Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Knopf Books for Young Readers (2016), 240 pages
Description
When her university professor father is sent by the Gestapo to a concentration camp, seven-year-old Anna travels the Polish countryside with the mysterious Swallow Man during World War II.
Awards
Sydney Taylor Book Award (Winner — 2017)
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (Fiction — 2016)
National Jewish Book Award (Winner — Debut Fiction — 2016)
Indies Choice Book Award (Winner — Young Adult — 2016)
Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing (Nominee — 2017)
Odyssey Award (Winner — 2017)
Waterstones Children's Book Prize (Shortlist — Older Readers — 2017)
The White Ravens (2016)
CCBC Choices (2017)
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children and Teens (Audiobook — 2017)
Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults (Fiction)
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member Ronrose1
This is an eloquent story. It is a feast of words. A veritable smorgasbord of feelings and emotions. Amazing what truths are to be found in what at first glance appears to be only a simple tale of a seven year old girl in Poland, in 1939. Anna looses her father to the occupying German Army. She
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soon finds her self alone even among those who were once friends. This unpretentious tale of survival takes flight when the young girl is taken under the wing of the Swallow Man. He is a mysterious person who speaks, among many other languages, the language of the birds. If this stranger has any other name, he will not admit to it. Nor will he allow he has taken a liking to this orphaned girl who doesn’t realize she will never see her father again. The one thing that seems to bind these two lost souls together is their knowledge, indeed their love, of languages. Words understood by both of them in a multitude of languages to include Polish, German, Russian, English, French, Yiddish, and even Ukrainian. How strange these two would be brought together. Two lonely people in a country torn apart by war. This is a wonderful story of love lost and even greater love found. For mature youths and the youthful mature. Book provided for review by Knopf. Show Less
LibraryThing member brangwinn
What a sad story. Anna’s young life is turned upside down, when her father is taken away by German soldiers. As a 7-year-old she doesn’t know what to do. No one claims her. When a man speaks to her, she sees him as the adult she needs and follows him. Reluctantly he takes her along as they roam
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Poland during World War II. The reader never learns the Swallow Man’s name, only that he loves birds. Anna ages as the war progresses. The story gets darker and after the death of a Jewish rabbi they befriend and a doctor makes Anna strip in order to get medicine, the loss of innocence in war is made clear. This story is one that would make a good book club choice. There’s a lot of meaning that could be pulled from the literal text. Show Less
LibraryThing member jfe16
In 1939 Kraków, Anna’s Lania’s father, a Jagiellonian University linguistics professor, leaves her with Herr Doktor Fuchsmann, the local pharmacist. When he fails to return [because the Germans are purging Poland of the intellectuals and have imprisoned all the university professors], the
At first, Anna is certain her father will return. But she remains alone and uncared for . . . until she meets the mysterious Swallow Man. Entranced by his magic and his ability to speak Bird, she follows him into the wilderness. As they travel together, the Swallow Man teaches her to survive and as they travel together, Anna learns of bombs and soldiers, of friends and war. And she will come to understand why “to be found is to be gone forever.”
Lyrical and captivating, dark and haunting, this is a mesmerizing tale shadowed with menace that will remain with the reader long after the final page is turned.
Highly recommended.
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frightened pharmacist says she can no longer stay in his shop. At first, Anna is certain her father will return. But she remains alone and uncared for . . . until she meets the mysterious Swallow Man. Entranced by his magic and his ability to speak Bird, she follows him into the wilderness. As they travel together, the Swallow Man teaches her to survive and as they travel together, Anna learns of bombs and soldiers, of friends and war. And she will come to understand why “to be found is to be gone forever.”
Lyrical and captivating, dark and haunting, this is a mesmerizing tale shadowed with menace that will remain with the reader long after the final page is turned.
Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member lilibrarian
7-year-old Anna doesn't know what happened to her father, but she can't get into her apartment and has nowhere to go. Attaching herself to a man she meets on the street, the two wander for years together through occupied Poland, doing what is needed to survive.
LibraryThing member Susan.Macura
The setting is Poland, 1939. Anna is seven years old. She is left with a local storekeeper while her father, a professor, attends a mandatory meeting at his college. He never returns. Anna by chance meets and befriends an odd man who she refers to as the Swallow Man. This is her account of their
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survival during WW II as they move about the countryside, simply trying to keep one step ahead of anyone who wishes them harm. This is a beautifully written story about the horrors of that time period told as only a child could attest to. It is also a story of hope and how one person can make a difference in another’s life. Show Less
LibraryThing member maryzee
Quick and interesting read, unsatisfactory but inevitable end.
