Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis

‘Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis’ by Greg Dawson and Susan Hood is a captivating nonfiction story in verse about Zhanna, alias Anna, and her sister, Frina, as they struggle to escape the Holocaust and the Nazis who always pose an obstacle to their freedom.

Zhanna’s father had one plea for her when he told her to run off. He said, “I don’t care what you do. Just live.” So she took those words and literally ran with them, desperate to escape the fate that her parents likely met. Soon, she discovers her sister is still alive, and together they do their best to escape, danger always clicking at their heels.

When they had to leave behind their home, their friends, and the potential for what their future could have been if they had stayed at the world-renowned conservatory where they were students, Zhanna didn’t think her life could ever get back on track. Little did she know that she’d soon be playing music for Nazi guards, having them claim her as their own, unaware of her Jewish upbringing and faith. Her struggles and avoidance of torture, death, and the like is truly amazing. Having people who stood up to help her and her sister, as well as finding out whom she could truly count on while learning there were those whom she couldn’t, is heartbreaking. The story is one of truth, faith, love, and desperation to do anything necessary to survive.

Pictures, letters, and additional notes and references line the back matter of the book, adding to the intensity of the tale and increasing engagement with the sensitive topic that is the Holocaust. Written by Zhanna’s son, Greg Dawson, along with Susan Hood, the book does a superb job of telling Zhanna’s story in third person and incorporating words that Zhanna says herself. The lyrical nature of the book is only heightened by the back and forth storytelling that this imparts. Zhanna’s story is true, and it is extremely telling of the way the world was not even 100 years ago. While scary, it provides a glimpse into a terrifying time that must never be forgotten.