One of the most beautiful books I've ever read. And a story I had never heard.

The novel follows Saffiyah as she negotiates growing up in a world that has changed forever. As war breaks out in France, Safiyyah and her family are confronted by the presence of Nazis on the streets and by their neighbours disappearing. When Saffiyah notices that her father is behaving strangely, she sets about trying to find out what's happening. She uncovers a network of resistance, based out of the mosque where her family lives and wants to help.

Based on the real-life exploits of Muslims in Paris during the Second World War, this novel beautifully captures the pain and suffering of the war, as well as the energy and drive of those members of the resistance who fought back.

Safiyyah’s War is a beautiful and touching story of resistance, bravery, family and community from author Hiba Noor Khan.
Prior to reading Safiyyah’s War, I was not aware of the heroic actions of the Muslim community of Paris during the Nazi occupation in supporting resistance work and protecting Jews from persecution. It’s an area of history which is nowhere near talked about enough as it should be so it’s fantastic to see their actions memorialised in a book.
Hiba Noor Khan is a truly gifted writer and a standout author within middle grade/children’s fiction. Her magical story telling ability has crafted a gripping a well-paced narrative which will engage both young and adult readers alike and the vivid descriptive language truly made 1940s Paris come alive on the page.
Safiyyah is a beautifully written character with such depth to her character despite her young age. She was an authentically written young character whose bravery will inspire generations of young people.
This middle grade book needs to be in every school library and added into every World War Two history curriculum. Although it’s a middle grade story it’s also a must a read book for adult readers who will equally take so much from the story. It is a moving story which will stay with readers for a long time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I have posted my review on my blog www.yourschloe.co.uk and the post is linked.

What an amazing piece of history was brought to life in this story. Safiyyah is the symbol of all those nameless people who helped the Jews escape the Nazis in World War 2 in Paris from behind the walls of the Grand Mosque. As a character she is somewhat over the top, however, the simplistic style of story in telling this from the point of view of a child does work. It is lovely to read a story of where religion and faith actually brings people together and empowers them. In this day and age it is so refreshing. Absolutely loved it, and am so full of admiration for the brave Muslims who really put it all on the line for the Jews.

Safiyyah's War is a beautifully written account of a young girls life being turned upside down in occupied France, during WW2.

Paris. WW2.

The Nazi's have arrived, and life is turned upside down in an instant. Safiyyah's best friend has fled with her family, and Safiyyah is afraid to leave the Grande Mosque where she lives, due to bombings, curfews and unfamiliar soldiers on the streets.

Aware of an ever present danger that she doesn't fully understand Safiyyah is disturbed by her Father's comings and goings late at night. Unaware at first that her Father is part of a secret resistance network she worries what he is doing late at night, and who with.

When she discovers the truth, she pleads with her Father to let her be involved. At first he is reluctant, but when he is arrested, Safiyyah takes the reigns with ease, running dangerous errands all over the city.

It's not long before thousands of Jews are invited to seek sanctuary at the Mosque, alongside others who are being persecuted by the Nazi regime.

The plan is to get these people out of the City to safety, via a network of tunnels that run underneath the Mosque to the river. But can Safiyyah undertake this work, when the Nazi's are hot on her heels?

I can't say too much more as I really want you to read this novel for yourself.

This lesser known act of courage by members of the French resistance is a story that needs to be heard and understood.

As per the Author's note, this book is a tale for "all the unlikely heroes, whose names aren’t memorialised and whose stories aren’t sung and praised, but whose courage and actions change our world forever"

I have learnt so much from this novel about something I knew nothing about. Thank you Hiba Noor Khan for calling to my attention the story of more brave wonderful people from history, in such a compelling way. I will tell so many children about this in our booktalking sessions - it is wonderful to see Muslim heroes represented in this way and our schools will be thrilled. In addition, the writing is truly beautiful. I can still smell the oranges and feel the fear and I had tears streaming down my cheeks by the end. Superb. I will recommend as a class read and a title to read for pleasure for individuals as it has everything!

'Shoah' is the Hebrew for the word 'catastrophe', and the term used by Jews for the 'Holocaust' (itself the Greek word for 'sacrifice by fire') that took place during World War 2 (1939-1945). I've read a fair amount of children's literature about or featuring the Shoah - both picture books and middle grades. I have never read a story about Muslims saving Jews from the Nazis, and I couldn't wait to find out more.

Based on the true events that took place in Paris during WW2, of a community of heroic and compassionate North African-heritage Muslims who selflessly risked their lives to ingeniously hide Jews (and sometimes British soldiers) from the Nazis, then helped them to escape; I simply cannot wait to share it with you.

