Review
Comment: There are plenty of books about war told from an adult perspective but not
nearly so many from the viewpoint of children, and fewer still that are written
for adult readers from a child's point of view.
Set in Germany, France and North Africa just before and during World War II, we
see the war through the eyes of a young Jewish girl and a boy who struggles with
his place in the Hitler Youth. Ilse is the 13 year old daughter of a Jewish
father and Christian mother, both Germans. When war breaks out she's sent away
by her mother to live with her uncle Willy in Morocco, who becomes more of a
father to her than her own father has ever been. However, when Germany
invades France, Willy rejoins the French Foreign Legion and Ilse is sent to
Paris to live with her father who, as a vocal but somewhat...
Beyond the Book
Monique Charlesworth was born in Birkenhead, England, and has lived in France
and Germany. She began writing fiction while living in Hong Kong and is the
author of three previous novels:
The Glass House (1986),
Life Class (1988) and
Foreign Exchange (1995), all of which appear
to be out of print.. She has worked as a journalist and as a screenwriter for
both film and television. She lives with her husband and two children in London.
