Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli// Book Review
Milkweed is an adult fictional story with a narrator who currently lives in Philadelphia, America. During the novel, he is reflecting back on his childhood memories of the Holocaust in his home country, Poland. While living in Warsaw, a group of Jewish boys take him under their wing. With these orphans, he learns how to steal and smuggle food whilst avoiding 'Jackboots' (Nazi soldiers) whilst under the strict supervision of Uri. During the beginning of the novel, the narrator has no identity. He doesn't know his age, who his parents are or where he comes from.
However, the orphan boys presume he is a gypsy (Gypsies were also victims of the Holocaust) judging by the yellow stone that hangs around his neck. He is also unnamed. Throughout the plot, his identity changes and he acquires numerous names.
The narrator is then moved to a ghetto with his orphan friends. Here, he is reunited with a girl he met ,whilst living in the 'civilian' parts of Warsaw, named Janina. He slowly begins to make himself solely responsible for going back over the wall that separates the Jews, and other Nazi influenced outcasts, from the regular civilians to collect food for a group of orphans, his friends and Janina's family. Baring in mind we are given the idea that he is around eight years old at this time, it goes to show what bravery had to be displayed in order to survive the conditions of Nazi occupied Poland.
The book tells us many of the events during the Holocaust such as Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass where all Jewish shops and homes were raided and destroyed by Nazi police and supporters).
Although the book tells us about these events, I was quite disappointed with what detail Spinelli went into. Yes, the story was told through the eyes of an eight year old boy who had no idea who he was at the time. But there's no graphic detail explaining the real life horrors of what happened during this time. There are some disturbing bits towards the end such as *SPOILER ALERT* when the narrator finds one of the orphan boys hanging from a street light after being caught smuggling food into the ghetto. But saying that, the narrator was a young child at the time and by telling the story through that perspective it grasps the important idea of children's innocent ideas of conflict. They don't always understand why some people are treated differently and why some people are nasty to one-another.
All in all, I wasn't disappointed by this book really, although it could have included a bit more emotive language and detail as to how the narrator was feeling during certain parts of the story, like when he found his friend hanging from the lamppost or when *SPOILER ALERT* he was shot in the ear by Uri during the 'resettlement' of the Jews to the concentration camps.
Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
However, the orphan boys presume he is a gypsy (Gypsies were also victims of the Holocaust) judging by the yellow stone that hangs around his neck. He is also unnamed. Throughout the plot, his identity changes and he acquires numerous names.
The narrator is then moved to a ghetto with his orphan friends. Here, he is reunited with a girl he met ,whilst living in the 'civilian' parts of Warsaw, named Janina. He slowly begins to make himself solely responsible for going back over the wall that separates the Jews, and other Nazi influenced outcasts, from the regular civilians to collect food for a group of orphans, his friends and Janina's family. Baring in mind we are given the idea that he is around eight years old at this time, it goes to show what bravery had to be displayed in order to survive the conditions of Nazi occupied Poland.
The book tells us many of the events during the Holocaust such as Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass where all Jewish shops and homes were raided and destroyed by Nazi police and supporters).
Although the book tells us about these events, I was quite disappointed with what detail Spinelli went into. Yes, the story was told through the eyes of an eight year old boy who had no idea who he was at the time. But there's no graphic detail explaining the real life horrors of what happened during this time. There are some disturbing bits towards the end such as *SPOILER ALERT* when the narrator finds one of the orphan boys hanging from a street light after being caught smuggling food into the ghetto. But saying that, the narrator was a young child at the time and by telling the story through that perspective it grasps the important idea of children's innocent ideas of conflict. They don't always understand why some people are treated differently and why some people are nasty to one-another.
All in all, I wasn't disappointed by this book really, although it could have included a bit more emotive language and detail as to how the narrator was feeling during certain parts of the story, like when he found his friend hanging from the lamppost or when *SPOILER ALERT* he was shot in the ear by Uri during the 'resettlement' of the Jews to the concentration camps.
Rating: ☆☆☆ 1/2
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