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A Boy in War
| Our Price |
$ 11.16
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| Retail Value |
$ 13.95 |
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$ 2.79 (20%) |
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| Item Number |
1562699 |
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Item Description...
Overview
The author, who was seven at the time of the Nazi conquest, recounts his experiences during the German occupation of the Netherlands, including the "special guests" they secretly kept, the privations, and city and country life. |
Item Specifications...
Pages 191
Dimensions: Length: 8.8" Width: 5.9" Height: 0.6"
Weight: 0.65 lbs.
Binding Softcover
Release Date Oct 15, 2008
ISBN 1550391674
EAN 9781550391671
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Availability 7 units.
Availability accurate as of May 30, 2012 04:57.
Usually ships within one to two business days from La Vergne, TN.
Orders shipping to an address other than a confirmed Credit Card / Paypal Billing address may incur and additional processing delay.
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Reviews - What do our customers think?
 | A Boy in War Dec 28, 2009 |
Jan de Groot was a child in The Hague, Holland, during the war, where he lived a comfortable life with his doting parents and brother. Holocaust literature is typically written by Jews who survived, and it's not often we hear about the war through the eyes of a non-Jew. De Groot spends a great deal of time in his memoir discussing his privileged life, which was full of friends, expensive toys and childhood delights, even up to 1943, when the Holocaust was well underway. A Boy in War brings an interesting question to the fore: is everyone's story from the Holocaust book-worthy? Or are some stories better left to family journals than full, published books? These are the questions that filled my mind as I read de Groot's memoir, one in which he delves into his rich memory to relate his experiences. Certainly, there are moments of interest. His parents' home was a safe house for Jews trying to escape Europe and de Groot quickly became a keeper of very important secrets. When a secret was betrayed by one of their house guests, however, his father was arrested and whisked away to a concentration camp, where he perished in the aftermath of the war. De Groot was able to return home after the war, where he was reunited with his brothers. Before he learned of his father's death, his biggest complaint was that the Germans had confiscated his beloved sailboat. "I couldn't imagine life without it," he writes. This book is intended for children ages 10 and up and perhaps the many stories of sailing, playing marbles and mechano will appeal to children. The storyline, however, moves extremely slowly and with little reference to what was happening to the Jews during the Holocaust. As a result, de Groot's position as a privileged and protected child during the war is highlighted. Seen through his eyes during this time of sheer devastation and death, I have to wonder if it's a version of the war that is truly revealing. Lauren Kramer
| | |  | A War Memoir of Quiet Power Mar 10, 2009 |
Jan de Groot's memoir of his early years in occupied Holland delivers quite an emotional punch, but its true power is its simplicity - both in the concise way the story is written and its message that love, friendship and hope will always triumph over the misery and despair wrought by a jackbooted regime.
de Groot tells his story through the unjaded eyes of his own childhood, and he creates a remarkable emotional arc that begins with the wonders of childhood, continues through to events that create a growing sense of anguish, and ends on a tragic yet strangely optimistic note. The cumulative effect of de Groot's work on the reader is one of sadness but, more importantly, a profound respect for the enduring kindness and strength exhibited by the author's friends and family during Holland's darkest years.
A Boy in War is currently making the rounds in B.C. public schools - an invaluable book for youngsters who know little if anything about a regime that brought death and desctruction to the entire planet not so long ago. But its timeless themes, delivered in a quiet, almost journalistic style, make this highly recommended reading for adults as well. | | | | A must read for everyone Feb 21, 2009 |
Diary of Anne Frank (Imprint Books)Anne Frank - The Diary of a Young Girl
This is a spell binding, beautiful and emotional story of a boy's life during WWII. It gives insight into the difficulties of that time period and is as important a read as the well known Diary of Anne Frank.
It is shown as suitable for reading level 9-12 but this book should be read by any age group. Probably age 10 and up would be more appropriate.
I wouldn't be surprised to see this book being turned into a movie. It certainly deserves it and would be fascinating to watch.
An easy read which is hard to put down. | | | Write your own review about A Boy in War
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