LibraryThing member RBeffa
This hot off the presses young adult novel has been described in a number of places as literary fiction and not just for kids. My library and various places have it marked as appropriate for grades 7 or 8 and up. I'm not a person who can write a proper review of a book like this. Right from the
When I first finished the book I was pretty disappointed with the story, especially the latter part of it and at a loss to understand much of the high praise it received. Sometimes it is very real and sometimes it's a little woo-woo. The story is told rather like a fable, a surreal fairy-tale and it is a good story and it certainly often rises above something a 10 or 12 year old might read, but still, it is an odd book. I was never sure what to make of it and the narrative voice, something was strange about it - is Anna relating this many years later? I just never could get comfortable with it. My analytical side just rejected too much.
I will say this - I don't think it is an appropriate story for grade 7 or 8, and even though much of it seems geared to that grade level, I'd raise the bar for recommended reading to perhaps 14 or more years of age because of the disturbing elements in the story, particularly near the end. I was also bothered by how this ends and that the story doesn't really have a resolution. We don't know who the swallow man was although he was clearly much more than a man with no name.
I won't recommend this one although there's some good parts in here. Not a "Wow" book for me. I could easily be convinced that this isn't a book intended for young teens at all, but a modern fable for adults. I can't tell who the intended audience is.
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start I felt like it was talking down to me. There's a paragraph that begins like this: In 1939 a group of people called Germans came into a land called Poland and took control of the city Krakow, where Anna lived." I felt like inserting Once upon a time ...When I first finished the book I was pretty disappointed with the story, especially the latter part of it and at a loss to understand much of the high praise it received. Sometimes it is very real and sometimes it's a little woo-woo. The story is told rather like a fable, a surreal fairy-tale and it is a good story and it certainly often rises above something a 10 or 12 year old might read, but still, it is an odd book. I was never sure what to make of it and the narrative voice, something was strange about it - is Anna relating this many years later? I just never could get comfortable with it. My analytical side just rejected too much.
I will say this - I don't think it is an appropriate story for grade 7 or 8, and even though much of it seems geared to that grade level, I'd raise the bar for recommended reading to perhaps 14 or more years of age because of the disturbing elements in the story, particularly near the end. I was also bothered by how this ends and that the story doesn't really have a resolution. We don't know who the swallow man was although he was clearly much more than a man with no name.
I won't recommend this one although there's some good parts in here. Not a "Wow" book for me. I could easily be convinced that this isn't a book intended for young teens at all, but a modern fable for adults. I can't tell who the intended audience is.
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LibraryThing member cacky
Either you are going to love this book or finish it and scratch your head. I am still scratching.
LibraryThing member detailmuse
{The thin man asked,} “You know about rivers?”
Anna nodded.
“A river goes wherever the riverbank does. It never has to ask which way, but only flows along. Yes?”
Anna nodded again.
“Just so,” said the thin man. “What I mean, then, is I’ll be the riverbank and you be the river. In all
Anna nodded a third time. “Yes,” she said.
“Very well,” said the tall man. “Then you will come with me.”
Anna’s heart flooded with happiness.
“And someday,” said the tall man, “when you are much, much older, you must ask me what erosion is.”
I love that passage: the man’s respect for the child and the acknowledgement that children will eventually forge paths different from their adults’. Sadly, it’s the only thing I loved in this book about a seven-year-old girl whose father disappears in the 1939 German roundup of Polish scholars, and who then finds protection by roaming the forests for years in the company of the tall stranger.
I’d had an ARC of the book for six months before I made my third attempt at it, this time on audio. Fairly boring and without the quality of writing to make up for it. Seems a fable with allegorical characters, which I’m not fond of, personally. Plus, the audio reader created a lilting narration, which may make the serious/thoughtful topic palatable to middle-grade/YA readers, but which seemed weirdly carefree to me.
(Review based in part on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher.)
Anna nodded.
“A river goes wherever the riverbank does. It never has to ask which way, but only flows along. Yes?”
Anna nodded again.
“Just so,” said the thin man. “What I mean, then, is I’ll be the riverbank and you be the river. In all
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things. Can you promise me that?Anna nodded a third time. “Yes,” she said.
