Child at War: The True Story of a Young Belgian Resistance Fighter

From School Library Journal
YA-- A fascinating account of a teenage girl who became a courier in the Resistance. The first half of the book tells of her activities, including occasions when only her quick wits and determination saved her from arrest. The second half details her eventual imprisonment in Ravensbruck concentration camp, where once again her survival depended on her will to live while thousands were dying. A simple writing style lets the inherent tension carry this strong story. This young woman's perserverance and courage in the face of adversity will keep readers completely involved. --Judy McAloon, Richard Byrd Lib . , Fairfax County, VACopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
This is a powerful chronicle of a young girl who overcame horror, brutality, and torture by the Germans during the war years. Hortense Daman was only 13 years old when World War II came to Belgium in 1939. This survival story details how she became a Partisan, helping her brother Francois deliver messages, gather food, smuggle British pilots over enemy lines, and much more. In 1944 she was betrayed and imprisoned, and she and her mother were sent to the German concentration camp of Ravensbruck. Daman's extraordinary bravery will inspire any reader. Bles, who served in the British Army during World War II, has meticulously researched the historical events of the time and provided original black-and-white photographs to enrich the story. Although the text is weighed down with detail, this is a worthwhile purchase; highly recommended for young adults, religious, and all general col lections.- Susan Dearstyne, Schenectady Cty. Community Coll., N.Y.Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Independent Publisher
No era in history has been as extensively documented as World War II, yet new books continue to appear with information previously unavailable. This book, the true story of a courageous and almost improbably quick-witted young girl who began to work with the Resistance at the age of thirteen, is one of the few sources in English that deals with the German occupation of Belgium. Although primarily an account of how teenaged Hortense Daman managed to survive increasingly dangerous missions and, ultimately, imprisonment, torture, and slave labor at the Ravensbruck concentration camp, the book also contains fascinating historical details on Flemish collaborators and day-to-day life under the Nazis. At several points, the author breaks off from his narrative to ask a thought-provoking question: Did the limited effectiveness of the Resistance justify the suffering and retaliatory killings it brought on the Belgians? For the most part, however, Cbild at War concentrates on Hortense's experiences as they were related to the author at her present home in Great Britain. Much of the book reads like a scenario for a wartime adventure film.


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YA-- A fascinating account of a teenage girl who became a courier in the Resistance. The first half of the book tells of her activities, including occasions when only her quick wits and determination saved her from arrest. The second half details her eventual imprisonment in Ravensbruck concentration camp, where once again her survival depended on her will to live while thousands were dying. A simple writing style lets the inherent tension carry this strong story. This young woman's perserverance and courage in the face of adversity will keep readers completely involved. --Judy McAloon, Richard Byrd Lib . , Fairfax County, VA


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