- from the perspective of a young boy named Michael, WWII comes to Hungary through Nazi tyrants
- various adults (especially his strong and loving father) kindly help him as he transitions from Europe to the United States
- a sweet love of horses woven throughout
- convo: occasional references to superstitions and charms, mentions people being tortured or killed for what they think (no torture descriptions), a boy Michael knew is left dead in a street as a warning to others, an indication that a horse was treated badly by one of the grooms
- language: x3 L*rd (as a swear), x3 stupid, x10 gosh, x1 G*sh Almighty, x1 gee whiz, x1 golly
Type: chapter book
Ages: 7+
Author: Kate Seredy
Because of the point-of-view, the war elements of this story are extremely gentle and innocent as far as war knowledge can be. The writing style is lyrical and almost dreamlike. Truly the element that sets apart this book!
As Michael grows, the writing equally matures. His views become more serious from both his aging and his difficult experiences. His father’s intentional time with him bears fruit as readers will see in some of his decisions.
“Don’t look back, son. Look ahead. That’s better. Straight and proud, head up, eyes forward. This…this is the scary part of the story…Remember what you told me? A story about an honest-to-goodness wicked monster…But we know, Michael, that somebody will come along and slay it, so we are not afraid.”
This is a slight spoiler, but I’ll try to keep it vague: The family who cares for him in the final chapters is an absolutely beautiful visual of what adoption should look like. They are so sincere, so kind–something Michael deeply needed after his years in Hungary.
It’s not a perfect book–the references to being a “child of the earth” or “we are the earth,” the language turning “dumb” when the scenes switch to America, and some cheesiness in the Author’s Note…these are my only bones to pick. For the most part, it was a wonderful story and would certainly make a great family read-aloud!
Buy it directly from the publisher by clicking here.