First published 1972
A young boy finds himself abandoned and alone when his parents disappear during World War II. He drifts through the countryside of Eastern Europe, moving from village to village in search of shelter and survival. The child encounters peasants, soldiers, and other displaced people, each interaction revealing new forms of cruelty and occasional kindness. His dark hair and eyes mark him as different, making him a target for suspicion and violence in communities already torn apart by war. The boy witnesses and experiences brutalities that strip away his innocence, yet somehow his capacity for love and hope persists. As he struggles to stay alive in a world gone mad, he must navigate the thin line between civilization and savagery. The novel traces his psychological and physical journey through a landscape where terror lives alongside tenderness, and where a child's need for belonging collides with a society that has lost its moral compass.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, abuse, 20th-century, war, coming-of-age
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, loss-of-innocence
Setting: Eastern Europe
Period: World War II
251 pages · Paperback · Bantam
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse, graphic-violence, violence