“Very well,” said the tall man. “Then you will come with me.”
Anna’s heart flooded with happiness.
“And someday,” said the tall man, “when you are much, much older, you must ask me what erosion is.”
I love that passage: the man’s respect for the child and the acknowledgement that children will eventually forge paths different from their adults’. Sadly, it’s the only thing I loved in this book about a seven-year-old girl whose father disappears in the 1939 German roundup of Polish scholars, and who then finds protection by roaming the forests for years in the company of the tall stranger.
I’d had an ARC of the book for six months before I made my third attempt at it, this time on audio. Fairly boring and without the quality of writing to make up for it. Seems a fable with allegorical characters, which I’m not fond of, personally. Plus, the audio reader created a lilting narration, which may make the serious/thoughtful topic palatable to middle-grade/YA readers, but which seemed weirdly carefree to me.
(Review based in part on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher.)
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LibraryThing member ChristianR
World War II, and Anna has attached herself to the Swallow Man in order to survive. For years they wander through Europe, doing all they can to stay alive. The entire time he remains a mystery to Anna, yet a deep bond develops between the two. Eventually a deep secret of his is inadvertently
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revealed. Show Less
LibraryThing member TBE
From the Jewish Book Council review:
When her father is taken in the purge of intellectuals from Krakow in 1939, Anna is 7 years old and alone in a city with little kindness left to spare. She meets a mysterious man with more promise than those her family once called friends, and together they set
Winding through the back forests of Poland with Anna and her Swallow Man—the only name he will give her—we catch glimpses into the minds of an academic and a highly intellectual child as they attempt to survive the impossible circumstances of an escalating World War together.
When her father is taken in the purge of intellectuals from Krakow in 1939, Anna is 7 years old and alone in a city with little kindness left to spare. She meets a mysterious man with more promise than those her family once called friends, and together they set
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off with urgency to go away rather than toward anything.Winding through the back forests of Poland with Anna and her Swallow Man—the only name he will give her—we catch glimpses into the minds of an academic and a highly intellectual child as they attempt to survive the impossible circumstances of an escalating World War together.
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LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
This is the loveliest story about the most unlovely subject. Why is this book designated for grades seven and up? The message is more profound than what is perceived initially on its surface. This is a tale about evil that is witnessed through the eyes of a child and is far more accurately seen in
It is 1939; Germany has marched into and conquered Poland. Anna is 7 years old when her father fails to return home, and she is unexpectedly abandoned by a close family friend who had been watching her in her father’s absence. She finds herself suddenly alone in Krakow, Poland, during a time of war. Unable to get into her apartment without a key, she returns to the family friend who left her, and outside his shop, becomes acquainted with “the Swallow Man”. Who is this Swallow Man? He becomes her protector and she becomes his ward. Their symbiotic relationship develops slowly as they wander through forest and field, searching for sustenance and safety. He teaches her how to survive and she teaches him how to feel in ways he seems to have forgotten.
Although the Holocaust is never really directly confronted, the horror and fear it invoked is clearly represented by the narrative and behavior of the characters. There is an absence of laughter and birdsong except at special moments. There is an evident war against Jews, but it is more hinted at than elucidated. The presence of fear and the threat of death as well as the feeling of cold and hunger are always simmering on the surface. The simple description of Bears and Wolves, both as predators who are to be feared for different reasons, paints the picture of the enemies they face, who are not only the Germans, but also are the Russians. There are few friends, and danger is ever present in the animal form, while birds often foreshadow safety.
This little book could be a wonderful tool to teach children about the nature of enemy vs. friend, compassion vs. indifference, survival vs. death, good vs. evil. It is a gentle, subtle, almost poetic presentation of the nature and horror of war, of the inanity and danger of prejudice, in a palatable way. The Holocaust becomes accessible in this book without the horrific descriptions usually used to offer information and instruction about a subject that remains a blight on the history of the world. It offers an opportunity to discuss and understand the event without the blood and gore which often prohibits its free discussion. The book should transcend the age limit for which it was recommended because it is appropriate for all ages.
Because I had both a print and audio of the book, I listened to and read it. Both versions were worthwhile. The narrator, Allan Corduner, was excellent when portraying each character, getting into their minds and attitudes with utter authenticity, forcing the reader to share their experiences.
