What would it be like to live in a Nazi occupied city
(Florence, Italy) in 1944, during World War II? Shirley Hughes has given us a
novel through which to find out what it would be like to be a thirteen-year-old
boy named Paolo.
So many things I have never thought about during war time
became evident to me. Food rationing and just the scarcity of food in general
was a daily trial. Wondering who would
turn you in to the Nazis if you were found resisting their control in any way,
i.e. breaking curfew, harboring an escaped allied prisoner of war, helping the
Partisans (Italians working against the Nazis), and not showing them their due
respect were just a few ways you could end up being shot!
When I thought how restricted daily life was for an occupied
city, I could fully understand how “boring and confining” life for a teenager
would have been.
With Paolo’s family (his mother Rosemary and his older
sister Constanza) being constantly on the Nazi’s suspect list, Paolo is wanting
to do something exciting to help the Partisans.
Little does Paolo realize how dangerous his attempts will be.
I loved this highly accessible piece of historical fiction. I also found the book jacket image to be
reflective of the graphic art of the 1940’s.
Read Hero on a Bicycle
to find out how a thirteen-year-old boy on a bike can help fight against
Nazi control.
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