Then is the book to read this year
By Olivia Scott-Berry / Spinebreakers Crew
The sequel to the staggering Once and a tragic, yet oddly life affirming story, Then is the book to read this year. The strikingly tender tale of the Holocaust, as seen through a child’s eyes is a remarkable, beautifully told wonder of a book.
On the run from the Nazis with his newly-found friend, Zelda, Felix is anything but a normal child. Picking up immediately from where Once left off, Felix and Zelda struggle through war-torn Poland, looking for parents to keep them safe forever. But fate has other plans for them, as obstacles in the form of a wide variety of characters, from turnip-tugging farmers to catapult-toting Hitler Youth, stray their path...
This is an account of the Second World War like no other. The ingenious choice of Felix as the protagonist adds an entirely new dimension, as the events are relayed in a shockingly honest manner. Seeing the horror through a child’s eyes seems to sharpen the image, an entirely affecting and moving picture.
Then is the perfect mix of humour and grief, with an evocative, poignant message. An unforgettable and lasting book, Felix and Zelda’s tragic, haunting and lasting tale makes for a heart-rending, beautiful read.