Khan's book provides children (and adults alike) with a new perspective on how WW2 played out, not so far from the UK, across the channel, in France. Unlike the UK who were never forced to surrender to the Germans, the North of France experienced German occupation first hand following the French government collapse in May 1940, and the subsequent division of France into the northern occupied territory and the south of French still fighting alongside the Allies.

Many children in our classrooms and homes in the UK may also not yet be aware of the other European countries' colonisation history. France invaded and colonised Algeria in North Africa in 1830, and Safiyyah’s family are Algerian-French, with her grandma, Setti, being able to remember some of the horrors of being under French rule back home in Algeria. Setti often remembers her younger days back in Algeria (often with her favourite fruit, oranges, in her hands) as the German Nazi power gets ever closer to suppressing and controlling Paris and its inhabitants.

As the book's title imparts, this is Safiyyah's story, the wartime experiences of a young Muslim girl living in the heart of Paris and how life changed dramatically for her during the Nazi occupation. Safiyyah's life in Paris starts out very much like any other child. It's about home life, school life, family, best friends. Her family live in the famous Grande Mousquée de Paris (the Great Mosque of Paris - a real place) in the 5th arrondissement (a borough) of Paris, which is one of the oldest in the capital city and situated along the River Seine that flows right through the middle. The area is famous for its academic buildings and institutions.

Safiyyah and her family live in an apartment within the Mosque compound, as her Baba (Daddy in Berber, the language of a North African indigenous people, Baba's family being from Algeria) works closely with Imam (religious leader). Throughout the story, the author's vivid descriptions of the interior of the Mosque, with the flowers in bloom in the gardens there represent the hope, comfort and reassurance to Safiyyah and her family faith and surroundings. As you can see hopefully from the images above, this certainly is a fitting place not only for prayer, but for sanctuary.

Before the war, Safiyyah likes nothing more than to be in the library, exploring maps and books that take her to places around the world. One day she might become an explorer, she thinks. She adores Madame Odette, the librarian, who occasionally shares her strawberry bonbons with her petit chou-fleur. It doesn't take much for the reader to feel how much of an ambitious and global thinker Safiyyah is - likely an unusual headspace for a girl during the 1930s, but her family absolutely love this about her.

The Muslim festival of Eid has just been and gone, and there are still unopened presents by Safiyyah's bedside when war comes to Paris. The tone of the dawning of this new era is ominous and the impending doom palpates off the page at the very moment the family find out that the Germans have entered France - they are in shock, there are so many unknowns. Will Muslims and Jews be safe from the Nazi extreme ideologist soldiers? The bombs? Who might be killed? There is a sudden pit-of-the-stomach realisation of the possibility of great suffering. Yet, like many others, Safiyyah and her family still hope, they hope that the fighting won't reach Paris, that the French soldiers and the Allies will defend them before it's too late.

Similar to many religions from around the world, whether Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, or the Abrahamic branches of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, all have embedded in their holy beliefs that they are to care for other human beings, for those within their community. One of the controversies around some ancient-origin religions is the segregation and lack of equal rights for women, a highly complex subject. I elude to this for a singular reason in regard to this story, because it is as a result of the segregation of women for prayer within the Mosque that it was possible for Safiyyah's father and Imam to hide Jewish families away from the Nazis whenever the arrived for a planned visit or even a raid. Astonishingly, the Germans respected the wishes of the Imam that their holy ground was not disrespected. The author explains this tolerance, as the Germans treading on eggshells around North African heritage Parisians especially, as any turning tide against the Germans in North Africa as they are fighting off the Allies could mean huge strategic military losses.

One of the fascinating theatres of this story takes places within the school classroom. At the start of the story the reader is introduced to a mixture of characters, boys and girls of mixed faith, heritage, wealth and status. There are best friends, know-it-alls, bullies... like your average school bunch of kids! Post the Nazi-occupation, we witness the transmorphism, the brainwashing, indoctrination, the language of the new Hitler youth... the anti-semitism. Safiyyah and her friends don't stand for it, not one bit:

"I don’t get it, it’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, picking on people just because of how they worship God?!’ ‘Me neither... Hitler blames Jews for everything wrong with the world. The Nazis have been treating them horrifically in Germany already, and now they’re spreading their evil further.’ ‘Ughh. My baba said Hitler is no better than the Devil himself.’ ‘And it’s not just Jews, he says black people and those with disabilities are less human too! Definitely devilish."

