The true story of one family choosing kindness in a time of war and
fear
When World War II "borrows" the men in seven-year-old Gerda's family,
the German government sends them three new men in return: Gabriel,
Fermaine, and Albert, French prisoners of war who must sleep in an
outbuilding and work the farm until the war is over. Gerda knows they
are supposed to treat the men as enemies, but it doesn't seem fair.
Can't they invite them into the warm house for one meal? What harm could
it do to be friendly? World War II was a time of great suffering in
Europe and beyond. Millions experienced the horrors of the Holocaust,
the carnage of battlefields, the devastation of invasion, and many other
atrocities.
In A Year of Borrowed Men, author Michelle Barker shares one
true story of the tenacity of humanity and friendship in a time of
suspicion and fear. Renné Benoit's illustrations bring warmth to the
era, showing the small ways in which a forbidden friendship bloomed:
good food, a much-loved doll, a secret Christmas tree. Family
photographs and an Author's Note give further insight into the life of
Gerda, the little girl who proved that it isn't so far from Feinde
(enemies) to Freunde (friends).
"A tender memoir of human decency during wartime....The addition of
old family photos from that time is poignant. This heartfelt picture
book helps readers appreciate wartime's toll."--Kirkus Reviews
