The Children's War

J. N. Stroyar's "The Children's War" is one of the most impressive debuts in fiction that I've come across in recent years. Not only is her work replete with excellent research, but more importantly, the characters in her novel are vivid, fully realized figures who think and act credibly in response to their dire surroundings. Although the tale is primarily the saga of Peter Halifax, a young Englishman enslaved by the Third Reich, it is also a moving, emotionally gripping tale of the Polish resistance's struggle against the Nazis. This the finest alternative history of 20th Century Europe I've come across. Stoyar's thoughtful, at times, lyrical, descriptions of Nazi society are quite compelling to read. Although the book is over 1100 pages in length, it easily swept me up in its realistic depiction of a Nazi-occupied Europe at the dawn of the 21st Century. Without a doubt, it's one of the finest novels I've read on Nazi Germany, even with its alternate history premise.

Wow, how do I start this? First off: do not be deterred by the length of this book. Yes, 1149 pages can be a lot to work your way through but I promise, you won't even notice that this is a particularly long book. You'll get so absorbed in the story that you will only curse the fact that the book is so heavy and thus does not lend itself to being carried on the subway etc.Stroyar describes a world in which the Nazis have won the Second World War. I would not call this a simple history (or more appropriately alternative history) book though. Rather, Stroyar's book is heavily character-driven. We meet a handful of characters and are allowed the privilege to view a horrifying world through their eyes. Stroyar does a fantastic job of fleshing out the characters in her book. Even relatively minor players come fully to live in the hands of this truly gifted author. By the time you've read the first couple of chapters, you can visualize what the characters see to the point that you can almost smell or hear what they smell or hear. Their pain and struggles become yours.I should warn prospective readers that Stroyar introduces the reader to a tremendous amount of violence. This, however, should not deter anyone. The world she describes is full of gruesome acts of injustice and torture. Stroyar describes scenes of murder and torture not for any sensationalistic purpose but because they are integral parts of the German Reich she writes about. The book is divided into three separate parts. I personally very much enjoyed the first part that focuses on Peter, an English fugitive who becomes a slave laborer in the household of a sadistic Nazi officer. The second and third parts deal with an Underground movement and its desparate fight against the existing regime. I was pleased to read in another review that somebody else preferred these latter parts of the book over the first one because this means that any reader is bound to love one or the other parts of the book.Stroyar does not attempt to give us clear-cut answers. Nothing in this book is black and white. Just like in real life, even the hero (Peter) is not perfect. He is simply human. He reacts in ways we would, ways that are not always perfect and sometimes not even understandable. The Underground soldiers are not portrayed as simple knights in shining armour. They lead a highly complex fight and thus face highly complex choices and dilemmas. And the Nazis? Well, they are described as evil and typically not very smart. This was my only tiny problem with the book. It seemed implausible that the Third Reich survived the last 50 years with mostly incompetent officers leading and running it. Then again, this book could not possibly be about everything. I simply resigned myself to the fact that Stroyar had to concentrate on certain themes (Peter, the Underground movement, the foreign opposition, etc.) and, as a result, her treatment of the Nazis fell a little short, tending to sli

In part this is the story of a young man who has escaped and been caught up in a world that he did not create nor want to participate in. A world of war where there are no winners and very many losers. The young man Peter, has no life and is made a slave in Germany. The story is in part a search for himself and a search for the meaning in the world he finds himself him. The story is also of a group of Polish Resistance to the Germany that should never have been. It is a story of a little girl and the love she sees in Peter. It is also a not so subtle reminder of the world in which we live. 21st century slavery is reality in this work of fiction that overlaps with reality in so many places it makes you uncomfortable at times....The premise is that Hitler won. The German's have control of most of Europe and very little resistance from an ignorant America. Every assumption you have about slavery and servants, war and peace, love and hatred, values and beliefs will be challenged.As you read the book, you begin to thank god that Hitler didn't win but then you have this haunting suspicion that there is still slavery and politically endorsed murder and genocide happening as you read (Kosovo, Yugoslavia, Africa, etc.)Your mind wanders to Milosevec and you realize this book is all too real. The lessons the author reveals are enormous. JN Stroyar is a passionate writer. Having spent time in Poland meeting real people as she has, I can attest to the spirit and the intensity with which she imbues her characters. This is truly a masterpiece. Children's War comes in at about 300,000 words and will take you about 40 hours to read. It may be the best time you have invested in reading in a long, long time. This book meets every expectation you could have in a dramatic sense.If it were required reading in high school...it just might change the world.Kevin Hogan, ...

In "The Children's War", J. N. Stroyar has written a novel of immense creativity, startling realism and remarkable emotion. While it functions brilliantly as an example of the "alternate-history" genre it is also much more. By imagining a Third Reich that existed into the 21st century, Stroyar provides herself with the perfect backdrop to explore the central themes of this novel: humanity, hope, compassion, revenge...I could go on, there are so many.At its core, "The Children's War" is the story of Peter Halifax a victim of unspeakable Nazi brutality. After years of humiliation, servitude and beatings, he escapes to the Polish Underground; however, his hopes of a more simple, free, life are shattered as he faces the judgement of people who barely even understand what they are fighting for. That's where the novel gets its name, the resistance is fighting for something completely intangible, they are children who have never known freedom, or Poland, or justice, as anything other than a concept. In their quest for survival they have had to make so many compromises their resistance has become almost ritualized. Furthermore, their necessary isolation has calcified many of their views to the point where they are almost as prejudiced, although not as brutal, as the Nazis.Therein lies the central dichotomy of the novel. Peter is appalled at the accommodations that the Poles have made with the Nazis in order to guarantee their survival. At the same, the Poles judge Peter for having done what he needed to do to survive, without having ever been in a similar position; always safe in their "Ivory Bunker". Ultimately, they are both right and both wrong; in a world of constant warfare, everything is shades of gray. The characters come to realize that humanity is something that you carry in your heart and your mind, not necessarily in your actions.In terms of the narrative writing and characterizations, I was blown away. The writing was among the best I have ever encountered, which is all the more remarkable since the author is a first time novelist. In particular, Stroyar avoided the pitfall that many authors fall into when writing alternate history: to much information. All to often the authors feel the need to explain in painstaking detail how they arrived at the time the are writing about. Not so Stroyar, who clearly understands that a well drawn present with sufficient, but not overt, background information is more important than the reverse. Furthermore, Stroyar has a superb grasp of politics, both international and domestic. She understands perfectly the stasis that totalitarian regimes must inevitably fall in to, and the introverted inertia that so plagues democracies at peace. The characters are brutally real, they exhibit an incredible range of emotion, and while not always sympathetic, they are always human. There were actually times when I had to stop reading this novel because it was just too gut wrenching. Of course I couldn't

I have to admit, I was a little daunted by the sheer volume of this book. (Over 1000 pages) But I'm also the kind of reader who feels let down when a novel I've been reading ends. Kind of like losing a new friend? You never know what you will get when you read a new author. I was pleasantly surprised by the character development and flow of this novel. Every time I had a spare moment, I would find myself reaching for this book, compelled to learn more about the story and the characters. I became totally engrossed in the story, my emotions being played to the utmost. Maybe because since this story is told based on historical events, I was forced to face my emotions. At any rate, I would recommend this book to anyone...from the history buff to the casual reader, this novel will be well worth your time. Awesome!