There are significant relationships within the story between Safiyyah and her family, and Jewish victims of Hitler's armies. One Jewish elder that Safiyyah and her family regularly care for in their community is one Monsieur Cassin, a botanist. He lives alone, in a jungle-like home filled with his specimens, flowing with paper drawing and his writings for his life's work. It is for this kindly man that Safiyyah and her father take many a risk to keep him safe throughout the book. Another is Hana, one of Safiyyah's Jewish classmates. I can't even begin to tell you Hana's story within my review. I don't want to reveal a single moment of the beauty of her rescue and healing care of the Mosque, you'll be dabbing the corners of your eyes on many occasions the closer the Germans realise they're losing the war. The parental and sibling love, and nurture the Jewish children separated from their parents receive from their temporary Muslim foster families at the Mosque is so moving, especially as there is so very little to go round already with the lack of food and clothing due to extreme rationing. There is even a Passover ‘Seder’ meal, arranged by the Mosque in utmost secret, for the Jewish people in their care, an event that brings joy to all.

We continue to be fascinated by the Resistance - the tangled web of spies that helped the Allies win the war, ordinary people who threw all caution to the wind in order to become saboteurs, messengers or informants. Not only are there adults in this story finding ways to help Jews to safety, hide them or take them hidden provisions, but children like Safiyyah end up becoming recruited as a last desperate resort. Readers will very much enjoy reading about the adrenalin-filled missions both she and a new found accomplice undertake.

Alas there is the death of Safiyyah’s beloved grandma, Setti, that readers will experience in a torrent of mixed emotions as they feel the pain and rage of Safiyyah’s grief mixed with our privileged position as the outsider looking in, where we can feel sorrow, but also Setti’s faithful journey is not ending but continuing in the afterlife with loved ones much missed. Setti is the voice of wisdom within the story. One of her many pearls include this:

“The cries from broken hearts speak only one language. Their screams echo up to the heavens like no other sound.”

Guess what, my fellow book-addicts, there’s a 10 years later chapter at the end!! I LOVE it when authors do these!!! The ‘Historical Note’ section at the back and the small ‘Glossary’ on the very final page of the book are testament to the jaw-dropping amount of research and personal attention to detail the author has undertaken to bring this story to the world of young readers (and old). As the author points out, both Jewish and Muslim tradition share the saying;

For whoever saves a single life, it is as if they have saved all of humanity.

'Safiyyah's War' is a WW2 story with many heartwarming inter-faith friendships and bonds that speak out against today’s ongoing anti-semitism and Islamophobia. Not only is this an incredible adventure story, but a much needed addition to bookshelves to balance the history books.

I openly, and honestly admit that I’d never even heard of the Paris mosques, taking in the Jews fleeing the Nazis or their work with the resistance, or the fact that any of this isn’t general knowledge around Britain speaks volumes about our insular and white western focus. So when I read the synopsis about this, I was so excited to be able to read something new to me but also to be able to share it with my girls and also with other children and their parents. Education doesn’t just stop at school, if it wasn’t for the children in my life, I wouldn’t pick up on half the things I know from what they got they teach me.
So this book was perfect, it was a great story and the fact that you know it’s based on real events, maybe not the real characters, but the children and adults went through this experience, makes reading the story so much more significant and also gives the younger readers something to relate to, that allow Safiyyah is a character, that people did leave these lives.
The story is beautifully written, Hiba Noor Khan’s descriptions are so vivid, you can really picture yourself on the streets of Paris, you really feel like you’re placed in the centre of the story. Safiyyah really is a character you connect to, and can root for. This is a wonderful book for young readers, but also for adults like me, I highly encourage libraries and schools to get this book in stock, I have received a physical copy from the publisher which will be donated to a local primary school for their library so plenty of children have access to this important story.
Thoroughly and wholeheartedly recommend this book to all

Thanks to netgalley and Anderson Press for an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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.

This book was a revelation! I love a book where I learn new things about true events while getting swept up in a story. I knew nothing about the role the inhabitants of the Grand Mosque of Paris played in WWII — it’s a brilliant story deserving of so much more attention. The books’s main character, Safiyyah, is fierce and flawed and utterly relatable, her family and their own conflicts are brilliant, and the pure terror of the true-story rescues of Jewish Parisians through the Paris catacombs makes for a spine chilling adventure. Loved it.

There are many stories of bravery around the Résistance but this story focuses on a section of it that sadly is not usually shone a light on, yet it is a story that is as if not more important that most. Beautifully told, full of compassionate and loving characters, this book is very special.

I had no knowledge of these events before reading this book, but what a story it is. It emphasises that there are so many fascinating, untold stories from the war which are so important to be documented before they are lost. This is such an example of this and sent me very far down a google rabbit hole upon finishing the book.

The story is beautifully written with such an incredible and vivid amount of detail which really puts the reader into the heart of the narrative. Saffiyah is courageous, loyal and good to the core - the perfect heroine, who you can’t help but root for.

I can’t recommend this book enough. Huge congratulations to Hiba Noor Khan - this will be a huge success and I can’t wait to read anything further that she authors.

While we hear a lot about the Jewish experience of WW2 in France, and also the SOE & mainstream resistance it was fascinating to read about the Muslim experience of the time and how the main Mosque in Paris was itself at the heart of a resistance. ring in the city.

we need to hear more stories from other perspectives and this was beautifully written, incredibly evocative and made me sob out loud in places.

Safiyyah lives with her family in Paris’ grand mosque. Life changes for everyone when the Germans invade, but when Safiyyah notices her father acting strangely, she follows him to find out why. It transpires that he is part of the French resistance movement, in particular, helping Jews flee from the city.

I found the story fascinating, touching on an element of WWII I had never heard of before. I really wanted this to be based on a true story and was delighted to read the author’s note which explained that although some artistic liberties had been taken with the story, many of the characters were in fact based upon real people and historical records detailing their actions during the war.

There are many great books for children set in WWII but it is refreshing to read one with a Muslim cast. I would urge any primary school wishing to have an more inclusive curriculum to use this book. This story absolutely needed to be written and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful book. While we all know of the resistance in France during the second world war I have to shamefully admit I knew nothing about this. In fact it has never once crossed my mind to wonder what people of countries outwith those immediately involved would be doing; the exception being the Gurkha regiments.

I am not a young woman but Muslims and Mosques played no part in my childhood so to read now of the resistance work being carried out through the Grand Mosque in Paris has left me in awe.

The historical records unearthed by the author are amazing but the addition of Safiyyah, her family, friends and neighbours made this into one of the best books of historical fiction I have ever read.

I will be buying copies of this book for many friends that they may add one more piece to the jigsaw that shows how we can all do our part to bring peace to our communities.

I really liked the sound of this book. I enjoy historical novels and this was something I really knew nothing about. I ended up dreaming about what might happen next! The praise for this book by other authors is not to be sniffed at!
Safiyyah is the daughter of her Baba and Yemma, she has a younger sister, Fatima, and her grandmother, Setti, lives with them as well. They live in the mosque in Paris as members of the staff there. As we start the book Safiyyah is in her favourite place - the library - and as usual she is looking at maps and eating Madame Odette's bonbons! Madame is the librarian, she finds Safiyyah's fascination with maps quite special. She has to rush home because Yemma told her she needs to be on time. But on the way she sees a man holding a child's hand and crying - in the street. When she tells Baba he says the man could be Jewish, and the war is not good for them, but she doesn't know why. It is wartime - the French are just about holding off the Germans, but not for long.
This changes their lives forever. Safiyyah's best friend Isabelle's family are one of the first to leave Paris, first going to their house in the country then to England. Many of the wealthy residents do the same.
Baba and Ammo Kader are keeping secrets from her - she's always been allowed to help in the office - but now it's locked. And why is Baba going out late at night?
Safiyyah is shocked when she finds out - and even more shocked when her friend Timothée brings her news that her father has been arrested - thankfully he is released. However the alternative is for Safiyyah to run errands. This at least gave her the chance to visit Monsieur Cassin, her botanist friend whose apartment was full of the plants he loved and was writing about.
What are Baba and Ammo Kader doing? How are they helping? And can they continue now, and in fact go further with their help?
I knew nothing of this story. We all know of the resistance but for one community to help another in such a way, putting themselves at risk too was clearly a step beyond. In the historical note it tells us that both Muslim and Jewish faiths share a saying "For whoever saves a single life, it is as if they have saved all of humanity".
I loved this book. It was difficult too stop reading despite being sad at times. Safiyyah, although fictional, is a strong character that can easily be imagined in this role, and her sense of duty to her family and friends is unwavering.

