Customer Reviews

Hitler and Mars Bars

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Many of the other reviewers have summarised the storyline, so I shall simply say that this is an entertaining, sad and sometimes poignant story of Erich, a German war orphan who travels to Ireland under a Red Cross scheme to assist children to recover from the horrors of war.

This is an event in history that I had no idea about, and Dianne Ascroft is to be applauded for bringing the plight of these orphans and the good intentions of the Irish people to the attention of modern readers. And it is apparent, even while Erich is not always happy in this book (and he is entirely fictional it must be stressed) that most people had offered him care with good intentions. There are somewhat amusing episodes where Erich struggles with the different food and customs, and at one time he takes a coin from a shop cash register for his foster mother as they are shiny and clearly they have so many there!

The novel is well written, and all of the characters are well depicted. The telling of life in everyday post war Ireland is engaging and realistic, and Erich's struggles to be accepted and find somewhere he can call home is at times quite heart rending.

Overall an engaging novel with a fesity and determined young hero, and one well worth your time.

Based on the historic the historic event, Operation Shamrock, an Irish Red Cross project, many German children were helped and saved from malnutrition and starvation by the Red Cross and the Children Society who assisted in finding many children foster homes throughout Europe. Dianne Ascroft captures the postwar period, 1946-1955 through the eyes of one boy, Erich Schnell, who may symbolize the many children who experienced relief and life in Ireland. From 1945, when Erich is four years old, until 1955, when he is fourteen years old, the early part of the story shows war torn Germany and how Erich ends up being abandoned by his mother, "Mutti," who supposedly told Erich and his brother, Hans, that she would return after she found a job; as the stories proceeds, that is not the case, and a series of events occur, which involve the boys' on and off separation and stays at a German orphanage and time spent with Irish families who care for the boys. But Erich never forgot his mother.

There are several interesting observations while reading Hitler and Mars Bars. Historical events are subtle reminders to the story as well as the cultural differences that Erich encounters with each new experience. But the one thing that stood out about the book is how the story captures the pure essence of the characters and their interactions with each other. Despite the taunts and intolerance that were associated with Erich's stuttering and accent, he was able adjust to every new situation. Indeed, history is a backdrop to the story, and Erich plays an important role to interpreting the history he lived through that shows that some necessities were easily taken for granted -- food and shelter. One of the interesting chapters to display this sentiment, which also takes the title from the book, "Hitler and Mars Bars," provides a defining moment to the story and resonates a breath of historic irony. Indeed, Erich was the epitome of naiveté that only a child could have possessed during this postwar period in Irish and German history; one country attempting to recover from an economic downturn and the other attempting to heal from fresh war wounds. But the food rationing did not appear to be an issue for Erich, especially after suffering from malnutrition, taking a bite out of Mars bar was pure heaven. And with any child, he managed to develop emotional attachments to one particular couple, Davy and Elsie Elliott, who he referred to as Aunt Elsie and Daddy Davy, and their brown spaniel, Gipsy. It was his time spent with the Elliotts where he felt he was loved and was the happiest; he had memorable times on their farm where he was surrounded by an array of animals, and he even learned to milk a cow as well as be a child amidst the Irish countryside that almost was untouched by the war.

Hitler and Mars Bars may appeal to any reader, especially 11-16 year olds, who may have an interest in historic fiction. This is a fascinating story that may touch the heart. It is also a book that reminds everyone that real-life people and the experiences that they had to endure help to bring an understanding to a particular history.

In a nutshell: This book was very eye-opening for me. I've never considered the after-affects of war, and it's children: the destruction, hunger, military presence, loss of friends and family, etc. This wonderful book follows the life of 4 year-old Erich for 10 years as he is affected by World War II, and as he is transported to Ireland with his 3 year-old brother Hans as part of Operation Shamrock. The brothers are separated and re-united, then separated again, as they go from one foster home to another. Rather than focusing on the war itself, this book focuses on the children affected by the war, and the Irish families who worked so hard to foster the children until they could be returned to their families. I highly recommend this book. Using a preface, the author does a wonderful job of giving the reader some basic information regarding Operation Shamrock, including the fact that the planned duration of Operation Shamrock was three years, over 400 children between the ages of three and fifteen were helped, and that approximately fifty children remained in Ireland.

