With just one suitcase

by Cheryl Koenig

Description

This is a true story about two boys, Istvan and Frici, who live two kilometres but worlds apart in Romania. One is Catholic, one is Jewish; one grows up on a farm, the other in the affluent part of town. Life is routine and secure, the future seems predictable and each boy knows his place. Yet when the Second World War breaks out, the familiar world with its clear divisions disintegrates. Families are torn apart as men are forcibly recruited to fight in the war. As the country comes under show more Nazi, then later communist control, people are held hostage to an ever-changing political landscape, punctuated by military interventions and fluctuating allegiances. As the chance of a peaceful future becomes more remote, with a totalitarian regime in control, Frici and his brother, already facing persecution as Jews, escape across the border with the help of people smugglers, the authorities in pursuit. Istvan, just 16 years old, is transported to work in a Russian gulag, before his chance at freedom comes too. In their parallel journeys, both young men leave their families and beloved homeland to an uncertain future for a shot at freedom in Australia, sacrificing all that is familiar. Facing the challenge of building a new life, they even change their names in an effort to belong. show less

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juanita.kees 47 reviews

Australia might not have a long history but the one it has is rich and filled with a patchwork of migrants who made this country the land of milk and honey it is. It's why, a few centuries later, we still attract people to our shores. With Just One Suitcase is one of those stories that makes us a nation to be proud of.

Life is full of mysteries and Fate plays a massive part in the way our lives play out. Even more so for the two boys, Frici and Istvan - one Jewish, the other Catholic - and a war that destroyed dreams and innocence, yet gave strength and courage that ultimately built a nation.

With Just One Suitcase is an inspirational read that I believe should be in every school library as a tribute to those who made this country a great show more place to be. show less

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