In Review

21 November 2008 20:26 BST

My Enemy's Cradle by Sara Young

Published by Harper Collins, hardback, 382 pages, £16.99.

In a nutshell…

Romantic. Heartfelt. Absorbing. Enjoyable. Credible.

What's it all about?

My Enemy's Cradle is a tale of love and loss during the second world war. The central character is Cyrla, a 19-year-old girl living in occupied Holland with her aunty, uncle and 21-year-old cousin, Anneke. The only problem is Cyrla is half Jewish, although she is disguised by her blonde hair and blue eyes. This is a story of Cyrla's desperate attempts to escape from certain death at the hands of the enemy and protect her unborn child.

Who's it by

Sara Young is an experienced writer of children's books under the pseudonym of Sara Pennypacker, and has won critical acclaim for previous works such as Stuart's Cape and Clementine. This is Young's first venture into adult fiction and it is certainly evident that the intellectual level of the book leans towards the younger generation, but is still easily accessible by all.

As an example…

"You can't walk around blind, just because you don't want to see."

Likelihood of becoming a Hollywood blockbuster

This book boasts a strong story that could quite easily be translated onto the big screen. However, if My Enemy's Cradle were to become a blockbuster film, it would need to be handled sensitively to ensure the believable descriptions of love and war by Young are delivered suitably to cinema-goers.

What the others say

"It is intensely romantic in a way that only wartime fiction can be." - USA Today

So is it any good?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was a credible and intriguing story punctuated by realistic characters and youthful, heartfelt romances. I found it incredibly difficult to put the book down, thoroughly absorbed in the unique emotions of the wartime period.

Young has chosen a lesser-known aspect of Nazi Germany to centre the story around. Learning about the lebensborn organisations was greatly interesting, revealing a forgotten aspect of World War II.

A subtle twist half way through takes the story onto a different path, away from impending doom and towards the flickering light of hope. I felt fully immersed in the wartime era when reading this book, drawn in to the fear of the occupation - a fear which gripped me through every turn of the page. Be warned though boys, this is certainly a book for the girls.

8.5/10

Rosie Park