Thursday, March 15, 2012
My Family for the War by Anne C. Voorhoeve
Franziska Mangold doesn't have much religion in her life growing up in Germany. She wears a cross around her neck, but her family is considered Jewish by the Nazi government. Her concerned mother places her on a kindertransport with other children to escape to England to be safe during the troubles. Newly named Frances, she must learn English quickly and try to get her parents moved over to England, too. But then the war comes to England and Frances is moved again to the countryside of England.
I've thought about how tough it would have been to leave home and move to a different country without parents. But I never thought about how the children might become attached to their new families and NOT want to go back home! Children do adapt easily, so I'm sure this happened to many. Going home to a broken family suffering from post-traumatic stress would not have been easy.