The Children of Freedom

The writing style is not one I enjoyed but the story is fascinating, especially paer three which vividly describes the train journey taken by the deportees from Toulouse in SW France to Germany. It is a race against time in 1944 as the Allied troops liberate France but the German officer in charge of the train will do anything to get his cargo to Dachau. All in all a tremendously sad story but one that she be taught to school children across Europe.

This is a story based on facts, about members of the Resistance in France during WWII, and the final years of the struggle.
I was expecting much more for some reason. I was rather disappointed, because I found the writing too romantic and soppy, far too emotive, probably because the writer is talking about his father and uncle. I just didn't like the style at all. Maybe if I had read it in the original French it might have been nicer. He just seemed to enamored with the fact that all the members were young people, there was a lot about youth. Too much, in my opinion.
Aside from that, it was interesting to read a true account of actual events, the underground events that took place to help within the war. There was a lot of potential in show more this book, and it could have been much more, but fell short. show less

Heartbreaking to read this book as we battle to get our government to take in 3000 unaccompanied children who are stranded in Europe, fleeing war in the countries where they were born.

Heartbreaking to read this book as we battle to get our government to take in 3000 unaccompanied children who are stranded in Europe, fleeing war in the countries where they were born.

an enjoyable read and with an authentic background.

Bof !

Marc Levy schildert in diesem Roman die wahre Geschichte seines Vaters Raymond, der sich als 18-jähriger gemeinsam mit seinem jüngeren Bruder in Toulouse der Résistance anschließt. Der Roman widmet sich einerseits den Aktionen der meist jugendlichen Widerstandskämpfen, die sich im Vichy-Staat der sogenannten 35. Brigade "Marce Langer" angeschlossen haben, andererseits aber auch mit dem Verrat und der Gefangenschaft beziehungsweise Deportation Raymonds.

Levy findet einfache Worte, um Großes zu erzählen. In kurzen Episoden aus dem Mund des Ich-Erzählers Raymond wird der Vichy-Staat und das Leben im Widerstand greifbar. Besonders berührend und literarisch stark ist der Roman, wenn Levy Gefühle und Leid während der Gefangenschaft show more und Deportation schildert. Trotz ungekünstelter Erzählweise ist Levys Werk voll von Symbolik und Querverweisen, die nebenher zur historischen Recherche animieren. show less