A Child Without a Shadow- A Review

A Child Without a Shadow: A Story of Resilience

The story is a memoir of the life of Shaul Harel. He was a Jewish boy named Charlie Hilsberg. As a child in 1930s Belgium he enjoyed a brief early experience with a loving and closely knit family until the Nazi invasion robbed him of his parents and an older brother and robbed them of their lives. Shaul survived. The shadow he lost was his early identity along with early memories of what happened in those early years as he was moved from home to home by caring Belgians who risked their lives to save so many Jewish children. Following the war, we learn of a different kind of survival. Shaul goes to Israel where he gets an education but adapting to the new culture is not easy.

Eventually Shaul is able to connect with other family members and other hidden children.

We learn of his fierce loyalty to his new country and strong desire to become a physician. His drive to survive appears to motivate him to overcome barriers in his chosen field of paediatric neurology as well as barriers to medical treatment for his young patients.

The story is compelling. One thing is missing. As a psychologist who has evaluated many children who have survived abuse and neglect, Shaul does not consider the role of intelligence. I agree with him about the power of resilience and the importance of the early nurturance he received before all hell broke loose. However, Shaul is an exceptional man who became a leader in his medical field as a clinician and medical researcher. People with high intelligence have a higher capacity to learn from, adapt to, and solve problems more than others. It is not any child who can learn multiple languages, gain entry into medical school, and pass challenging exams.

The only downside to the book is the grammatical errors and structure that interferes with a smooth read. I hope that an editor will be involved in a new edition.

I read a Kindle edition of A Child Without a Shadow: A Story of Resilience.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is www.suttong.com

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