jazzeum
Four Star General
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2005
- Messages
- 38,629
My son and I have been reading this book by Michael Tunnell for a school project about a fictionalized account of youth resistance to Hitler. Although it's fictionalized all the characters actually lived, with one of them, Helmuth, paying the ultimate price for opposing Hitler. Rudi Ollenick, the narrator, and his best friends, Karl Schneider and Helmuth Guddat (that was his real name and it's not changed in the book) are members of Mormon Church. They witness all the terrible thing Hitler does to Jews, to the opposition, to freedom of speech. When they are forced to join Hitler's youth group, they learn about the ways the Nazis suppress dissent. They listen to the BBC and distribute leaflets telling the truth. In the end they are caught, tortured and brought to trial before the People's Court in Berlin and Helmuth is executed. The other two are sentenced to jail and survive the war and eventually move to Utah. This all happened in real life and both write books so no one will forget Helmuth Huebner (his adopted name) and the Helmuth Huebner Brigade.
Although this book is meant for young teens, it's a scary, personal look of Germany's descent into h**l. It's a great read and if you have a child of the right age, they will find this book fascinating as my son did. Not only is it a great story but it teaches history at the same time.
I really recommend it.
Although this book is meant for young teens, it's a scary, personal look of Germany's descent into h**l. It's a great read and if you have a child of the right age, they will find this book fascinating as my son did. Not only is it a great story but it teaches history at the same time.
I really recommend it.