Book Review |
| The Silver Sword |
By Ian Serraillier |
| This book is
based on a true story. Some of the names have been altered but the events really happened.
It is about a Polish family and the problems they faced during the second world war. The Balicki family consisted of dad (Joseph), mum (Margrit), Ruth (13), Edek (11) and Bronia (3). Their home was in the suburbs of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. When the Nazis invaded Poland, Joseph was taken away to a concentration camp where he suffered great hardships. He was determined to escape and eventually succeeded. He returned home to find that his wife had been taken to Germany to work in the fields and his children were thought to be dead. He met a young boy - Jan - and gave him a silver paper-knife in the shape of a sword. The boy promises to look out for the missing children and to tell them their father was journeying to their mother's family in Switzerland. It turns out that the children are not dead. Jan eventually meets up with them and the sword becomes very important in identifying who they are and in giving them the hope and courage to continue on their journey trying to reach their parents in Switzerland. It is a well written book which captures the atmosphere of the terrors of the War. The children show tremendous courage and care for each other. They show that they are strong and that they are able to deal with hard tasks. I am very glad we have had no wars but I think it is important to remember how bad they are so that no one forgets the hardships that the soldiers and their families endured to save our countries. Jan 2001 |