war – Page 3 – One Chapter

Projekt 1065: A Novel of World War II by Alan Gratz

Every book I read from Alan, I think he can’t write any better and then, he does it again. In Project 1065, I time-traveled back to Berlin, where I met Michael and his parents who were spies. Michael’s father is an Irish Ambassador so there is plenty of opportunity for the family to interact with high-raking officials. Michael is 13, he attends an all-boy school and he does his part in the resistance. Michael is also part of Hitler’s Youth Army where he can obtain information for the Allies. One of the hardest parts of being a spy for Michael is, when he has to fake being a Nazi.

When a British spy plane is shot down, Hitler’s Youth Army is called in to help search for him. Michael wants to save the man yet his team is needed to turn him in. The original search comes up empty but he’s found later and they’re able to safety hide him for the time being. He’ll need to get out of the country soon and that’s when Michael’s family comes into play.

Michael meets a new boy at school, Fritz whose father is on the design team for a new aircraft w/o propellers. This aircraft will help win the war. At Fritz’s house, Michael steals the blueprint but later realizes, he only has a small section of the blueprints. He’ll need to find the rest of the pages and get the information to the proper authorities BUT Fritz is quickly moving up the ranks in Hitler’s Youth and he’s leaving Michael behind. This friendship is falling by the wayside yet Michael needs those blueprints soon but how can he get them?

I’m sitting on the edge on my chair, the stories are running simultaneously, each one just as important as the others. It’s war, there’s some violence but that’s expected, as that’s what these individuals experienced. I enjoyed how all these stories were all tied in to one another, they’re full of energy and how enticing they were. Alan’s book are phenomenal, I need to breathe now!

Allies by Alan Gratz

I have to thank Alan again for the trip. It was a short trip but it was definitely worth it, as I was walked along beside a handful of young individuals who were out to make a difference in the world in 1944. They each had their own agenda for how they were about to beat the Nazi’s, their own energy, and their own history which powered them. I was only there because Alan allowed me to be. This book, along with many others that he has written, put me on the front lines with these individuals and let me see firsthand, the amazing journey that these individuals experienced, that I myself, only felt.

If I haven’t said this before, I will say it now, you need to read one of Alan Gratz’s books. Geared towards young readers, Alan is an amazing writer that has won numerous awards and has been on the NY Times best sellers list. I, as a grandmother, love his books and can testify that from the beginning pages, I’m hooked. Alan stories includes topics such as honor, love, and family, just to name a few and once you read one, you’ll want to binge read the rest.

In this book, each of these individuals are fighting the Nazi’s with their own personal agenda. Every few chapters we are introduced to a new individual until we meet them all and then, during the rest of the book, we follow their involvement in the war. There were many times, I couldn’t wait to get back to a certain character but I enjoyed every character in this book. I enjoyed their different perspectives and motives for their involvement.

I can’t tell you how many times, I caught myself holding my breath or I found myself sitting at the edge of the couch, while reading this book. This is not a relaxing read. The intensity, the emotions, and the images that went on inside my head were intense. Struggling to stay afloat in the water as the floating dead bodies hit up against them, their heavy gear weighing them down, where do they go from here? The bullets hitting the water and the boats, they’re all around them. Dang, I was shouting at the book by this time and my heart was racing. Then, we had the medic who made light of the discrimination some soldiers threw at him while later, we really saw how he really felt about it and what he did when faced with these individuals again. The author includes some notes in the back of this book and you really need to read them. This book, what else can I say besides, read it. Take the journey and see 1944 through the eyes of these individuals. 5 stars!

The Home for the Friendless: Finding Hope, Love, and Family by Betty Auchard

I read this book for bookclub otherwise I think I would have missed reading this gem. What a great memoir! I enjoyed many things about this book and although, I live in the area that the author talks about, that is not what makes this book so special. This book is about the stories, the memories, and how those made me feel.

I could go on forever about the stories that are included in this book but some of my favorites were the name confusion story, Spike the dog, how her family lived through WWII, and her relationships with her family. The pictures that she included in the book were great, as I like looking at old photographs and they helped with the stories.

Pearl, Elizabeth, Betty, Betty Bop, Lizzie, whatever name you want to call her and that also depends upon who you were and what age she was (name confusion story) shares some great personal stories that left me smiling, shaking my head, and some almost left me in tears. Each chapter is a separate story and boy, does she have the stories.

