Apparently, this was a novel that high school kids read in the 60's and 70's. This was very disturbing, but good. Nowadays, I don't think a teacher would get away with having her students reading this, even though it is a good teaching tool about history (and a good coming of age tale). This is about a young boy (6 years old) whose parents give him up in order to protect him from the Nazi's and their concentration camps. They leave him with this elderly woman who lives alone..and ends up dying. After that its all about his dealings with people in different villages that he visits (people who either take pity on him or those that think he's a gypsy jewish child who will bring nothing but bad luck). The six year old narrates which makes you feel like you're in his situation even more. What's more is that the author never tells you where this is happening, but that its taking place in Eastern Europe under Nazi occupation.
This is one of those books that is short, but sticks with you because the happenings within it are so awful. It was recommended to me by an older employee at Barnes and Noble who told me she read it when she was in high school and it stuck with her. It will stick with me too....I've never read anything like it (and I've read every irvine welsh book so you'd think I'd be desensitized). I'd recommend this to anyone who has an interest in World War II and how people survived during that time. I'll read it again someday.
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