“As a young girl, Trudy is taught to stand up for truth by her much-loved grandfather. Then in 1943, Trudy’s childhood drastically changes when her family is sent to a German-American Internment Camp in Texas. On the train ride to the camp, Trudy meets Ruth, who tells her the legend of the Paladins–defenders of truth and justice–but Trudy’s experiences inside the camp soon convince her that she doesn’t have what it takes to be a knight.
After two years, her family is released from the camp and they move to Mississippi. Here Trudy struggles to deal with injustice when she comes face to face with the ingrained bigotries of the local white residents and the abject poverty of the black citizens of Willow Bay. Then their black housekeeper–a woman Trudy has come to care for–finds herself in crisis, and Trudy faces a choice: look the other way, or become the person her grandfather and Ruth believed she could be?”
  • “This novel offers a window into a lesser-known aspect of internment in WWII…When a regular girl confronts extraordinary challenges, this novel forcefully asks what it takes to stand up for what is right.”
    — Booklist
  • “The plot is fast, driving, and great for reluctant readers….Great for school libraries as it offers a viewpoint of the effects of World War II at home.”
    — School Library Journal
  • “Told with deep empathy, this tale illuminates a little-known but relevant aspect of U.S. history and deftly explores privilege and injustice in their many forms.”
    — Kirkus Reviews
  • “Through Trudy Herman, B.E. Beck illustrates the toils and triumphs of looking absurdity, indifference to suffering, and condescension straight in the eye, and in doing such, builds solidarity across racial, national, and cultural differences. It’s an insight into empathy, the relevance of which in many ways continues to define the United States today.”
    — Kristin Gissberg, PhD, educator and blogger
  • “B.E. Beck explores America surrounding World War II, illuminating the story of a teenager setting her moral compass. Trudy’s struggles leap off the page, relevant now more than ever.”
    — Jennifer Rainman, Librarian
  • “Trudy Herman’s struggles to survive adolescence and deal with the difficulties of injustice, cruelty, and self-doubt is a remarkable record of self-evolution. Her story is both engaging and revealing and the writer’s ability to capture Trudy’s conflicts and growth is remarkable We all learn from her experiences.”
    — Gloria Campbell, author of Just a Thought
  • “Who Are You, Trudy Herman? is a strong commentary on social injustice viewed through the eyes of a young, innocent girl. B.E. Beck’s writing style and her ability to develop her characters make this a must-read.”
    — Bruce Hansen, author of Alpha Blue

“Some days life requires courage.”

– J.B. Hazelton, writer