Ashes

By Christopher de Vinck

This book was a very moving, touching, heart breaking and at times quite harrowing. The book is based around true events that happened in Belgium during World War II. It gives you a glimpse of how terrible war really is. Families being torn apart as some go off to fight, while other families loose their lives just because of being Jewish.

This story is about two young women who in spite of their different backgrounds are inseparable best friends. Simone Lyon is the daughter to a WWI war hero General Joseph Lyon. Where Hava Daniels is a beautiful lively Jewish girl.

When the war finally reaches Belgium Simone’s father has to leave her to help fight against the Germans. He leaves her with his medal of honor telling her that he’ll be back to claim it back off of her.

When the bombs start to fall around them Simone and Hava do what they can to find each other to make sure that they are both safe. Luckily the bombs miss both of their houses even though they live on different ends of the town.

Not long after the bombs stop falling the Germans start marching through their town. Simone and Hava know that they need to flee, but before they do Hava must find her family so they can all go together. However when they finally get to her house they have gone, so they make their way to the synagogue hoping to find them there. Yet again the synagogue is deserted. With no signs of her family Simone persuades Hava that she needs to go home and pack and then go back to Simone’s house so she can pack.

With so many other people leaving the town trying to flee from the advancing Germans they both find it hard to say in front of them. Eventually their luck runs out there is nowhere else to go. Hava gives herself up to the Germans to protect Simone. Hava wouldn’t change her mind no matter how much Simone pleased with her that it would be better to stay together.

Simone pledges that she will come and find Hava again once the war is over. As Hava is taken away Simone has no other option but to go back home and wait out the war. Will the girls ever see each other again and will Simone’s father come back safely too?

Pages: 352, Publication Date: 20 August 2020, My Rating: