The Secret Buttons

In the vast landscape of historical fiction, it is rare to find a story that manages to be both heartbreakingly urgent and remarkably cozy. Ellen Shapiro’s The Secret Buttons is that rare gem. As a reviewer who has spent two decades navigating the heavy waters of Holocaust literature, I found Shapiro’s narrative voice, professional yet light, and deeply sympathetic, to be a refreshing yet poignant lens through which to view a familiar history.

The story follows twelve-year-old Anni and her seven-year-old sister, Rosie, as they flee Nazi-occupied Vienna for the safety of the English countryside. Shapiro immediately establishes a sense of displaced identity: “Last year, when Germany took over our country… they gave all the Jewish people new names, too. Since then, I haven’t been sure who I really am”. This theme of identity and how we stitch ourselves back together when our world unravels is central to the book.

One of the most compelling aspects of the novel is its focus on the “domestic” front of survival. While the war rages in the skies, Anni and Rosie navigate a different kind of battlefield: the home of their relatives in a small English village. The book beautifully weaves together themes of resilience, family, and the quiet power of craft. Anni’s knitting is not just a hobby; it becomes a literal and metaphorical tool for survival. When she realizes she can hide diamonds inside crocheted buttons to help refugees escape to America, the stakes of her needlework become life-altering. She insists, “It’s crocheted in there so tightly it will never slip out,” a testament to both her skill and her unwavering determination to protect her people.

Shapiro’s writing is evocative, capturing the sensory details of a world on the brink. She describes the “English moon” and “English birds” as markers of a safe yet foreign land, contrasting them with the “terrifying guns and clomping boots” left behind in Austria. The dialogue is equally sharp, particularly in the interactions between the sisters and their English cousins, which are peppered with period-appropriate British expressions that add a layer of authenticity and occasional humor to the somber setting.

The Secret Buttons is a versatile read. It will deeply resonate with middle-grade readers (ages 12-14) who are beginning to explore the complexities of World War II history through characters their own age. However, its sophisticated themes of hidden heroism and the preservation of culture through craft make it equally compelling for adult readers of historical fiction, especially those who appreciate stories of the Kindertransport and the quiet ways individuals resisted tyranny.

At its heart, this is a story about the threads that hold us together when everything else falls apart. It is a professional, polished, and profoundly moving tribute to the strength of children in the face of unimaginable upheaval. Shapiro has crafted a beautiful reminder that even a small button can hold the weight of a family’s future.