The Light in Hidden Places

Sharon Cameron is the best-selling author of The Light in Hidden Places, a YA historical fiction published in 2020. The protagonist, Stefania Podgórska, was a real-life person who hid 13 Jews during the Holocaust. Cameron spent years researching Stefania’s life, speaking to those close to her, including her son and sister, and reading her unpublished memoir. Thus, Cameron is uniquely qualified to turn Stefania’s life into a literary work. Stefania’s narrative centers on themes of bravery, determination, sacrifice, and choosing kindness over cruelty.

The page numbers in the study guide refer to an eBook version of the 2020 Scholastic Press edition.

Content Warning: The source material contains violence, antisemitism, and countless traumas that inevitably correspond to Holocaust narratives.

Plot Summary

Stefania Podgórska hates her idyllic childhood on her farm in Poland. At 13, she moves to a big city, Przemyśl, and lives with two of her older sisters. She works at the Diamants’ shop. They’re Jewish, and Stefania is Catholic, but the family welcomes her warmly, and Stefania grows close to Mrs. Diamant. She moves in with them and starts a romantic relationship with one of the sons, Izio.