THE CHILD WITHOUT A HOME by Ann Bennett brings to light yet another aspect of the horrors of WWII. In 1944, Agnes and her younger brother Dieter lived in a Prussian village with their parents. Their good life was turned into a nightmare once the Russians took control of the area. Present time: Freya's beloved grandfather had recently died taking the secrets of his military service with him and her boyfriend ended their long-term relationship. She has returned to Cambridge to resume her studies. When a loud noise from the house next door gets out of hand, she confronts the neighbor. Agnes, now an octogenarian, is that neighbor and Freya will soon learn that Agnes has secrets, too. Ones that she is not willing to reveal anytime soon.
Masterfully told, author Ann Bennett vividly describes the unimaginable circumstances that Agnes and Dieter found themselves in throughout THE CHILD WITHOUT A HOME. Once they are orphaned Agnes takes on sole responsibility for Dieter. Still a child herself, Agnes exhibits incredible strength and courage as they struggle just to survive. Just when it seems things can't get any worse for them, they do. In the modern storyline, Agnes and Freya do not bond immediately, but there is something about Agnes that reminds Freya about her grandfather. Can these two women who have come together by chance help each other?
Inspired by actual stories, Ann Bennett gives voices to the orphans who were left to fend for themselves. I found it almost impossible to put THE CHILD WITHOUT A HOME down once I began reading it. Powerful and moving, this book is well worth reading. Highly recommended.
Agnes was running as fast as her legs would carry her. She was dragging Dieter along beside her, her heart pounding, her mouth dry, her breath coming in great, sobbing gulps… She was running as if her life depended on it – and she knew it did.
1944. When the war comes to twelve-year-old Agnes’ village her life changes in an instant. Her father is dragged away by soldiers and her mother is mercilessly killed, leaving Agnes and her younger brother Dieter orphaned. Frightened, and surrounded by enemies, Agnes has no choice but to carry out her mother’s dying wish, whispered to her before the light flickered from her eyes: Promise you’ll look after your brother for me, Agnes… But when Dieter’s hand slips from her own while crossing a river, the rest of Agnes’s world shatters in an instant – has she truly lost everything?
Cambridge, present day. When her beloved grandfather dies, Freya is distraught. Not only has she lost the man who helped raise her, but she knows his stories of World War Two, and a part of her family history, is gone forever. But when Freya meets her new neighbour Agnes, whose accent is just like her grandfather’s, she notices a weather-beaten image of a little blonde boy in braces and boots that looks strangely familiar… Could Agnes hold the key to unlocking Freya’s past?
But Agnes has terrible secrets of her own, and she vowed never to speak about the little blonde boy in the photograph who risked everything to save her… But if she doesn’t, she might never discover what happened to her little brother all those years ago…
Inspired by the true stories of the forgotten orphans of World War Two, this heart-wrenching and moving tale is about fighting for your loved ones when all hope is lost. Breathtaking and unputdownable, this story of courage and survival is perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Sold on a Monday and The Orphan’s Tale.
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