After the news is accepted, Natalie’s family arranges for her to attend a School for the Blind. Her eyesight at this point is still functioning on a limited basis and the family feels this will help Natalie when all of her sight is gone. Initially Natalie is withdrawn and tries to weather this new school without any companionship. She starts out as a single but son is assigned a roommate.

Learning how to function safely as a blind person is a challenge at first. However, as she loses more and more of her extremely limited sight she adapts and learns quickly.  One of the major exams, going alone to a shopping center, she passes successfully. Natalie seems to be well on her way to being able to survive independently and successfully as a blind person.

When her roommate leaves school on her own  and needs rescuing , Natalie is called on for help. This real situation has none of the safety features provided during Natalie’s exam and she is truly put to the test. The suspense builds and builds as the two blind girls are on their own in an attempt to return to the safety of the school.

In addition to a marvelous story of Natalie’s fight to learn life as a blind person. there is much  information on how a blind person is trained to be independent. The story is intriguing and should easily capture the interest of any middle-schooler or high school boy or girl. There is even a developing love interest for Natalie and a male student at the school.

Meli’s family are Albanian living in Serbia.  This alone causes conflict.  Meli’s family is forced to flee from their home to seek sanctuary elsewhere. They load the family farm truck with provisions but before they can leave the soldiers come and confiscate the truck  and its contents. Now the extended family, including an aged grandmother, set out to walk to the border. The survival of the family is amazing as they cobble together shelter and food along the way.

The family finally make their way to a Displaced Persons encampment in Macedonia, ultimately going to Barre  Vermont where they now reside.

This order affects Paula Becker and family. Paula is deaf and thus condemned to die. Her family priest urges her to flee first to a friendly farm where she learns German Sign Language. After several near captures Paula and another escapee, Kurt, flee to the forest. As the war winds down Paula makes it back home, and Kurt, having no family left, joins her.

This is a novel in verse making the reading very very quick. But no matter how fast it is consumed,  the emotional effect is outstanding. The reader develops keen hearing as he/she awaits the sounds of the Gestapo trying to capture Paula. Remarkable in its simplicity and brevity and a glimpse at the lives of the German people during this horrific period of history.
Novel, hardcover, available now.