Finding Sophie
Published on 21. July 2002
Book
Paperback/Softback
144 pages
978-0-86315-374-7 (ISBN)
Description
It is 1945 and Sophie Mandel is living happily in London with 'Aunt Em', an old friend of her parents, who has looked after her since she was evacuated from Berlin in 1938. She no longer speaks German and has very little memory of her parents.
However, as the war in Europe draws to a close Sophie starts to wonder about her Jewish father and non-Jewish mother, and to recall elements of her past life. What has happened to them during the past seven years? Are they still alive? Will she have to return to Germany now that the war has ended?
With the onset of peace on VE Day Sophie finally discovers what has become of her family, and must learn to come to terms with her past and present in order to move forward to the future.
Familiar characters from Goodbye Marianne and Remember Me appear along the way to bring closure to this fascinating and true account of life as a refugee in post-war Britain.
However, as the war in Europe draws to a close Sophie starts to wonder about her Jewish father and non-Jewish mother, and to recall elements of her past life. What has happened to them during the past seven years? Are they still alive? Will she have to return to Germany now that the war has ended?
With the onset of peace on VE Day Sophie finally discovers what has become of her family, and must learn to come to terms with her past and present in order to move forward to the future.
Familiar characters from Goodbye Marianne and Remember Me appear along the way to bring closure to this fascinating and true account of life as a refugee in post-war Britain.
Reviews / Votes
'The writer describes all the difficulties of life in wartime Britain perfectly. I can recommend this book to anyone whose child is studying this period at school and wants to know how life was endured during World War II.'-- Jan Shaw, Historical Novels Review, November 2004
Named a "Notable Book for Older Readers" by the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries. To see the complete listing of "Notable Children's Books of Jewish Content", visit www.jewishlibraries.org.
'A compelling conclusion to a moving trilogy.'
-- BookTrust Best Book Guide for Children and Young Adults 2004
"Irene Watts has won prizes and praise for her previous novels, and, in some ways, this one is even better. The writing flows more evenly, and the plot depends less on particular and peculiar historical circumstances and more on the internal conflicts of love and loyalty. Its universal theme is enriched by its historical context but is not completely dependent upon it. Highly Recommended."
-- Mary Thomas, CM Magazine
"A very moving and realistic portrayal of life during this time period."
-- OLA Best Bets for 2002 Awards
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 10 to 13 years
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 130 mm
Weight
144 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-86315-374-7 (9780863153747)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Irene N. Watts was born in Berlin and at the age of seven was taken to Britain, along with thousands of other Jewish children escaping from German oppression. She now lives in Canada where she has a career as a writer and playwright.