Waiting for Anya is a novel set in a mountain village, Lescun, in France during World War II.
A young shepherd, named Jo, accidentally finds a man hiding in Widow Horcarda's cow shed.
Jo learns, that Benjamin, is elderly Widow Horcarda's son-in-law and they are involved in a dangerous plan to save the lives of local Jewish children. Jo is determined to help. Once Jo spends time with Benjamin, they instantly get on and Jo finds out about Benjamin's deep sadness. He was separated from his little daughter, Anya, in Paris because of the war.
Benjamin told her that if they parted they would reunite in the village where Widow Horcarda and Jo live. So throughout the whole novel Benjamin is waiting for his daughter to return so that they can become a family again – this is how the novel gets its title.
Though Jo's father is away at war against the Nazis, Jo develops a friendship with a German Corporal from the troop that patrols the village and its mountains. The two share an interest in bird-watching and although their two nations are at war, the Corporal and Jo bond. Meanwhile one night, the villagers, bravely led by Jo, Benjamin, Widow Horcarda, and Jo's Grandfather, secretively guide the children through the forest into Spanish territory.
But when a scared girl refuses to leave Benjamin, the plan starts to dramatically unravel and Jo finds that helping the children over the mountain is harder than he ever imagined.
Will the children reach safety in time? Will Benjamin and Anya be reunited?
Another brilliant Michael Morpurgo novel that builds tension and anticipation throughout.
The whole novel still sticks in my mind and it made me more enthusiastic in my history lessons – I knew about Anne Frank and her real life experiences but hadn't read any stories set in this time. It even makes the reviewer cry.
Though the ending was not so unexpected, the way it was written was compelling and sad - it made me want a sequel!
It made me think and feel in the perspective of different characters and how they coped with life in such terrible circumstances. For instance, the Corporal was a family man who wasn't a bully or mean and enjoyed sharing stories about his life (in a similar mountain village in Germany) with Jo.
While Jo is a laid-back boy that enjoys spending time with his dog, his sheep and his friends. It was easy to believe in these characters – they were likeable and Morpurgo depicted them in a realistic way.
I have read other Michael Morpurgo novels like Private Peaceful – it was also realistic and very sad but the way Waiting for Anya filled me with compassion, is something that no other book has ever done to me.
And it showed to me the way in which a French boy understood the war, compared to how a Jewish man understood the war.
It teaches children about the risks people take in life and for friends.
I'd recommend Waiting for Anya to readers in the world above the age of 9.
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