After being very impressed with Constance Savery's insightful writing style and unique plot line in The Reb and the Redcoats, I had rather high expectations for Enemy Brothers. I wasn't disappointed in the least. This story is set in the early years of World War II (before the United States joined the Allied Forces) and tells of a young British man (Dym) whose toddler-aged brother was kidnapped from their large family ten years earlier. Dym loses both his parents within a short time of the kidnapping, but promises his mother before she dies to continue to search for little Tony. He spends many years in Germany and Switzerland looking for the boy, studying the books that his brother might be brought up on, but has to return to England when war breaks out. As an officer in the British Air Force, Dym is introduced to a young lad (Max) from Germany who has been captured and brought to England because of his pro-Nazi escapades in Norway. Known to be a real trouble-maker, his captors have a difficult time finding a place for him to live. Dym, suspecting that this is his long-lost brother (who was raised in the Nazi ideology) offers to take him home to the family estate the White Priory (fans of The Reb and the Redcoats, will recognize the same house from a different era). Although evidence mounts againts him, Max insists that he is not Tony and demands to be sent back to Germany. He lives up to his reputation for trouble by attempting numerous escapes, playing harmful pranks and even trying to spy for his home country right under their noses. The plot is thoughtful, engaging and not at all "predictable".

The story is a classic tale of the conflict between good and evil, love and hate - particularly on an intellectual level (the plane in which so many of today's moral conflicts lie). Much of Max's indoctrination is of an intellectual nature and I appreciate the fact that the good side is portrayed as fighting on God's side, despite errors of judgment in the past. The story is filled with interesting details of the time period. As I read the story, I found myself stopping frequently to comment to my husband about this or that aspect of the way things were during World War II, that I had never heard of elsewhere.

The writing quality and the beautiful way the author describes certain subtleties (such as how Max slowly discovers how different life in England is from life in Germany and how much of his beliefs about the English were simply German propaganda) are just wonderful. The thoughtfulness of the scenes in portraying some of these details makes the reading very enjoyable for adults as well as children. In some cases, as a family read-aloud, these scenes may require a little explanation for the younger children. A few tidbits made me and my husband laugh out loud which prompted the children to beg for an explanation! Overall, we have found that our children really love these opportunities to stop and talk about the story a bit and these tangents can be one of the real blessings of reading books as a family.

Although the story touches upon some intense and difficult concepts, like the Reb and the Redcoats, it is presented in such a manner as to be appropriate for a wide age range and could be used as a family read-aloud. The conflicts and relationships between the main characters of the story provide a beautiful opportunity to thoughtfully consider how our actions and example can affect the moral decisions of others. Highly recommended.

Escape from Warsaw, also known as the Silver Sword, is a very historically accurate account (based on a conglomeration of many true stories) of a Polish family who are separated by war and struggle and find each other again through many hardships. An interesting and likeable story beloved by many, it's a great read for ages ten and up.

The amazing true story of how the people of Denmark secretly transported their Jewish countrymen by boat to safety in Sweden during World War II is told through the eyes of a girl and her family who assist in this effort. Suspense and action are intertwined with fascinating historical details of how the Danes succeeded in this endeavor right under the noses of the Nazis. There are some beautiful comments about the heroism of King Christian X and the devotion of his people toward him. There is a curious statement by the author at one point that the girl and her mother have become equals. I think this statement is intended to convey how these unusual events forced children into early adulthood through fighting these evils side-by-side with their parents.

This is a remarkable movie and the heart of the story is very beautiful. Two stories are intertwined. The first is simply the story of the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis during World War II. The second is the story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman, determined to profit from the war by hiring Jews as cheap laborers. He is a womanizer, living the high life through in spite of the suffering around him. Steven Spielberg has artfully combined these themes by contrasting Schindler with the Nazi Commandant he interacts with and by the positive changes that develop in Schindler even as the evils of the Holocaust grow.

The movie is available (probably at your local library) on two video tapes. The first tape basically sets up the story of the Holocaust and how brutal it was. I understand that Spielberg thought this was important because he had become aware that many people today don't believe the Holocaust actually happened. There is a great deal of gore, nudity and other difficult content. Given the desensitization in our culture to gore and violence in movies in general, Spielberg may have felt that a graphic and realistic portrayal was necessary. I personally don't believe it is necessary to see all of this in order to grasp the importance of the story (particularly since most of my readers probably have no doubts about the reality of the Holocaust). I also don't think it's particularly healthy - spiritually or psychologically if you will - to plant such images in the imagination - particularly for young people. I suggest skipping this entire first tape.

The second tape focuses on the story of Oscar Schindler and how he rescued over a thousand Jews from certain death in the Nazi concentration camps. Even though it is milder in content than the first tape, it still contains some offensive/mature/objectionable content. Parents should definitely preview it before considering it for more mature high schoolers. Even then, it would probably be reasonable to edit certain portions with the fast-forward button. The ending is amazing and very powerful as we see the dramatic change in Schindler's character, his return to his wife and the Faith and, especially, his overpowering realization of the value of human life.

Despite the graphic scenes, the morals offered by the story in its entirety are good. I'm appreciative of Spielberg's acknowledgments within the story that Schindler's Catholic faith is connected with his good deeds.

For those who don't want to tackle this rather difficult movie, the story of Oskar Schindler is also told in A Place to Hide: True Stories of Holocaust Rescues by Jayne Pettit