Synopses & Reviews
When Peter's parents are killed, he is sent to an orphanage in Warsaw, Poland. But Peter is Volksdeutscher-of German blood. With his blond hair and blue eyes, he looks just like the boy on the Hitler Youth poster. The Nazis decide he is racially valuable. Indeed, a prominent German family is pleased to adopt such a fine Aryan specimen into their household. But despite his new "family," Peter feels like a foreigner-an ausländer-and he is forming his own ideas about what he sees and what he's told. He doesn't want to be a Nazi. So he takes a risk-the most dangerous one he could possibly choose in 1942 Berlin. . . .
Paul Dowswell weaves meticulous research into a thrilling narrative, exposing a different angle of the horrors of Nazi Germany.
Review
“Dowswell presents a familiar portrait of Nazi Germany, but it stands out from a crowded field because of its inclusion of less-familiar elements… The characters are rich and nuanced, flawed people caught up in a terrible time; the action is swift and suspenseful; and the juxtaposition of wartime nobility and wartime cruelty is timeless.” —The Horn Book Magazine “What it was like to grow up in war-torn Berlin is the core drama here… this is a strong addition to the WWII curriculum.” —Booklist “This is a different view of Germany during World War II than that usually found in young adult fiction and would provide many discussion points. Highly Recommended.” —Library Media Connection “An unflinching account of a rarely told side of the Holocaust.” —Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
German soldiers take Peter from a Warsaw orphanage, and soon he is adopted by Professor Kaltenbach, a prominent Nazi, but Peter forms his own ideas about what he sees and hears and decides to take a risk that is most dangerous in 1942 Berlin.
About the Author
PAUL DOWSWELL is a former researcher and editor who now writes full-time. He has written more than fifty highly acclaimed books, many of them award winning.
www.pauldowswell.co.uk