kellysch01's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
mommaraff's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
amberinhonduras's review
3.0
I hate to say this about a survivor's experience but this book lacked a definitive voice. Part of that was a child's perspective but it seemed to want to be a light airy tale that dragged on at times and also describe terrible things that realistically occurred.
lorees_reading_nook's review
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
This book was published around 70 years after WW2 ended and it is mainly a collection of memories of the author's life in pre-war Guernsey, the Nazi invasion and occupation, and his family's subsequent deportation to Biberach, a concentration camp in Germany. Interspersed amongst the author's reminisces are short extracts from his mother's diary.
Stephen Matthews was only 4 years old when he and his family were transplanted from their home to a prison camp in the Third Reich and, as can be expected, his memory of the actual events may be a bit sketchy at times but the horror of those dark times still comes through in his writing even though he includes quite a few light-hearted anecdotes throughout his narrative. What came through very strongly is the love and strong bond that Stephen and his parents had for each other. Their ability to be able to sometimes find humour in such dire circumstances is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. The Matthews family survived their imprisonment and were able to return to Guernsey after the war to try and pick up the pieces of their former lives.
The main flaw of this book is that Matthews' narrative sometimes jumps from one year to another instead of narrating events chronologically but this improves after the first few chapters. I have to admit that, although I knew that the Channel Islands were the only part of Britain that was occupied by the Germans, I was not aware that civilians were deported to Germany, so this book educated me in that respect.
The irony of reading this book when Putin decided to invade Ukraine was not lost on me. It is so sad that after 70 years and countless books about the horrors of war and the suffering of so many innocent people, we have learnt absolutely nothing.
Stephen Matthews was only 4 years old when he and his family were transplanted from their home to a prison camp in the Third Reich and, as can be expected, his memory of the actual events may be a bit sketchy at times but the horror of those dark times still comes through in his writing even though he includes quite a few light-hearted anecdotes throughout his narrative. What came through very strongly is the love and strong bond that Stephen and his parents had for each other. Their ability to be able to sometimes find humour in such dire circumstances is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. The Matthews family survived their imprisonment and were able to return to Guernsey after the war to try and pick up the pieces of their former lives.
The main flaw of this book is that Matthews' narrative sometimes jumps from one year to another instead of narrating events chronologically but this improves after the first few chapters. I have to admit that, although I knew that the Channel Islands were the only part of Britain that was occupied by the Germans, I was not aware that civilians were deported to Germany, so this book educated me in that respect.
The irony of reading this book when Putin decided to invade Ukraine was not lost on me. It is so sad that after 70 years and countless books about the horrors of war and the suffering of so many innocent people, we have learnt absolutely nothing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
book_bear's review
5.0
Wonderful story! I never knew that the Nazis had ever occupied any part of Britain! This is a great autobiography, told from the eyes of a young child. Highly recommend!
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