No One is Here Except All of Us (Ramona Ausubel)

In a tiny isolated Romanian village at the start of the second world war the residents--all Jewish--make the choice to cut themselves off from the outside and begin the world over. The hundred residents gather together and decide they have been born into the world without knowledge of radio or newspapers. They are the only ones alive. Some residents switch spouses to enter the  new world and in the case of Lena, she is given away to her aunt and uncle to be their  baby daughter . . . at the age of eleven. The village begins to writes its own creation story and mythology, oblivious to world on the outside. 

Of course, they cannot hide from the war forever. 

Ramona Ausubel did a wonderful job creating the unique mindset and culture of the village. Lena is an especially likable character not only because she is a victim of circumstance, but because she's always trying to save others by doing what is best for them. It's a good read for a summer evening, but but the kind of heart lifting narrative suitable for a day at the beach.