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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An incredibly powerful novel, June 24, 2001
In "The Children's War", J. N. Stroyar has written a novel of immense creativity, startling realism and remarkable emotion. While it functions brilliantly as an example of the "alternate-history" genre it is also much more. By imagining a Third Reich that existed into the 21st century, Stroyar provides herself with the perfect backdrop to explore the central themes of this novel: humanity, hope, compassion, revenge...I could go on, there are so many. At its core, "The Children's War" is the story of Peter Halifax a victim of unspeakable Nazi brutality. After years of humiliation, servitude and beatings, he escapes to the Polish Underground; however, his hopes of a more simple, free, life are shattered as he faces the judgement of people who barely even understand what they are fighting for. That's where the novel gets its name, the resistance is fighting for something completely intangible, they are children who have never known freedom, or Poland, or justice, as anything other than a concept. In their quest for survival they have had to make so many compromises their resistance has become almost ritualized. Furthermore, their necessary isolation has calcified many of their views to the point where they are almost as prejudiced, although not as brutal, as the Nazis. Therein lies the central dichotomy of the novel. Peter is appalled at the accommodations that the Poles have made with the Nazis in order to guarantee their survival. At the same, the Poles judge Peter for having done what he needed to do to survive, without having ever been in a similar position; always safe in their "Ivory Bunker". Ultimately, they are both right and both wrong; in a world of constant warfare, everything is shades of gray. The characters come to realize that humanity is something that you carry in your heart and your mind, not necessarily in your actions. In terms of the narrative writing and characterizations, I was blown away. The writing was among the best I have ever encountered, which is all the more remarkable since the author is a first time novelist. In particular, Stroyar avoided the pitfall that many authors fall into when writing alternate history: to much information. All to often the authors feel the need to explain in painstaking detail how they arrived at the time the are writing about. Not so Stroyar, who clearly understands that a well drawn present with sufficient, but not overt, background information is more important than the reverse. Furthermore, Stroyar has a superb grasp of politics, both international and domestic. She understands perfectly the stasis that totalitarian regimes must inevitably fall in to, and the introverted inertia that so plagues democracies at peace. The characters are brutally real, they exhibit an incredible range of emotion, and while not always sympathetic, they are always human. There were actually times when I had to stop reading this novel because it was just too gut wrenching. Of course I couldn't stay away for more than 15 minutes, but I have never been affected by a novel that way. At this point it's fairly obvious that I loved this novel. "The Children's War" is a great alternate history, it is a great spy-thriller, but mostly it's just great literature. It is a work of tremendous depth and is profoundly moving. Not only does it entertain, but it makes the reader think; both about the world today, and about what might have been.. In the end, I can't say anything more than, "READ THIS NOVEL!" you won't regret it.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
DON'T MISS THIS ONE!, October 17, 2001
Wow, how do I start this? First off: do not be deterred by the length of this book. Yes, 1149 pages can be a lot to work your way through but I promise, you won't even notice that this is a particularly long book. You'll get so absorbed in the story that you will only curse the fact that the book is so heavy and thus does not lend itself to being carried on the subway etc. Stroyar describes a world in which the Nazis have won the Second World War. I would not call this a simple history (or more appropriately alternative history) book though. Rather, Stroyar's book is heavily character-driven. We meet a handful of characters and are allowed the privilege to view a horrifying world through their eyes. Stroyar does a fantastic job of fleshing out the characters in her book. Even relatively minor players come fully to live in the hands of this truly gifted author. By the time you've read the first couple of chapters, you can visualize what the characters see to the point that you can almost smell or hear what they smell or hear. Their pain and struggles become yours. I should warn prospective readers that Stroyar introduces the reader to a tremendous amount of violence. This, however, should not deter anyone. The world she describes is full of gruesome acts of injustice and torture. Stroyar describes scenes of murder and torture not for any sensationalistic purpose but because they are integral parts of the German Reich she writes about. The book is divided into three separate parts. I personally very much enjoyed the first part that focuses on Peter, an English fugitive who becomes a slave laborer in the household of a sadistic Nazi officer. The second and third parts deal with an Underground