Black Radishes

Susan Lynn Meyer grew up listening to her dad talk about his childhood in France during World War II, and this excellent debut novel is loosely based on his stories. Good books about the period are emotionally draining; I have to steel myself to begin one. Opening "Black Radishes," I clung to the knowledge that Meyer's dad had survived to tell the tale.The book opens in Paris in 1940 with 11-year-old Gustave and his pals on a scavenger hunt with their Boy Scout troop. It's all pretty ordinary with the war far away - except that Uncle David is a soldier, the Eiffel Tower has been painted brown so it won't stand out from the air, and someone has scrawled "Jews Out of France!" on the street.Gustave's family is Jewish, his parents more clear-sighted than most, and they decide to move south to a village they think will be safe should the war come closer. When a few months later Germany invades, the family joins thousands of other people fleeing for Spain. Ultimately, they have to turn back, but not before the jammed road they're on is strafed by Nazi planes.In the aftermath, Gustave sees motionless people lying in a field, then "something large and dark" lying in the road. "It was Jacques, the pony. He had been shot. His beautiful brown head was thrown back, and a pool of dark blood spread out around him...."The passage is a good measure of how Meyer portrays the horror of war at the appropriate level -- honestly but without inducing nightmares. The pony's dead, and its owner is heartbroken, but when Gustave's family finds a crying toddler alone, he is soon reunited with his uninjured mom.Most of the book concerns Gustave's life in the village as France falls, the Germans come closer, and Gustave worries that people will find out his family is Jewish. In the most suspenseful scenes, Gustave's resourceful father braves German checkpoints and crosses into occupied France to bring back food and, eventually, people.Ultimately, the book's focus is not breathless drama but how life goes on, even with war and its atrocities looming. The detail of the black radishes is particularly telling. Before I started reading, I assumed they were symbolic -- scorched earth, evil, the bitterness of hunger.In fact, they are real radishes - a peppery treat that Gustave likes with bread, and German soldiers like salted with beer. Gustave makes good use of them - and so does the author. Like the wartime experience of refugees in France, the radishes may at first seem strange and foreign, but in the end, Meyer brings them home.

I loved this book. It is beautifully written, persuasively imagined, and completely compelling. I learned a lot from it on a practical level, and I liked it the way I like YA books that obviously also have an adult audience. I was glad for the author's note at the back telling about the sources for parts of the story, since throughout I couldn't help but wonder how the author knew the inside of the experience so very well. I also have to say that I'm glad that this is one of my son's first Holocaust books. The book was completely honest and straightforward, but in a way that he could digest at age 11. He could be presented with the facts and be aware of how horrible things were without being so overwhelmed by the nightmare that he couldn't take the truth in. I know I'm going to be recommending (and giving) this book to a lot of my Jewish friends with children in the upcoming year.Here's my son's book report on the book: "This is a realistic novel about growing up in France in WW2. It has some sad parts, such as when Jean-Paul leaves his friends in Paris, and some terrifying scenes, like when Jean-Paul is travelling and the road he is on is attacked by German planes. This is a suspenseful and exciting read full of mystery and friendship."

I loved Black Radishes. The main character, Gustave, was very much a normal little boy born in extraordinary and tragic circumstances. I really liked how the author wrote Gustave as a kid who doesn't quite see the real picture of what is happening to his country. He slowly realizes the depth of evil that has gripped France. When he is separated from his cousin and best friend, he begins to realize how ugly the war has become. Through his cleverness, he comes up with solutions that seem heroic and yet not overdone at all. I was particularly impressed with how real the setting felt, as well as the characters. This story is unusual in that it looks at one particular setting and situation of the era that is unique and really delves into the life during that time. Gustave is charming and brave and ordinary, but his circumstances and keen understanding of human behavior help him survive. This is a great story for kids just beginning to understand that horrible time in history. Boys and girls will love this book, as will their parents.

I have such admiration for the Greatest Generation. They pushed through whatever was thrust at them. Black Radishes shows the occupation of parts of France as it is seen by an 11 year old Jewish/French boy. Definitely a page turner full so many little stories and details it’s obvious the author is very close to the story. Well done!

I know there are a lot of Holocaust books out there for kids, but Black Radishes was a fresh and unique look at the Holocaust through a 12-year old French and Jewish boy's (Gustave) eyes. Beyond Gustave's emotional story, I found this book captivating in terms of what life was like living in Paris in 1940, the dangers of crossing over the demarcation line, living "freely" alongside Nazis, the Chenonceau chateaux (which became an escape route for Jews fleeing Nazi-occupied France), and the emotional divide of the French - those who bravely supported Jews and those who did not. This book stays away from the horrific details of concentration camps, and is age appropriate for kids 9 and up, but the drama and danger is palpable and pulls the reader through. There are also bright moments, wonderful details, exquisite writing and poignant memories woven throughout Black Radishes. Inspired by her father's own story, Meyer has created a touching story that will stay with you and your children long after you read it.  Black Radishes

1 of several books for grandchildren in New Zealand. Arrived with usual Amazon efficiency. I hope they enjoy these as they were from their wish lists.