Often times, we delve into a book filled with trial and hardship with the safety of knowing that these are invented characters and their struggles exist only in the mind of the author. War Child does not give us such reprieve. Based on the true story of a young German girl growing up under the Nazi regime, Annette Janic’s book is a gripping, resounding and heart-breaking account of the struggles of her own family, focusing mainly on her mother’s childhood.
War Child gives an honest and unique view of the experiences had by German children, and explores the hardships endured even by Hitler’s Aryan youth during that period. It also hints at the brainwashing that the youth of the day was subjected to.
The reader follows the main protagonist Leni through her childhood, into her teenage years and adulthood. It is a confronting, heart-wrenching story that often left me with a sense of unshakable frustration at the injustice and inevitability of human cruelty and our need to persecute the different. As the book opens we learn that Leni’s unfortunate circumstances, which are no fault of her own, are not born of that era’s political situation as we might expect. Instead they stem from the religious and social biases of her hometown. Born out of wedlock, Leni and her mother become pariahs in their community and so begins a long and difficult journey through life. This story would have been difficult even without a war intervening. Witnessing the way the characters navigate their circumstances is an interesting reminder of what is born in a person, what makes them and what changes them.
Janic’s writing is intuitive and flowing, though it did take me a few pages to adjust to the rolling style. I almost wished that I had skipped the prologue so as to go into the story with a more thorough suspension of disbelief. I would be very curious to have let felt the impact having very little understanding of any bias or personal connection between author and story. However, War Child, whichever way you choose to read it, is an emotive and capturing story. Having received attention from writing awards since its publication in 2016; including a Highly Commended at the ACT Writers & Publishers Awards, I imagine this book will find its way into many more hands and hearts.
War Child is available from bigskypublishing.com.au, Amazon Books, Fishpond and The Book Depository. I would recommend it to anyone interested in history or humanity, and think it offers very important insights into not only to the viewpoint of German civilians in Nazi Germany but also the complexities of the human spirit. Captivating through every chapter, this story keeps the reader fascinated right up until the final twist. As with most true and honest stories, it leaves you wanting to know more.
Abigail Honey, On The Page
Editor’s Note: War Child was recently voted “Staff Favourite” at Better Read Than Dead book shop
