The Girl Who Sang recounts the harrowing story of how Enia Feld, later Estelle Nadel (1934 – 2023), survived the Nazi occupation of Poland and eventually immigrated to the United States. The graphic memoir’s title reflects the significance of her voice, which she would use to sing inventive and joyful songs before it was completely stifled. Neither her eventual recovery from trauma nor her renewed ability to perform ever erase the sorrows of her earlier life. Her meticulous narration and insights, combined with Sammy Savos’s compassionate artistic vision, ensure that this story will not be forgotten.
Nadel’s memoir begins in 1939, when she lived in the small Jewish community of Borek, Poland. Their life may not have been idyllic, but from young Enia’s perspective, it was comfortable, defined by religious tradition and a loving extended family. (She devotes several pages to their Passover preparations, including the making of matzah.) Her father tended a small farm, and her mother taught her the domestic skills needed to sustain their home. Some of their Christian neighbors were friendly and kind.
When the deteriorating political situation became threatening to Jews, Enia’s father remained stoic, confident that God would protect them. Throughout the book, Nadel maintains a nonjudgmental tone when describing the ambivalent responses of her loved ones as they struggled to save one another’s lives. In one section, Enia’s brothers discuss episodes of antisemitism; in another, panels with a black background and minimal text show scenes of terror. Enia sees a Nazi wielding scissors, with which he brutally cuts an old Jewish man’s beard.
When Enia and her surviving family members were fortunate enough to find refuge in the United States, new difficulties replaced their daily struggles for survival. Nadel recalls her disappointment when her adoption by a Jewish American family permanently separated her from her brothers. She says that she once held a grudge against her brother Shia/Steve for being unable to keep the remaining siblings together, but that she later forgave him.
One unique aspect of the book appears in the backmatter, where Savos describes her artistic technique, demystifying the creation of art about the Holocaust. This highly recommended book also includes an extensive afterword with further information about the events and people in it.
Emily Schneider writes about literature, feminism, and culture for Tablet, The Forward, The Horn Book, and other publications, and writes about children’s books on her blog. She has a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures.