When Hitler Stole Link Rabbit

by Judith Kerr
Available from Amazon
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Anna did not really think of herself as Jewish as she lived in Berlin. She was just a German girl. That is, until the Nazis came into power, and her father’s writing was no longer acceptable, merely because he was Jewish. So her family left Germany for Switzerland, and began a life which Anna discovered was called that of a “refugee”. We see the way her life changed from what she had always known in first in Switzerland, then France, and finally in England. Her experiences, based on the author’s own girlhood, are enlightening and entertaining as the reader reflects on the events of the time. There is nothing otherwise spectacular that occurs, and the drama unfolds like a “Little House” book.

One incident that rather bothered me was when Anna’s father was having nightmares. As she went to bed one night, she said something to the effect of, “Please, can I have them instead.” The book stated that Anna did not really believe in God, but she thought there might be someone who could arrange things. When her father’s nightmares ended, Anna secretly congratulated herself. I realize that all Jews do not believe in God, but I do, and would discuss this and a few other attitudes with any younger readers.