Overview
This compelling Holocaust action adventure story tells of bravery, sacrifice, and the survival of the human spirit against Hitler and the horrors of war. It begins in November 1938 on The Night of the Broken Glass, when Jewish people of Germany are terrified as Hitler's men shatter their store windows, steal, and destroy their belongings,and arrest many Jewish fathers and brothers. Parents face unparlleled fear for their own lives but their focus is on protecting their beloved children. When England arranges to take the children out of Germany by train, the Kindertransport is organized and parents scramble to get places on the trains for their young family members, worried about what the future will hold. Soon, trains filled with Jewish children escaping the Nazis chug over the border into Holland, where they are ferried across the English Channel to England and to freedom. But for Peter, the shy violin player, his sister Becca, and his friends Stephen and Hans, life in England holds challenges as well. Peter's friend Eva, who did not get a seat on the Kindertransport, is left to the evil plans of Hitler. Peter, working his musician's hands raw at a farm in Coventry, wonders if they should have stayed and fought back instead of escaping. When the Coventry farm is bombed as the Nazis reach England, Peter feels he has nothing left. He decides it's time to stand and fight Hitler.Peter courageously returns to Germany to join the Jewish underground resistance, search desperately for his mother and sister he left behind in Berlin, and try to rescue his friend Eva. Reviews
"A beautifully written book. Sadly, the historical details are true and this makes the story all the more poignant. At times heartbreaking, at times hopeful and optimistic, this book will stay with the reader for a long time. The author is definitely one to watch." —Dorothy M Calderwood, (Media Professional), for NetGalleyAuthor Biography
As Jana tells it, the remarkable story of the Kindertransport children in Nazi Germany touched her heart and would not let go: “Since the moment I heard their incredible, historic tale, they have not left my mind. The Kindertransport children came to live in my conscience and would not leave until I told their story.” Jana hopes readers will find the courage to stand up to the injustices that affect us all. Jana Zinser is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire School of Law and received her masters in Journalism from the University of Iowa. Her past work in politics, public policy, and the media, coupled with her determined focus on children and social justice, have uniquely placed her to tell this story. It’s a story as timeless and essential as ever, a story that will capture the hearts of the world. Jana lives in Colorado with her children.