- historical fiction set in post-WWII Germany
- follows a family who have experienced loss and much hardship, with a focus on the oldest daughter
- great for animal lovers (especially dogs and horses)
- convo: deaths mentioned (of both people and animals), bombings & other wartime activities mentioned, ghosts and witches mentioned, luck and superstitions mentioned, a girl thinks she’s ugly because she has freckles, beliefs in Purgatory, pipe smoking, alcoholic drinks mentioned, lying*
- language: L*rd x4, G*d x1, gee x4, gosh x2, stupid x2, “Holy saints and Saviour,” some mild name-calling (twerp, lazybones, squirt, etc.)
Type: chapter book
Ages: 9-14
Author: Margot Benary-Isbert
*Regarding the lying: the mother is honest about something the boys found (she reported it to the police) while her kids think she should have kept it. One girl calls her old-fashioned and says she “ought to be re-educated.” We learn later (as if we didn’t already know) that it was the best decision she could have made.
This refugee family from Poland includes a mother and four children. The father is a POW in Russia, and the oldest child was killed before they fled to Germany. This is mentioned briefly but is probably the saddest part of the book, as soldiers shoot both the boy and the family’s dog. It’s not described in detail and should be okay for most kids ages nine and up. He was the twin of the oldest girl.
The mother is a beautiful example of a loving parent and a hard worker. She serves others, befriends those difficult to befriend, helps wherever she can, and continually loves her children well. She puts on two particularly lovely Christmases, so this would be a good book around that time of year.
It’s an overall gentle book. The two oldest children are given jobs at a farm which provides much joy for them (and the readers). This is where most of the animal scenes take place.
Final Note: If your copy is older than 2020, my above review won’t be fully trustworthy. The publisher, Purple House Press, has made undisclosed changes to this book. Click here for their response.