plain Sight is Roxy's story, you get a glimpse of life after the war for many characters from the earlier books. It was satisfying to come full circle, returning to Berlin and the women who persevered, protecting their families. My absolutely favorite part of this book was when David decided to make a pair of shoes for Roxy and carefully constructed them so she could still feel the earth beneath her feet. Is that love or what? Hiding in Plain Sight reminds us that the trauma of the Holocaust continued long after the war ended, and for many victims, there was no justice. Be prepared to be outraged, anxious, and comforted while reading Marion Kummerow's impressive new book.
