WHILE WE'RE FAR APART BY LYNN AUSTIN

WHILE WE'RE FAR APART by LYNN AUSTIN is a lovely story that takes place in America during the second world war.  It takes place mostly in Brooklyn where Eddie Shaffer lives in an apartment owned by Jacob Mendel, with his two children, Esther and Peter.  Eddie's wife, Rachel, was killed when she was hit by a car.  Jacob's wife, Miriam, was killed in the same accident.  Jacob and Esther both have many questions as to why God would allow such a thing to happen, and both start out  bitter about it and even angry with God.  It is beautiful to see how Jacob, as a Jew, ministers to Esther and  Peter, and Penny Goodrich, the young woman who looks after the children while Eddie is at war.
Jacob used to have an important position at the Synagogue but he hasn't been to Shul since Miriam died.  When he rescues the Torah scrolls during a fire at the Synagogue things start changing for him.  The children play an important role in softening his heart.  He is desperately trying to find his son, Avraham, his daughter-in-law and granddaughter, as well as other family members who are somewhere in Hungary.  He hasn't heard from them in ages and is very worried.  We see the horror of anti-Semitism in Europe and also in America. 
Penny Goodrich lives with her parents in a duplex next to Eddie's mother.  She has always imagined herself in love with Eddie, and when his mother refuses to look after Esther and Peter when he signs up in the army, she offers to go and live in his apartment and look after them.  It proves very difficult at first, as Esther resents her and both children are very upset with their father going off to war, especially as they don't have a mother any more.
Penny's parents are very old fashioned and have never given Penny any feeling of worth.  They are frightened of everything and have made her fearful as well.  They have also made her terrified of Jews, and are very upset that she is going to live in Brooklyn where there are a lot of Jews.  She is afraid of Mr Mendel when she first meets him, but comes to love him as a good friend.  It is difficult for her, but she is determined to make a success of looking after the children for Eddie's sake.  She meets a young soldier, Roy, on the bus to work every day, and they become very good friends.  He believes she can do anything she puts her hand to.  He becomes friendly with the children and Jacob as well.
The book is beautifully written and the characters are very real.  There is a theme of longing for one's family to be together again, of searching for missing family members, and of friends who need one another.  We see that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is truly the God of Christianity, as Mr Mendel tells the children stories about Hashem and His faithfulness to His children, and as he exhorts them to never give up, even when they don't understand.