Extended Review:
This book is filled with vibrant examples of daily life in both Germany (early in the book) and Ireland, including both positive and negative aspects faced by the children helped by Operation Shamrock.


The story centers around Erich, a boy of four who is living in a children's home because his father has died and his mother must work at the local train station and there is no one else to watch him and his brother. The area is heavily bombed, and Erich doesn't hear from his mother for over a year, at which time Operation Shamrock has been started to take some of the malnourished German children to neighboring Ireland where families are waiting to foster them until they are returned to their families.

Erich loves the attention he receives from the adults within some of the families, and turns into a rival with some of the children, fighting for the love and stability his little person so desperately needs.

Facing the challenge of learning a new language, he is seen as different by other children, some of whom embrace him and become friends, while others taunt him and make him feel like an outsider.

Characters: The author has done a great job of creating Erich and helping the reader to see and understand what he went through during and after World War II, as many parts of Germany had to be rebuilt. My favorite characters were Daddy Davy and Aunt Elsie, who seemed to have the perfect environment and personalities to help Erich. With many well-written characters, it is easy to love or hate them, depending on their role and interactions with Erich.

Story-Line: This is a wonderfully-written fictionalization of a boy who was helped by the Red Cross through their Operation Shamrock, which I had never heard of prior to reading this book.

Readability: I found the book easy to read and very informative to what daily life was like in Germany and Ireland during and after World War II.

Overall: A very thought-provoking story that really touched the "Mom" portion of my heart. This book helped me to look at war, or rather the impact of war on families and children, in a different light, and to see that there are wonderful people willing to open their hearts and homes to help those in need. I really enjoyed reading this book, and discussing it with friends and family. It would be a great book club read as there are plenty of aspects to discuss.

Not every day does an author send her book from Ireland for review. Lucky me.

July 1946 the first 81 children left war-torn Germany and landed in Ireland. The Irish Red Cross found foster homes for them. By August 1949 over 400 children had been sent-some orphans; others may return to their families once Germany gets back on its feet. They were in Ireland to be saved from starvation.

Brothers Erick, age 4, and Hans, age 2, lived in a German children's home near where their widowed mother worked at the railway station. She visited often, however, after the railway station was bombed, her visits stopped.

The mother had told Erick to look after his younger brother. They were told very little about where they were going or that their mother was dead. The boys had no other relatives so it was likely they would never return to Germany.

The Elliot family took Erick while his brother went to another home. The foster parents were often called Uncle/Aunt, and it was Daddy Davey and Aunt Elsie in this wonderful family. However, the mother was sickly and they couldn't keep him.

This happened several times--and each time Erick wondered what was wrong with him. He thought: Every time I get close to someone I get hurt. If I don't get too close, I can't get hurt. He was with some who didn't really want a child, but a free farm helper.

Erick also realized that animals were nicer than people: They never think you are different or strange (Erick stuttered and had a slight German accent), and they never laugh at me.

Erick lived in Ireland from 1946 to 1955, when he left a very bad placement. He had already finished school in Ireland (age 14) and now needed to work. The story ends as he boards a boat to England, having learned that to work in Northern Ireland, you had to be born there.

This young boy had weathered horrible situation and people and tremendous loss. He had said good-bye too often. What's wrong with me...? he asked.

The author writes very descriptively of both people and place and tells a most interesting story of the children and the Irish Red Cross.

Armchair Interviews says: This is a reminder about "the children of war, loss and abandonment." Powerful emotions.

Erich, the main character of this book is only four years old at the beginning of this book but has already known hunger and loneliness. After his mother is killed in the war he is taken from Germany to Ireland as part of "Operation Shamrock" and after receiving medical care is placed with a foster family. He struggles to adapt to all the changes war has forced on his life. Sadly, he is moved from foster home to foster home and, although the reader continues to hope for a happy ending, the book ends ten years later with Erich preparing for yet another placement. This was an interesting fictional account of a program that was meant to save children's lives and provide them with loving homes but sometimes fell short of the goal.