THE NIGHT WAR

THE NIGHT WAR by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

If you are familiar with The War That Saved My Life and The War I Finally Won, then I don't need to give you much of an introduction to Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. You already know how talented she is! If you are not familiar with her work, you'll want to check her out!

Baker is back with another WWII novel, but it has a little different twist to it and is a fantastic read. Set in France in 1940 when France was split into two halves, Occupied France and Vichy France, The Night War follows a young, Jewish girl named Miriam, "Miri" for short. When her neighbors and family are rounded up and imprisoned in Velodrome d'Hiver, Miri escapes. With the help of a nun, she is smuggled to the small town of Chenonceaux where she lives under a new identity in a covenant. Located in the town is the castle Chateau de Chenonceau. On the grounds of Chenonceau is a bridge that crosses a small river that separates Occupied from Vichy France. It is the only gate to freedom for the Jewish people for several miles. Because of this, German soldiers reside in the castle and patrol the grounds often. Despite the patrolling, a small group of people risk their lives to help the Jews escape. When one of the members is injured, Miri steps in to help on the dangerous missions. This is a great historical fiction read where several of the locations and events are true places and happenings.

HEADS UP- There are 2 minor heads ups in this book. First, there is a ghost that appears. She is a true individual from history and Baker juxtaposes some of what she did in the past to what is happening in the war. It is very interesting. The ghost is not scary in the least, and I did not find her to be a cheesy addition. Second, the book deals with King Henry II's wife and the fact that he had a mistress. It does not go into detail about the relationship, just about the jealousy and difficulty it created.