The Devil's Arithmetic

by Jane Yolen

4.5 of 5 stars 2 ratings • 2 reviews • 5 shelved
Book cover for The Devil's Arithmetic

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"A triumphantly moving book."  —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Hannah dreads going to her family's Passover Seder—she's tired of hearing her relatives talk about the past. But when she opens the front door to symbolically welcome the prophet Elijah, she's transported to a Polish village in the year 1942. Why is she there, and who is this "Chaya" that everyone seems to think she is? Just as she begins to unravel the mystery, Nazi soldiers come to take everyone in the village away. And only Hannah knows the unspeakable horrors that await. A critically acclaimed novel from multi-award-winning author Jane Yolen. 


"[Yolen] adds much to understanding the effects of the Holocaust, which will reverberate throughout history, today and tomorrow." —SLJ, starred review

"Readers will come away with a sense of tragic history that both disturbs and compels." —Booklist

Winner of the National Jewish Book Award
An American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists"
  • ISBN10 0140345353
  • ISBN13 9780140345353
  • Publish Date 1 October 1990 (first published 27 October 1988)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Penguin Putnam Inc