"A tragic story about an historical event that deserves to be told, and which should provoke thoughtful discussion about a difficult subject."

"With Lisa and Sol as the voices in To Hope and Back, Kacer wrote on how each child saw the voyage through the expectations of their families, resulting in two gripping accounts of the same event."

"Lisa and Sol’s stories, related with poignancy and immediacy, will touch young readers. An unfortunate lesson on the complicity and international complexities that made the Holocaust possible."

"[T]he historical significance of the St. Louis and the compelling photos make this a worthwhile supplementary purchase."

"A thoughtful and much recommended read, highly recommended for youth history and Holocaust studies collections."

"This is another excellent book to help young people remember the Holocaust. While it presents the injustice and prejudice in a very realistic way it is not overly graphic and thus would be appropriate for students in upper elementary and junior high school. They will certainly be able to relate to Lisa and Sol as they are forced to leave their homes to make a new life in a foreign country."

"The author tells this true story through the eyes of the innocent, building the suspense to a level where readers almost feel they are on the ship themselves. Emotions run high, and the logic of the children seems to be so obviously correct that readers cannot comprehend why the adults do not act appropriately."

"The novel does an excellent job of mixing fictionalized history with actual events...it achieves its goal of presenting the St. Louis tragedy in a way that young readers can relate to."

"This is a very well done nonfiction book."

"In this very realistic account, readers will feel as if they are actually on board the ship. They will share the families’ feelings of despair and will share in the great relief that was felt by all when safe havens were finally found."