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that way, than through the eyes of an adult with the ability to alter and shape it to suit his ability to understand and cope with it. A child sees it without the decorations an adult often surrounds it with to make it more acceptable. A child simply sees the idea for what it is, evil incarnate; good and bad are simple concepts, one is to be sought and one is to be avoided. Anna is a child who possesses the wisdom of a far older person; she has the innocence of a child, but she also has the ability to interpret what she sees before her with simple clarity, without the need for a prettier package to soften the impact of what exists around her. She detects good and evil. Of necessity, she learns to survive.It is 1939; Germany has marched into and conquered Poland. Anna is 7 years old when her father fails to return home, and she is unexpectedly abandoned by a close family friend who had been watching her in her father’s absence. She finds herself suddenly alone in Krakow, Poland, during a time of war. Unable to get into her apartment without a key, she returns to the family friend who left her, and outside his shop, becomes acquainted with “the Swallow Man”. Who is this Swallow Man? He becomes her protector and she becomes his ward. Their symbiotic relationship develops slowly as they wander through forest and field, searching for sustenance and safety. He teaches her how to survive and she teaches him how to feel in ways he seems to have forgotten.
Although the Holocaust is never really directly confronted, the horror and fear it invoked is clearly represented by the narrative and behavior of the characters. There is an absence of laughter and birdsong except at special moments. There is an evident war against Jews, but it is more hinted at than elucidated. The presence of fear and the threat of death as well as the feeling of cold and hunger are always simmering on the surface. The simple description of Bears and Wolves, both as predators who are to be feared for different reasons, paints the picture of the enemies they face, who are not only the Germans, but also are the Russians. There are few friends, and danger is ever present in the animal form, while birds often foreshadow safety.
This little book could be a wonderful tool to teach children about the nature of enemy vs. friend, compassion vs. indifference, survival vs. death, good vs. evil. It is a gentle, subtle, almost poetic presentation of the nature and horror of war, of the inanity and danger of prejudice, in a palatable way. The Holocaust becomes accessible in this book without the horrific descriptions usually used to offer information and instruction about a subject that remains a blight on the history of the world. It offers an opportunity to discuss and understand the event without the blood and gore which often prohibits its free discussion. The book should transcend the age limit for which it was recommended because it is appropriate for all ages.
Because I had both a print and audio of the book, I listened to and read it. Both versions were worthwhile. The narrator, Allan Corduner, was excellent when portraying each character, getting into their minds and attitudes with utter authenticity, forcing the reader to share their experiences.
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LibraryThing member thornton37814
This tale is part historical fiction, part magical realism, and probably parts of other genres as well. It's the story of a seven-year-old girl whose father is taken by the Germans. As she wanders, she meets a man she grows to call the Swallow Man because of his love for birds. Anna and the reader
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never completely learn his real identity. Together they try to remain hidden from the Nazis, meeting a Jewish musician along the way. I don't want to spoil things for readers so I dare not tell more. I'm not certain I understand all the author was trying to communicate. Loss of innocence is certainly a part of it. Its plot grows dark; the message it conveys is complex. It is not a book for too young of an audience, but older teens and adults may enjoy it, even if they don't understand everything. This is one where a reader's guide would be beneficial to provoke discussion points and would be a good book for a discussion group. Show Less
LibraryThing member foggidawn
Anna's father is a professor of linguistics in Poland. It's the beginning of World War II, and when her father never returns from a meeting one day, even a child of Anna's seven years understands that she is in a precarious position. When she meets a stranger with a gift for languages, including
This book is lovely and heart-wrenching. It's the sort of story that will appeal to readers of all ages. The author does a great job of slowly revealing the characters, particularly that of the Swallow Man. My only issue with this book is that parts of it, including the ending, were a little too vague for me and my need for closure upon finishing a story. Don't let that stop you from reading it, but be prepared to sit with your questions for a while after you're done. I listened to the audiobook, and recommend it highly.
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the language of the birds, she follows him out of the city. Is this mysterious Swallow Man Anna's best hope for survival, or is he fleeing demons that will rise up and trap them both?This book is lovely and heart-wrenching. It's the sort of story that will appeal to readers of all ages. The author does a great job of slowly revealing the characters, particularly that of the Swallow Man. My only issue with this book is that parts of it, including the ending, were a little too vague for me and my need for closure upon finishing a story. Don't let that stop you from reading it, but be prepared to sit with your questions for a while after you're done. I listened to the audiobook, and recommend it highly.
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LibraryThing member Mike_O
Captivating at times fascinating read. Wished it had not ended (which, if you've read it, you know what I mean!). Being tagged a YA but I can see it being of interest to a much wider range of ages.
BTW - Received a galley from the publisher.
BTW - Received a galley from the publisher.
LibraryThing member bookczuk
Allegory, fairy tale, magical realism, historical novel-- Anna and the Swallow Man has a bit of it all. It certainly has the characters of an old European folk tale, not just simple good guys and bad guys but demons and shape changers. There's even the lovable fool. The story, set primarily in
To be honest, I am not sure I was able to absorb all the author packed away in the pages, but this novel is one I am pretty sure I could again and find something new each time.
tags: 2017-read, awardwinner, first-novel-or-book, great-cover, magical-realism, read, still-trying-to-figure-this-one-ou, thank-you-charleston-county-library, translated, will-look-for-more-by-this-author, ya-lit
From the publisher: Kraków, 1939. A million marching soldiers and a thousand barking dogs. This is no place to grow up. Anna Łania is just seven years old when the Germans take her father, a linguistics professor, during their purge of intellectuals in Poland. She’s alone.
And then Anna meets the Swallow Man. He is a mystery, strange and tall, a skilled deceiver with more than a little magic up his sleeve. And when the soldiers in the streets look at him, they see what he wants them to see.
The Swallow Man is not Anna’s father—she knows that very well—but she also knows that, like her father, he’s in danger of being taken, and like her father, he has a gift for languages: Polish, Russian, German, Yiddish, even Bird. When he summons a bright, beautiful swallow down to his hand to stop her from crying, Anna is entranced. She follows him into the wilderness.
Over the course of their travels together, Anna and the Swallow Man will dodge bombs, tame soldiers, and even, despite their better judgment, make a friend. But in a world gone mad, everything can prove dangerous. Even the Swallow Man.
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Poland in WWII, centers on Anna, a child of 7, whose father is taken away one day and never comes back. Though circumstance, Anna begins to travel with a person she names the Swallow Man. Their journey is one of survival, uncovering truths and illusions, falsehoods and fantasies. It is written in elegant, evocative prose, which leaves many aspects of the tale for the reader to imagine, but also filled a place in my reading heart I hadn't realized was vacant. Also notable are the wonderful chapter illustrations and cover art, done by Laura Carlin.To be honest, I am not sure I was able to absorb all the author packed away in the pages, but this novel is one I am pretty sure I could again and find something new each time.
tags: 2017-read, awardwinner, first-novel-or-book, great-cover, magical-realism, read, still-trying-to-figure-this-one-ou, thank-you-charleston-county-library, translated, will-look-for-more-by-this-author, ya-lit
From the publisher: Kraków, 1939. A million marching soldiers and a thousand barking dogs. This is no place to grow up. Anna Łania is just seven years old when the Germans take her father, a linguistics professor, during their purge of intellectuals in Poland. She’s alone.
And then Anna meets the Swallow Man. He is a mystery, strange and tall, a skilled deceiver with more than a little magic up his sleeve. And when the soldiers in the streets look at him, they see what he wants them to see.
The Swallow Man is not Anna’s father—she knows that very well—but she also knows that, like her father, he’s in danger of being taken, and like her father, he has a gift for languages: Polish, Russian, German, Yiddish, even Bird. When he summons a bright, beautiful swallow down to his hand to stop her from crying, Anna is entranced. She follows him into the wilderness.
Over the course of their travels together, Anna and the Swallow Man will dodge bombs, tame soldiers, and even, despite their better judgment, make a friend. But in a world gone mad, everything can prove dangerous. Even the Swallow Man.
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LibraryThing member Whisper1
Anna is seven, when the Germans take her father away. As she waits and waits, she watches as even a good friend of her father does not help her. All around her Polish neighborhood, things are changing. There is a starrk sense of danger. Suddenly, a very tall, lean man approaches her. As she
She has no other option but to follow him. As the years progress, they walk miles and miles and miles with dreamlike swallow man. With very little words, they walk throughout Poland into Russia and back.
I recommend this book, but cannot give it the high marks of others. The ending was nebulous and I would have liked more understanding.
Three Stars
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observes, he calls a swallow bird. She has no other option but to follow him. As the years progress, they walk miles and miles and miles with dreamlike swallow man. With very little words, they walk throughout Poland into Russia and back.
