FREEDOM'S GAME

In 1942, two Jewish children in a French orphanage dream of escaping to safety across the border in Switzerland.

Twelve-year-old German Jews Ziggy and Elka meet in Annemasse, France, near the Swiss border. Both have traumatic memories of seeing their families for the last time, but Elka, at least, is hopeful of being reunited with her parents and sister, Ruth. Georges Loinger—a real person whose story inspired this novel and who appears as a character in the book—accompanied Ziggy and other children on the train to Annemasse, and now he’ll be their new gym teacher. But Ziggy is unsure: Based on his close observations, he suspects that Georges is a spy. The question is, for whom? Elka, however, is sure that Georges is no Nazi collaborator and is determined to prove it. The story alternates between Ziggy’s and Elka’s close third-person perspectives. The early chapters are somewhat bogged down by the backstory, but the pace picks up as the children discover more about Georges’ true identity. Ziggy has a limp due to a bout of polio; sporty Elka reflects on how he’s been “so selfless….Spooning extra oatmeal in her bowl, staying up late to keep watch while she ran” (in preparation for their sports festival). Although Ziggy’s faith in his own future wavers, at a crucial moment Elka has enough hope for both of them. The epilogue ends on an optimistic note.

A solid World War II story that features quiet heroes.