emit ic , ▁but ▁starts ▁to ▁question ▁himself ▁and ▁his ▁culture ▁when ▁he ▁witness es ▁the ▁at ro cious ▁events . ▁The ▁novel ▁received ▁generally ▁fav ou rable ▁reviews . ▁ ▁To ▁help ▁make ▁the ▁le ap ▁from ▁non - f iction ▁journal ism ▁to ▁historical ▁fiction , ▁Sand ers ▁completed ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Toronto ' s ▁Creative ▁Writing ▁Cert ificate ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁Sand ers ' ▁second ▁novel , ▁Rach el ' s ▁Promise ▁pick s ▁up ▁where ▁Rach el ' s ▁Secret ▁ended , ▁with ▁Rach el ' s ▁family ▁ab o ard ▁the ▁Trans - S iber ian ▁Railway ▁head ed ▁east ▁to ▁escape ▁from ▁Russia . ▁When ▁they ▁arrive ▁in ▁Shang hai , ▁they ▁are ▁safe ▁from ▁anti - S emit ic ▁pog rom s , ▁but ▁live ▁in ▁a ▁gh etto ▁bare ly ▁making ▁ends ▁meet . ▁Sand ers ▁received ▁an ▁Ontario ▁Council ▁of ▁the ▁Arts ▁Grant ▁to ▁complete ▁the ▁book . ▁Rach el ' s ▁Secret ▁was ▁named ▁a ▁Notable ▁Book ▁for ▁Te ens ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁Sydney ▁Taylor ▁Book ▁Awards ▁Ann ounced ▁by ▁the ▁Association ▁of ▁Jewish ▁L ibr aries . ▁Rach el ' s ▁Hope ▁named ▁a ▁Notable ▁Book ▁for ▁Te ens ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁Sydney ▁Taylor ▁Book ▁Awards . ▁and ▁is ▁a ▁Re comm ended ▁Book ▁in ▁the ▁Canadian ▁Children ' s ▁Book news , ▁Fall ▁ 2 0 1 4 . ▁ ▁Sand ers ▁received ▁a ▁Canada ▁Arts ▁Council ▁Grant