Tug of War [Paperback]

Joan Lingard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1992

Follows the ordeal of fourteen-year-old twins Astra and Hugo Petersons, as they and their family flee their native Latvia before the advancing Russian armies in late 1944 and find themselves homeless refugees in a war-torn Germany.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This dramatic, gripping novel focuses on teenage twins in a Latvian family who become separated as they flee the advancing Russian Army during WW II. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

It is late 1944, and the Russian advance is about to sweep across Latvia on its way to Germany. For Professor Lukas Petersons, Russian occupation will mean deportation to Siberia. Although he dislikes the fascist German government as well, he decides to take his family and flee before the Russian advance. Told from the point of view of his oldest children, 14-year-old twins Hugo and Astra, this book illustrates the fear and confusion felt by refugees in war time. In the surge of desperate humanity that greets one of the trains they must take, Hugo is separated from the others. Battered and bleeding, he is helped onto another train that takes him to Hamburg. There he is sheltered by a kindly German family even though his injury and subsequent illness keep him from being able to tell them anything about himself. The story alternates between Astra and the family, living in a refugee camp, scrounging for food, and always hoping to find Hugo; and Hugo's experiences, thinking his family has died, and falling in love with the daughter of his benefactors. After the war has ended and by sheer luck, Astra and Hugo finally find each other, and Hugo is faced with a cruel choice: rejoin his family and travel with them to a new life in Canada, or stay in Germany with the woman he loves. Hugo is the strongest character in a large cast of weak ones. The structure is flawed, with themes abruptly appearing and disappearing. The alternating storyline becomes annoying, and it is easy to resent time spent away from Hugo. Still, books about Latvia and its recent history are rare. Libraries in communities in which there is a strong Baltic heritage may find this book of interest. --Susan M. Harding, Mesquite Pub . Lib . , TX
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (August 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140360727
• ISBN-13: 978-0140360721
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,051,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good book..., March 21, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Tug of War: 2 (Hardcover)

In Tug of War, the Petersons and the Jansons are escaping their home country, Latvia, because of World War II. The Russians were coming to take over Latvia and all the countries surrounding it, so that forced almost all the citizens in these countries to leave. The crowds are massive and people are being left behind. Who ever thought that one of the Petersons, Hugo, would get separated from his family? I really enjoyed this book. It taught me more about WWII, but it wasn't like reading a History textbook. The author took a common situation for a family in WWII and wrote about that family and their life during the war, but at the same time she was educating her readers about what happened in the war.

Astra and Hugo Peterson are twins. When they leave Latvia to go to Leipzig, Germany to stay at an old friend's house and Hugo's godfather, Otto Zimmerman, they are fourteen, but they don't know that they'll be separated and won't see each other until they are eighteen, all because of the crowds of people trying to leave Latvia before the Russians come. Astra is devastated that her and Hugo got separated. She feels like the other half of her is missing.

While Astra is on her way to Leipzig and worrying about Hugo and if they will ever meet up again, Hugo is being taken care of. The Schneider's found Hugo beside the railroad tracks with a very deep cut from the middle of his forehead all the way to the bottom of his face. His glasses were broken so he couldn't see a thing. When the Schneider's took Hugo into their home, Hugo knew he would be safe there until he found his family. Little did Hugo know, he was going to find his future wife in the Schneider's household. Bettina Schneider was an only child and only a few months older than Hugo. They were happy with each others present and Hugo felt a whole lot better whenever Bettina would encourage him that he can still live his life without his family. After four years of Hugo living with the Schneider's, Hugo finally asks Bettina to marry him. Of course, Bettina agrees.

Astra never knew what ever happened to Hugo at the train station in those crowds. She never found out until she found Hugo four years later in a camp full of people waiting to leave Germany for America and Canada. When Hugo and Bettina were taking a walk along the side of the rode, an drove by, that the Petersons and Jansons were in, but Hugo, Bettina, nor the two families inside the van knew it was one another. The one thing that caught Hugo's attention was that the van had a Latvian flag on the window. He was pleased to learn that people from his home country were still around in Germany. Hugo told Bettina that he would catch up with her later and he followed the van to the camp. When he got to the camp, he looked around and then he heard an eager voice call his name. After a couple of yells for him, Hugo turned around and saw that it was Astra. Astra took Hugo back to their family and everyone was pleased. Hugo came home to the Schneider's late that night and explained what happened. The Schneider's were happy, but Bettina was also sad. Hugo had to make decision of staying in Germany with the Schneider's or going to Canada to start a better life with his family. In the end, Hugo decides to go to Canada and then come back for Bettina after a year of living in Canada.

I really enjoyed this book. It had a romantic twist to it, but it told the life story of people who had to live during World War II. I would recommend this book to teenagers who are curious about what happened to everyday people in World War II.

~E. Snowden

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It was a very interesting book, March 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Tug of War (Paperback)

It was Coo