Once by Morris GleitzmanRATING: 3 Stars
GENRE: Historical Fiction
SERIES: Once #1
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Felix, a Jewish boy in Poland in 1942, is hiding from the Nazis in a Catholic orphanage. The only problem is that he doesn't know anything about the war, and thinks he's only in the orphanage while his parents travel and try to salvage their bookselling business. And when he thinks his parents are in danger, Felix sets off to warn them--straight into the heart of Nazi-occupied Poland.
To Felix, everything is a story: Why did he get a whole carrot in his soup? It must be sign that his parents are coming to get him. Why are the Nazis burning books? They must be foreign librarians sent to clean out the orphanage's outdated library. But as Felix's journey gets increasingly dangerous, he begins to see horrors that not even stories can explain.
Despite his grim surroundings, Felix never loses hope. Morris Gleitzman takes a painful subject and expertly turns it into a story filled with love, friendship, and even humor.
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Oh my goodness, this sounds as heartbreaking as Jerry Spinelli's "Milkweed." I loved that book as a young woman because it was so humbling and awe-inspiring to see the holocaust through the eyes and naivety of a child. The plot of this book looks much more character driven and adventurous though. The idea that the author could work humor into it as well makes it sound like this could be a really well-rounded and fully human book. Hiding in a Catholic Orphanage is also a great plot device and genius move. I wonder if anyone actually managed to protect their children like that at the time...
ReplyDelete150 pages makes it sound like it would be a great quick read. You say some of it is handled immaturely...but I can't help but wonder if the author is trying to go straight from naivety to denial in Felix's mind. My curiosity about this book is definitely piqued. Thanks for sharing this review!