When Spike got stuck in the toilet, I couldn’t quit laughing. In my mind, I imagined exactly what that scene must have looked like, as I read the words that were printed on the page. What a sight that must have been! When she wrote about WWII, as the family condensed themselves into 2 rooms, how cozy and scared everyone must have felt living side-by-side. Each story felt as if she was telling it to me personally, the details and emotions she wrote about were vivid. The story about eating the sandwiches during this time period and the free liver. I just cannot imagine.

I’m so glad that I read this for bookclub. I told our librarian that I appreciated her picking out this book for us. I will be recommending this book to others as it’s definitely one that others need to read. 5 stars

Grenade by Alan Gratz

If you’ve never read an Alan Gratz novel before and you read middle school/YA historical fiction, you’re missing out. You seriously need to read one of his books because I guarantee you that, you’ll be checking out the rest of his books before you finish that first book. Grenade was more than I expected. As I followed two different young men, they both were fighting a war, only they were on different sides. Hideki had become a member of the Blood & Iron Student Corp to protect his island and Ray, just landed on foreign soil and he heard that the enemy is waiting for them.

Armed with 2 live grenades, Hideki is sent into battle with other young teens like himself. His energy and enthusiasm are high until the reality of the war starts to sink in and the truth comes out. As Ray and his troops make their way into the new territory, he begins to wonder if this is what his parents and grandparents experienced in war. This is not what Ray had pictured. Hideki and Ray are moving towards each other, each of them battling a war their heart is not into.

I couldn’t tear myself away from this battle, I feared for the lives of these young individuals as they tried to fight for their country yet they weren’t prepared for what they were facing. I felt the dirt fall away as the bombs exploded and I saw the fear and anxiety on the faces of the young soldiers as they crept up the road, wondering what laid ahead for them.

The story is full is adventure, action and historical information. The characters stories were rich and I immediately became attached to them. I really enjoyed this story and I highly recommend it. Make sure you also read the author’s comments in the back of the book, as they enhance the book’s experience. I have read a few of Alan’s book and they don’t disappoint. My goal this winter is to read all of his books as I enjoy them so much.

Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth by Sheila O’Connor

Covers can be deceiving and this one truly was. I thought the cover of this book looked dull yet the inside of the book was just the opposite. Written in letter correspondence, I found myself on an incredible journey with Reen, as she tries to save her family. What started out as a business correspondence between Reen and Mr. Marsworth turned into something more impressive than they both expected.

Reen and her older two brothers have been living with their grandma, since their mother’s death. Since Reen has no other friends, she hangs out with her youngest brother Dare.

Mr. Marsworth was a customer on Reen’s paper route and she needed important information to do her job. Known as a loner/recluse, Reen (11), takes to paper and pencil to get the answers she needs. In his responsive letter, he’s right to the point but that’s not the end of this. Reen keeps the letters flying a few times back and forth. Reen is a talker but in this case, a writer, and so she does, to Mr. Marsworth. Soon, it’s just Reen writing and waiting, waiting for a reply from her new friend. I really got impatient and angry too, why wasn’t he responding to her and when she pleaded to him to respond, what was he doing?

Reen begins to pour out her heart to Mr. Marsworth in her letters. It’s not just the newspaper information she needs now but she needs a friend, someone she can talk to. I could feel the love, the anxiety and the desperation in her words as she wrote. She wrote him about her day, her issues and she’d ask him some questions. She found that there are some questions that Mr. Marsworth just couldn’t answer. Those questions were too difficult and/or he just wasn’t ready to answer them for her. How Reen handled this really said a lot about Reen, I thought. What she had with Mr. Marsworth meant more to her than the answers. Now, that is good stuff!

The story occurs in 1968 when the Vietnam War was on everyone’s mind including Reen’s. Her old brother, Billy’s future is on the line: college, sign up for the military, or be drafted? For Reen, there is only one answer and she’s determined to make that happen.

Reen also has been corresponding with a soldier in the war. She received his name from her teacher as part of a project. Reen now knows first-hand what war is all about. I loved how she takes this project seriously and how much time she devotes to it.

That ending was fabulous! I had suspected something an ending like that but nothing as involved as that. I had to get out the tissues as the tears were flowing and I couldn’t stop them. What an awesome book!! Good heavens!! Can someone erase my brain so I can read it over again?? I loved it!

