Chapter One

‘Hitler is a toad!’
Our entire household has gathered in the parlour for this

big moment – Mama, Papa, Oma, Opa, Otto, Mia and me – and Otto has decided to go wild.

‘Hitler is a toad!’ he yells again.

Mama rushes forward and clamps her hand over Otto’s mouth, but Otto pushes it away and shouts even louder. ‘Hitler is a toad! A big fat toad with warts all over!’

Now Mama clamps her hand to her own mouth.

Papa stands in the middle of us all, dressed in his uniform. He is still Papa but now he is also Soldier Erich Wolf. He has been called up to serve in the German Army and it is more than Otto can bear.

It is more than any of us can bear. But Otto is only seven and he doesn’t understand that we must make sacrifices. For Germany. For our beloved leader, Herr Hitler. And he doesn’t know how to hold the anger, the sadness and the fear inside.

‘Hitler is a toad!’ he shouts once more.

To find out more, check out this chapter sampler…