Hitler's Daughter

This is an impressive book and one I can't recommend highly enough.Anna tells stories her friends love to hear. Then, one day, she starts to tell a deeper, richer story that's both more compelling and more disturbing than the stories she's told before, about a girl, maybe an imaginary girl, and maybe not, who is Hitler's daughter. In response, Mark, the viewpoint character, begins to ask questions about inheritance, what it means to care for others, how to cope with loving someone who does wrong, and how to understand what's really right when everyone around you agrees that bad actions are right, as he tries to understand what he hears and how he feels about the story. The adults in his life want to be supportive, but are mystified by show more his questions and concerns. Often, they're busy or don't answer very satisfactorily, but when Mark asks his dad whether kids are evil if their parents are, his dad responds thoughtfully and without getting angry, even though he doesn't understand why Mark is so worried.The more I think about this book, the better I think it is. The issues are very real and very much a part of what we all must deal with. All of us would do well to revisit questions about the issues and feelings, because this book isn't so much about Hitler, as about right and wrong, and how we develop our understanding about what they are. show less

It began on a rainy morning in Australia, as part of a game played by Mark and his friends. It was a storytelling game, and the four friends took turns weaving tales about fairies and mermaids and horses. But Anna's story was different this time: it was not a fairy tale or an adventure story. The story was about a young girl who lived during World War II. Her name was Heidi, and she was Hitler's daughter.
As Anna's story unfolds, Mark is haunted by the image of Hitler's daughter. He wonders what he would have done in her place if he had known his father was an evil man leading the world into a war that was destroying millions of lives. And if Mark had known, would he have had the power and determination to stop him?

What if Hitler had a daughter? And what if this daughter was born with imperfections? And what if this daughter was hidden away from the public?

Anna tells the story of Hitler’s daughter each morning at the bus stop to her friends, and the friends are captivated. Mark, especially, is intrigued, and the story provokes Mark into questioning many of the things he has always assumed.

Ignore the trite cover. Ignore the scary title. This is a book that will encourage thoughtful discussion, I think.

Hitler's Daughter (Bccb Blue Ribbon Fiction Books (Awards)) by Jackie French (2003) On rainy days, a group of Australian children pass the time waiting for their school bus by making up stories for each other. But the story Anna tells about Hitler’s daughter is different, and makes Mark question things he has taken for granted.

This is the story of Mark beginning to question the way things are, and the story of Heidi, the possibly fictional daughter of Hitler, and the story of a girl who wanted to be self-defined, but still wanted her story told once, even if it meant her life becoming only that: a story. But while Mark’s father initially encourages him to discuss things they disagree about, Mark learns at the breakfast table that show more adults are not always comfortable questioning the ethics of the status quo. show less

This book is essentially useless for Holocaust studies. We have a frame story with a boy listening to a supposedly made-up story by one of his classmate about Hitler's daughter. My major issue with this book is that, because Hitler's daughter is malformed and has a birthmark covering her face, she is kept hidden and secluded - completely separate from the war. We learn nothing about the Holocaust from Heidi (Hitler's daughter) since all news is censored from her; nearly nothing about WWII (just a little about rationing); and nothing about Hitler himself (since he's barely a fleeting ghost in his daughter's life). Completely useless and pointless.

Set in Australia. Mark, Anna, her sister Tracey, and Ben meet up at the bus stop every morning. Anna's younger sister likes 'The Story Game' where each child makes up a story. When it is Anna's turn, she starts to tell them about Hitler's make-believe daughter, Heidi, who had a birth defect and was hidden from public view. Mark starts to think deeply about the issues raised by Anna's story and can't wait to hear more. What if Hitler did have a secret daughter, and what if she did escape the bunker and make her way to Australia? This book is a way to view this part of history through a different lens. Interesting.

Anna, a modern-day Australian teen, begins telling her school friends a story about Hitler’s daughter, Heidi, a daughter who’s kept hidden away because she has a birthmark on her face and a limp. Although Heidi doesn’t understand what’s happening in Germany, the teens in the frame story fill in the historical gaps for the reader.

I usually like historical fictions, but this is a bit too far-fetched for me.