Johanna Reiss

About the Author

Johanna Reiss is an acclaimed author whose poignant memoir The Upstairs Room recounts her harrowing experiences as a young Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis in Nazi-occupied Holland during World War II. Born in the Netherlands in 1932, Reiss survived the Holocaust by concealing herself in a farmer's attic for nearly three years, an ordeal that profoundly shaped her writing. After immigrating to the United States, she channeled her memories into literature that bridges personal trauma with universal themes of resilience and humanity. Reiss's work has earned her the prestigious Newbery Honor and continues to educate and inspire readers worldwide about the enduring impact of war and the strength of the human spirit.