First published 2016
Anna Łania watches German soldiers march through Kraków in 1939. She is seven years old when they seize her father, a linguistics professor, during their systematic removal of Polish intellectuals. Left completely alone, Anna encounters a tall, enigmatic figure she calls the Swallow Man. This strange deceiver possesses an unusual talent for languages, speaking Polish, Russian, German, Yiddish, and even Bird. He can manipulate how soldiers perceive him through his mysterious abilities. When he calls a swallow down to his hand to comfort the crying child, Anna becomes captivated. She decides to follow him into the wilderness. Their journey together takes them through a landscape of bombs and soldiers. They must constantly evade danger while navigating a world where survival depends on deception and adaptability. Along the way, they even find an unexpected companion. But in this chaotic wartime reality, trust becomes complicated. Anna must learn that even her protector carries his own dangers.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, world-war-ii
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Kraków, Poland
Period: 1939
232 pages · Hardcover · Knopf Books for Young Readers
Content warnings: death, war