Fans of THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley will be thrilled to learn about her new release THE NIGHT WAR. In much the same vein as her earlier WWII historical fiction, this book is set in France and focuses on Miriam, a young Jewish girl.
Everyone in Miriam's Jewish neighborhood is forced to leave by the Nazis. She is separated from her family and only manages to escape with the help of a neighbor who asks her to take her small daughter and run. She promises if Miriam can save little Nora, they can reunite in Zurich which is safe from the Germans.
Miriam ends up being taken to a school run by Catholic nuns and little Nora is sent to live with a childless couple in the village. Miriam is told to use the name Marie and she is given new papers and told to pretend to be Catholic. Miriam is constantly plotting to rescue Nora and continue on to Zurich in hopes of finding her family.
Escape seems possible when Miriam visits the nearby castle where she meets a woman who employs her to help clean up her garden. When one of the nuns falls and breaks her leg, Miriam also becomes involved in a smuggling plot to help Jewish people sneak through the castle at night to reach a safe area beyond the French border. This seems to be the perfect way for Miriam to escape if she can figure out a way to free Nora.
Filled with intrigue and suspense, THE NIGHT WAR takes readers on an adventure and reveals the dangerous life for Jews during WWII. This is a must have for middle grade libraries and classrooms.
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