As a history lover, I have various periods of history that I enjoy learning about more than others. The 1940s and World War 2 is one of those time periods that I just can’t get enough of. Village of Scoundrels is a book that takes place during that era of history, fictionalizing it of course, but using very real facts to create a powerful story about one of the biggest world-changing time periods in human history.
Overall Review . . .
“Based on the true story of the French villagers in WWII who saved thousands of Jews, this novel tells how a group of young teenagers stood up for what is right. Among them is a young Jewish boy who learns to forge documents to save his mother and later goes on to save hundreds of lives with his forgery skills. There is also a girl who overcomes her fear to carry messages for the Resistance. And a boy who smuggles people into Switzerland. But there is always the threat that they will be caught: A policeman is sent to keep an eye on them, Gestapo soldiers reside in a local hotel, and eventually the Gestapo arrives, armed with guns and a list of names. As the knot tightens, the young people must race against time to bring their friends to safety.” (Book summary courtesy of Amazon and Barnes & Noble)
Village of Scoundrels follows the group of friends through the winter months, and various religious holidays are explained and observed by the characters. These chapters and scenes that are about the holiday celebrations/observances are cozy and hopeful, for both the characters and the reader(s). I appreciated how atmospheric the writing felt; it really felt like I was there in the snow, marching to class or delivering items for the Resistance under the canopy of stars in the middle of a January night.
One of the coolest aspects of this story is that it’s based on a true story, with real events, and the characters are based on real people. The whole story is based on real people and events, but names were changed and details were fictionalized. In the back of the book there is a list of the real people (with their real names) and a bit of their individual life stories. I loved that detail and it enhanced my experience as a reader. 🙂
The action in this story is really well-paced and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. In terms of violence, there is none until the end of the story. Because this is the no-spoiler version of the review, I won’t go into detail. One of the children is injured, but the process by which they are injured is not explicitly shown, but characters later on discuss what happened.
My Opinions . . .
Being a children’s book about WWII, I was a bit nervous as to how these topics were going to be handled in the book, especially regarding the Holocaust/Shoah. For a children’s book, this particular aspect of WWII was handled well and respectfully. The book didn’t go into explicit detail regarding what was going on in the camps, but it was clearly noted that people were in fact dying in these horrific camps. For children, I think it’s best not to go into too much detail about the Holocaust/Shoah, but it is important that they have a general understanding of what the purposes of these camps were, at least while they’re still young and mentally vulnerable.
I like the fact that this is essentially war fiction, but the gruesome details are vaguely hinted at. I think that war, death, and murder are topics that should either be discussed carefully and somewhat briefly, or just not at all, in children’s literature. (When I’m referring to children’s literature, I mean literature for children younger than 12.) Overall, I personally think parents should be the ones who handle those types of discussions because those things can be a lot for children of all ages.
One thing that was a bit confusing was the switching in character perspectives in the middle of a chapter. At times the focus would shift from one character, to another, and then back again, and then bounced back again, so that was a bit confusing and annoying at times. It didn’t occur frequently, but the times that it did had me back-tracking to make sure that I had read the passage correctly.
Something that really makes the reader think is the discussion about “doing the wrong things for the right reasons in tough times.” The main characters (and pretty much everyone around them) ends up doing something illegal to help protect those fleeing the Nazi oppression. I think this is a very nuanced approach, and an important question, for young minds to ponder.
A note on inaccuracy: it’s noted directly once (and a bit more vaguely a few more times) that the reason that Hitler and the Nazis are persecuting, oppressing, and full-on “getting rid” of people is because of religious difference. To be blunt, this is blatantly false. Hitler and the Nazis persecuted and killed millions of Jewish people for the sake of racial superiority and ethnic cleansing. He went after ethnic Jews — regardless of their religious affiliation. I’m sure this author did research, but this is a big thing to write inaccurately on. It’s not a small detail by any means. When discussing topics like this, with the details making or breaking the very reason why these acts are committed, it’s crucial to be as accurate as humanly possible.
Final Thoughts . . .
Overall, I really liked this story. Other than the inaccurate detail, this story was well-written, paced in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat, and asked the hard questions and didn’t give the reader an answer. I appreciate those questions — hard ones that cause the reader to stop and question their morals, their preconceived ideas, and opinions about certain situations and facts of history — in literature, regardless of the reading level or genre.
The beautiful cover is just a bonus. I love how bright and colorful it is, even though it’s about the winter-time and one of the darkest times in history.
All in all, I’d recommend this book to pretty much any age. Based on the writing style and content, I would say ages 10 and up. Other sites may have other suggestions, but that’s my opinion on reading level.
A Word from Me . . .
I would give this book a 4.5/5 stars. I would rate it a 5/5, but the historically inaccurate portion is pretty significant and that detracted from my reading experience. I think this book is overall fantastic, and sheds light on another geographical region and branch of the French Resistance that hasn’t gotten much media attention in my opinion. Some people may think I’m a bit too critical, but history must be studied and shared in the most honest way possible. I don’t think the author did a bad job necessarily, but it’s imperative that the details of history are remembered and recorded properly. I still think highly of this book and recommend it!
A Word from You . . .
What are you thoughts on this? Do you agree or disagree? Is this a book you think is not only important for children to read, but necessary? How do you feel this book is or is not affecting current young adult literature? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 🙂
And, in case you’re interested in picking this book up, here’s my ThriftBooks link to purchase Village of Scoundrels! https://www.thriftbooks.com/share/?code=3RzwAY203zlZCGetHohqJw%253d%253d
*Bonus*
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