The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner

As they secretly nestled together in the barn loft, I was worried about creating a disturbance, for any noise or movement from me, could reveal their location. How I, the reader, could influence my book characters was beyond me, but I was totally wrapped up inside this book.

Shira wanted to be with her mother yet she also wanted to be outside, to be in the fresh air and have fun but mother said that wasn’t possible now. Mother, wanted to keep what she had left safe and that meant hiding in the barn. As the days passed, the intensity of the situation changes quite often. Mother is grateful to be in the barn yet there are the nightly visits by Henryk (the farm’s owner). There is mother’s constant strive to be positive for her daughter, mother’s own conflict over their situation, and then, Krystyna (Henryk wife’s) begins taking Shira outside on short trips.

I thought this was a quick-paced book that held my attention throughout the whole book. I truly felt the anticipation and the energy intensify as the story developed and progressed. I enjoyed watching Shira mature through the years and how her talent sparked. I found myself cheering on the characters many times and the ending was fantastic.

The Light After the War by Anita Abriel

This wasn’t the path they had planned to be on, yet here they were. Edith and Vera had been best friends forever, living across from one another their whole lives but now, the war changed that. Creating a plan, scrunched together in the dark cattle car, these women’s lives would never be the same.

Waiting in the grass, watching for movement, watching for any signs of life, they left disappointed. They knew what they needed to do now and they moved quickly. Soon the world would be theirs, the war would be officially over and they could make their mark upon it. It was an impressive journey as the girls begin experiencing life on their own.

I enjoyed how the girls looked out for one another. Vera was the hard-working one, who immediately was concerned about money and tries to find employment so they can survive. Vera’s concerned about paying for rent, buying food, and taking care of her friend, Edith. She tries not to let her emotions get in the way. Believing that her boyfriend Stefan has died, Edith can’t get herself together. Her grief has led her to become very promiscuous, causing Vera to keep her eyes on her when men are around.

I liked how the characters of Vera and Edith were alike and how they were different. Vera is dependable, serious and her emotions are in-check. Edith is fun, to a point. Don’t go too far, or she will lose it. If you looked inside her, she’s all-over-the-place. They’re perfect for each other. Vera is Edith’s landing spot whereas Edith gets Vera out of her comfort zone. After the girls escaped out of the cattle car, they both realized that their parents weren’t so lucky and had died in Auschwitz. This is a heavy burden for the girls to carry, as this event replays throughout their lives.

Romance plays a big role in this book as Edith and Vera find themselves falling in and out of love. Over time, they both seem to want it and find it, so differently. I’m not one who enjoys a lot of romance but I did enjoy the twists and turns these two girls take when they start turning heads.

It’s a great book about friendship. I enjoyed Vera’s and Edith’s relationship and how it changed over the years. As the world recovers from the war, the girls begin a life together out on their own. Finding jobs, their life begins to take off and soon they’re meeting individuals and dating. I found the book intriguing as they began navigating their new lives. 4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Last Witnesses: An Oral History of the Children of WWII

These stories lives came with a punch, they struck viciously against my heart as I read them. To think that all of these individuals were children, innocent little people, who did nothing yet they received such a life-altering experience, that still haunts them today. I didn’t and I couldn’t read this book, all in one sitting. From the beginning, I wanted to appreciate each chapter: each individual’s situation and account. Upon reading, I realized that this is not a book that I could read straight through. The emotions and the energy in each of their stories lives, makes it a book that needs space.

From the voices of Russian children, we hear their side of what occurred to them during WWII. From a few pages to up to six pages, they tell us what they remembered. The children were affected in a variety of ways by the war: many had to leave their homes, some watched their fathers leave to fight in the war hence leaving them with lots of questions running through their minds, some children had to prepare for the war themselves and some even tried to stay in their own homes while the war ragged outside. They told their account and it was translated but the tone and the feelings are still in the words on the page. It’s as if these survivors were sitting with me, telling me how they reacted to a world that had turned upside down on them.

I could tell you about many of the individuals in this book as every story life in this book is worth mentioning. Their stories are different but every single one of them, are forever changed. How many times I read the word, “Mama!” I cannot count them all. How many times I read, “I was hungry,” I cannot count them all. How many times I read about death, how it had become part of these children’s regular, daily schedule, I cannot count them all.

There was Marlen, age 11, who is now a member of a town council. Marlen remembers always being hungry while living in the orphanage. He remembers needing to be first in line or you might not get anything to eat. With it being -20 degrees outside, Marlen takes off his hat and had a soldier ladle some soup into his hat instead of finding a metal tin. Marlen quickly runs back to the orphanage. He now has frostbite on his ears but he has supplied frozen soup to everyone there. Now, this adventure puts a smile on my face.

This is a book worth reading. I enjoyed this book and I appreciate the individuals who shared their stories lives with me.

Bottomland by Michelle Hoover

4 stars Mystery/Fiction

It’s the early 20^th century and life on the Iowa prairie is rough and bleak but for this family, they also have to contend with their family’s history. The idea of war is looming and the neighbors surrounding this American-German family make sure that they are reminded of their heritage. Father tries to be neighborly, and I can see him biting his tongue after he tries to cordial with folks, for father is a hard-working man who is trying to make a life for his family and himself, trying to move forward.

All the children, there are a lot of them, have responsibilities to help run the household and its hard work. One morning, two of the girls don’t show up for breakfast and when it’s discovered they aren’t around the homestead, the family starts to wonder exactly what happened to them. There are a few ideas but what was interesting was the events leading up to the disappearance. They explain that one of the girls was more outgoing than the other one, who was a more predictable child and now that two of the children are missing, the responsibilities these children had around the house, will now have to be done by the remaining children.

With a few clues, the family decides how they will try to locate the girls which leaves the family even more shorthanded. This is life, they had to make due to survive, they had to depend on their family to come through. What happened to the girls and will they find them?

I read this book for book club and I was surprised how wrapped up I got in this novel. It was not a fast-paced novel nor was it a thriller, it moved rather slow but I think it was the mystery of what happened and the future of the family, that intrigued me. These girls were so young when they left, so why did they leave and why didn’t anyone see something? Was there a trigger that sent them off and how did they manage? As I read the story from the girl’s point of view as they fled and made their new life, I liked reading exactly what the girls had/were going through and I liked how the author put this together. I liked how things worked out in the end. It was an interesting and relaxing novel, actually a fast read for me.

Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce

5 stars Historical Fiction

Emmy was flying high when she read the ad in the paper, for she felt that this was the perfect job for her. She would be a part-time junior secretary at The Evening Chronicle. Emmy wanted to be a journalist and this being a part-time position, would fit perfectly as her nights were busy, volunteering at the local fire station answering calls for the Fire Brigade. It was only after she landed the job, that she realized, what she would actually be responsible for.

Emmy discovered that she would be working for Mrs. Bird. Mrs. Bird had a weekly advice column in a women’s magazine and now, Emmy would be responsible for writing up Mrs. Bird’s responses. Emmy would also have to read Mrs. Bird’s advice column mail and present to her only those which were “pleasant” and discard the rest. The “unpleasant” topics were at the discretion of Mrs. Bird and she had provided Emmy an alphabetized list of them.

As the letters began trickling in, Emmy separated the mail: pleasant and unpleasant. She couldn’t believe that Mrs. Bird could disregard all these “unpleasant” pleads for help. Emmy began to assess Mrs. Bird’s advice column to other popular publication columns. Emmy was having a hard time dealing with the tasks that she was assigned to do as her own opinions and feelings kept rising to the surface. Emmy first thought of this job as an opportunity for advancement within the company but I think now, Emmy heart is telling her differently. These “unpleasant” letters need someone and Emmy feels that she can help them.

As she writes some of them, I was laughing and yet some of them, she was sincere and sweet. There was this mix of emotions for me during this time as I was happy that Emmy had jumped on board yet comprehensive about what lied around the corner and nervous about Emmy and Mrs. Bird’s relationship. It’s that time where I found myself reading fast and then, it slowed down as my reading speed followed my emotions.

I liked how Emmy made the best of the situation she was put in. She didn’t care for Mrs. Bird’s attitude so she worked around it. Sometimes she didn’t know how to respond to certain letters that touched her and instead of just ignoring them or making something up, she tried to find some good advice for that person. Emmy is a fighter and she give of herself. You could see that before she got the job when she is volunteering at the fire station at night and how she was perceived. Her relationship with Bunty was fun and sweet and I could visually see the two girls talking and walking down the street. It was a novel that never let up. A fabulous story that I really enjoyed.