First published 1992
Twenty French children live in a mountain refuge during the German occupation. Their quiet days of lessons and play change when a young man arrives at their school with an urgent request. He asks if they can hide ten Jewish refugee children who need shelter from the Nazis. The French students face a dangerous choice. Taking in the Jewish children means risking discovery by German soldiers. Refusing means abandoning children who have nowhere else to go. The twenty must decide quickly and live with the consequences of their choice. Their decision tests their courage and forces them to understand what it means to protect others when the cost could be their own safety. The story explores how ordinary children respond when asked to do extraordinary things during wartime.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, war
Vibes: emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, moral-dilemma
Setting: France, Germany
Period: World War II
Paperback · Trumpet Club
Content warnings: war