movement and its desparate fight against the existing regime. I was pleased to read in another review that somebody else preferred these latter parts of the book over the first one because this means that any reader is bound to love one or the other parts of the book. Stroyar does not attempt to give us clear-cut answers. Nothing in this book is black and white. Just like in real life, even the hero (Peter) is not perfect. He is simply human. He reacts in ways we would, ways that are not always perfect and sometimes not even understandable. The Underground soldiers are not portrayed as simple knights in shining armour. They lead a highly complex fight and thus face highly complex choices and dilemmas. And the Nazis? Well, they are described as evil and typically not very smart. This was my only tiny problem with the book. It seemed implausible that the Third Reich survived the last 50 years with mostly incompetent officers leading and running it. Then again, this book could not possibly be about everything. I simply resigned myself to the fact that Stroyar had to concentrate on certain themes (Peter, the Underground movement, the foreign opposition, etc.) and, as a result, her treatment of the Nazis fell a little short, tending to slide into a black and white picture. It never bothered me while reading the book, I only realize this now... One more thought: some reviewers have commented that they were a bit disappointed in the ending of the book. I read these reviews before I myself had finished the book and prepared myself for a major let-down. I must say though: I do not agree at all with this view. The book is a true epic and it had to end somehow. I did not feel cheated by the ending. It was not a neat and fast wrap-up of all unresolved issues and it was not a dramatic cliffhanger either. Rather, it was an ending that is certainly true to life. Without giving away too much: It did not portray the complete collapse of the Third Reich (that would have been ludicrous and unrealistic). Like the book in its entirety, it concentrated on the characters and described an ending to their stories. An ending that leaves much room for the reader's imagination (could we dare hope for a sequel???). An ending that is satisfying and troubling at the same time. I truly recommend this book to everyone. I guarantee you will enjoy it and, like me, it will leave you wanting for more from this wonderful first-time author. How she will possibly be able to live up to her debut is a mystery to me. But I can hardly wait to find out...
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Impressive and Involving, August 19, 2001
Alternate history novels have become quite popular these days and, indeed, they make a fun and interesting genre. Many of them fall into one of two categories: the "what if the Nazis had won the war?" and all the rest. In this first category are some brilliant novels such as Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle and Robert Harris's Fatherland. Though perhaps not quite as good as these, The Children's War can be added to that list. First off, at well over 1100 pages, this is not a novel for the weak-willed. It is divided into three sections, however, so it really reads like three novels of about 400 pages each. The reader should also be warned that the first section is the weakest part of the novel. Once the second section begins, things really start to get interesting and remain at a good pitch throughout the rest of the book. That's not to say that the first part doesn't have value but it mostly just introduces you to this modern world of a Nazi-conquered Europe: a cruel master race, subjugated populations (some enslaved and some "ethnically cleansed"), poverty and rebellion. Okay, but pretty standard stuff. In the second section, however, things start to cook. Enough of the characters have been killed off so that there is a manageable cast and the Nazis become secondary. In fact, the story narrows pretty much to a group of Polish rebels who take in a former English slave named Peter. Peter is the character who, for the most part, drives the novel. What makes these later parts more interesting is, first, the examination of what it is like to be a slave under totalitarianism. Peter escapes at the end of part one and it is not until he is in (relative) freedom that we can see the deeper effects of slavery. More interesting, however, is the examination of the rebels. Most of them are young and have grown up knowing nothing but war and oppression. What does this do to them? Will they be capable of creating a reasonable society even if they do manage a victory over the Nazis? Are they justified in the atrocities they commit to achieve their ends? Much of this is brought out in a love story between Peter and a rebel named Zosia. It is this examination of the psyches of these characters that make this novel better than the run-of-the-mill. (If you can get past some of the amazing coincidences that allow major characters to interact in some unexpected ways.) But it is difficult to describe such an involved novel in a few lines. There are many interesting characters here both major (Richard, the Vogels) and minor (Tadek, Barbara). There is a fascinating visit to America mid-novel that gives the chance for some sly commentary on our culture. Ultimately, this is a book that is well worth the effort.
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