Wow...what a journey of discovery and learning this story took me on!
From the very first page, Hiba's writing drew me into the world of the Grand Mosque in WW2 Paris, and through her storytelling, I eagerly learnt about how the Muslims of Paris saved countless Jewish people, as part of the French Resistance effort. I will not give any more plot detail, as like me, I want the reader to be swept up in this rich, evocative and gripping narrative.
The title itself fits perfectly. Saffiyah is a courageous young girl, who feels deeply and whose actions very much reflect her sense of personal responsibility. She must be part of her community's efforts to save Jewish lives and resist the antisemitic violence and hatred perpetrated by the Nazi regime. I adored Safiyyah's sense of curiosity and how she then took the next step to action. I hope that young people take from this story, the importance of questioning and curiosity about the world around us, and where needed, see the importance of taking action and creating change.
Safiyyah’s War is such an important story based on real events that, to date, been largely missing from our wider collective consciousness surrounding WW2. Hiba's thorough research ensures accurate and respectful representation, and her end ‘Historical Note’ shares with the reader information about actual members of the Mosque community, on whom some of her characters are based. As she writes, this book uncovers “all the unlikely heroes, whose names aren’t memorialised and whose stories aren’t sung and praised, but whose courage and actions change our world forever”. Young people of Muslim faith will read this, and maybe for the first time, see that the contribution of their community, in this pivotal moment in the history of the World, is being acknowledged. I hope in reading and talking about this book, young people will be curious like Safiyyah, ask questions, research stories, and shine a light on other unsung heroes, within this and other periods in history.
This MG book needs to be in EVERY Library. Outstanding writing for children is outstanding writing for everyone, and people of all ages will take not only historical learnings, but also a challenge to the predominant stereotypes of Muslim faith and community. We need to ‘blether’ about this book! There are moments of such poignancy, that I wept and in our divided times, the message of hope that can only come through shared dialogue, empathy and understanding, is one we all desperately need to hear.

I tend to avoid 'WW2 in Britain/France' books, because I find them very samey and consider the time period overall very overdone - but apparently adding a Muslim character is the way to get me to read one, and this was wonderful!

Safiyyah was such a brilliant heroine - she's so brave and bold and curious, and Hiba Noor Khan does such a great job of capturing a child's perspective, balancing an eleven year old's worldview with the upheaval having to grow up too fast in wartime. Her relationship with her family was also so lovely, especially her grandmother (though I also wanted to know more about the family's history! Why did they move from Algeria to Spain, and then to France?)

Though I've been to the Grand Mosque of Paris, I had no idea about its history helping Jews escape the Holocaust. I love that it's the characters' foundation of faith that makes them so determined to do the right thing (we often hear about Catholic priests etc. who sheltered Jews in WW2, so I love that we get this version of that story too!), and I really appreciated how naturally Islam was woven into the story.

Ultimately this is a story about love and kindness, and doing the right thing even when it would be easier not to. Certain lines definitely felt very pointedly applicable to present day issues, but overall I love the message that this sends for both children and adult readers! Actually, this is exactly the kind of book I want adults who dismiss middle grade to read, because the writing may be <i>simple</i>, but that doesn't mean it's not effective, and the way Khan writes emotions is incredibly moving!

Thank you to NetGalley and Andersen Press for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

CW: antisemitism, Holocaust, PTSD, family separation, grief

An interesting slice of history which recounts how the Muslims living in and around the central Mosque of Paris helped with the war effort and rescued many Jews from the Nazis. However, I feel that this is a YA novel, although I did read it to the end.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

This is a deeply moving story of what it was like to live through the German occupation in WWII. The story gradually evolves and we see how people of all religions helped each other survive during that terrible time. This is an absolute must have story for all KS2 libraries.

'Safiyyah's War' is a superb middle-grade historical novel which tells the incredible, inspiring and little-known story of the role of the Grand Mosque in Paris in saving Jews during WW2 as part of the French Resistance.

Safiyyah lives with her family inside the Mosque and sees the world around her changing as the Nazis invade France and occupy Paris. Because of the Nazi fears of a Muslim uprising in North Africa, the Muslims of Paris continue to live in comparative safety, but Safiyyah and her father both feel compelled to help those in greater need, particularly the Jews who are facing growing persecution. Her father initially resists Safiyyah's desire to become involved in his mysterious night-time activities, but eventually her irrepressible curiosity gets the better of him and she too becomes a vital part of the Resistance effort.

This is both a gripping and moving novel. Hiba Noor Khan brings her detailed research to life and introduces us to many less familiar aspects of life in occupied Paris. The plot is full of suspense and builds to a thrilling climax. But this story also offers a beautiful, touching and positive portrait of a Muslim community within a genre from which they are traditionally marginalised. This community is presented as outward-looking rather than insular, and is defined by its values, in particular caring for those in need (of any faith) as well as the importance of family and prayer. Rather than focusing on the poisonous antisemitic bigotry of the Nazi regime, Khan instead foregrounds interfaith dialogue and understanding. Other stereotypes are challenged, for instance when Safiyyah's decision to wear a hijab is presented as empowering rather than oppressive.

This novel is a must-read for KS2 and KS3, and children and adults alike will learn much from reading it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC to review.