I recommend this book, but cannot give it the high marks of others. The ending was nebulous and I would have liked more understanding.
Three Stars
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LibraryThing member ilonita50
This is powerful, heartbreaking and debut.
Wonderful cover.
I appreciate the book did not involved the terrible ending in a way and did not turn gross. The story majestically lay the events of trying to walk away from war, growing up and learning difficult truth about war while being distant and
The author has beautifully described the beauty of Polish culture, knowledge and Poland's landscape.
Wonderful cover.
I appreciate the book did not involved the terrible ending in a way and did not turn gross. The story majestically lay the events of trying to walk away from war, growing up and learning difficult truth about war while being distant and
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protected at the same time until one day when the long journey seems to come to close end..more tragic and painful. No one can replace your beloved ones, no one can say goodbye to them forever, no one can replace those whom we let close and learn to love. The author has beautifully described the beauty of Polish culture, knowledge and Poland's landscape.
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LibraryThing member HandelmanLibraryTINR
The book is set during the Second World War in Poland and chronicles the travels of a young girl named Anna and her mysterious guide, the Swallow Man, who can speak the language of birds and has more than a little magic up his sleeve. It is the story of growing up during a time of monumental
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change. It reveals life’s hardest lessons while celebrating its miraculous possibilities. In many starred reviews it has been compared with other outstanding books on the subject such as “Life is Beautiful”, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” and “The Book Thief”. Utterly mesmerizing and inventive, adult readers will be equally enthralled. Show Less
LibraryThing member Faradaydon
Started well, but strangely disappointing at the end
LibraryThing member Lindsay_W
While book was engaging, I couldn’t get past the disconnect I felt between the narrators sophisticated voice and the experiences of pre teen Anna, despite how many times she is described at precocious. A number of abrupt time shifts “two winters passed” left me confused as well, it felt like
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someone was telling the story as a recollection. Maybe that is why the author calls it a fairy tale I guess if I had known that going in I might have liked it more. The descriptions of adult men creeping on a pre teen girl were uncomfortable to the point where I would hesitate to recommend it below grade 10 who have studied the atrocities of war. If it had a satisfying ending all might be forgiven, but it left questions I needed resolved unanswered. This could probably be more so for students, who without a solid understanding of WWII may not have clued into what the Swallow Man’s role may have been and where Anna was going in the end. Maybe it was not the right book to read during pandemic lockdown. Show Less
LibraryThing member NanetteLS
A beautiful book, lovely writing.. I did find it a bit puzzling and definitely wanted something more at the end. It's hard to,describe and definitely not your typical young adult novel or WW2 story.
LibraryThing member jennybeast
This is a very odd book, and I think should be marketed to adults and possibly teens rather than younger children. It has a dreamlike quality, but I found the end to be unsatisfyingly vague. Who is the swallow man supposed to be? It seems like maybe a physicist trying to avoid unleashing the bomb,
advanced reader's copy provided by edelweiss
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but am I supposed to know who as a reader? And why, in all their traveling, do they never just walk away?advanced reader's copy provided by edelweiss
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LibraryThing member electrascaife
A Polish girl, Anna, is left on her own when her father is taken by the Germans, but her life is drastically changed – and almost certainly saved – when a mysterious gentleman charms her with his bird calls and bids her secretly follow him out of the city and into the woods. They live and
There are *so* many WWII novels out there of all kinds, and honestly I’ve mostly grown tired of them. But I’m very glad I gave this one a chance because it’s one of the better ones I’ve read in a long time. It reminds me quite a bit of The Book Thief; it’s dark and sad and deals with awful things, of course, but it still manages to be about the magic of human kindness and the beauty that’s forever in the world, no matter what else inhabits the place.
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travel together as if father and child for several years during the war, always on the move and always evading one or the other group of soldiers, experiencing various meetings and partings with others on similar paths, until the inevitable happens and Anna, who, by the grace of the Swallow Man (the only name she ever has for her companion) has been able to experience a childhood of sorts, is forced to grow up and face the world.There are *so* many WWII novels out there of all kinds, and honestly I’ve mostly grown tired of them. But I’m very glad I gave this one a chance because it’s one of the better ones I’ve read in a long time. It reminds me quite a bit of The Book Thief; it’s dark and sad and deals with awful things, of course, but it still manages to be about the magic of human kindness and the beauty that’s forever in the world, no matter what else inhabits the place.
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ISBN
0553513346 / 9780553513349